Regional Softball: West Monona bats too much for Lady Vikes, 14-5

 ONAWA (July 12) -- When the bats came alive for the AHSTW softball team last Friday, the Lady Vikes scored four sixth-inning runs to pull within 8-5 of West Monona.
 The drama would be short-lived, however, as the 4th-ranked Spartans answered with six runs on seven hits in the bottom of the sixth to finish off the Lady Vikes 14-5 in a Class 2A regional semifinal.
 West Monona finished the game with 18 hits and was also aided by AHSTW’s six errors, taking a 6-0 lead in the third and improving to 30-5 on the year. The Spartans advanced to Monday’s Region 2 final and lost 9-0 to No. 9 Mount Ayr.
 The Lady Vikes improved on last year’s 8-15 record in G.G. Harris’s first year as head coach, finishing 12-11 overall.
 Harris was pleased to see his squad put together some good at-bats late against West Monona junior ace Lexi Lander (23-4), who pitched a five-inning perfect game against IKM-Manning two nights earlier.
 After managing just one hit through five innings, the Lady Vikes got to Lander for five hits and four runs in the sixth. AHSTW also stole two bases in the inning but got a little too greedy as a caught stealing accounted for the third out.
 Spartan leadoff batter Kylie Henschen finished 4-for-5 with a double and scored three runs while Lander slugged a third-inning solo home run and a fourth-inning RBI double en route to going 3-for-4. Four other West Monona players had two-hit games.
 “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a team approach at-bats like they did tonight,” said Harris. “They were pretty impressive at the plate."
 AHSTW pitchers Madison Thornton and Kailey Jones did not issue any walks on Friday but were hit hard at times. Thornton (2-2) went the first three innings and allowed seven hits and six runs (four earned). Jones worked the last three frames and allowed 11 hits and eight runs, but only one was earned.
 Lander retired the first 11 Lady Vikes before Paige Osweiler drew a two-out walk in the fourth and later scored on an RBI single by Jones. AHSTW added five more hits in its four-run sixth, including an Osweiler RBI double, an RBI single by Sydney Zimmerman and Madison Heiny’s two-run single.
 Katie Anzalone, the only senior on the roster and a four-year starter, went 2-for-4 and scored a run.
 “You get to see a senior go out her last at-bat with a hit - that was pretty special for Katie Anzalone,” Harris said. “She’s a warrior. She cares a lot and she loves softball and she’s a natural. I just wish I had another year or two with her.”