But 16 strikeouts and no runs left the Bobcats on the outside looking in, suffering a season-ending 1-0 defeat to the Tigers on the road.

MHS head coach Jim Palmer was proud of his team’s efforts.

“They did an excellent job playing defense,” Palmer said. “You gotta give your hats off to Cedar Falls, they were able to hit some balls and get one run in.”

The first two innings were without much to report, as the defenses canceled each other out, and pitching from Marshalltown’s Kailee Pollard and Cedar Falls’ Cyrah Rasmussen left little opportunity for runs. Cedar Falls was the more active team at the plate with seven hits, but until the fourth inning, the Tigers had nothing to show for it.

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING - MHS pitcher Kailee Pollard delivers to the plate during Thursday’s game in Cedar Falls.

With the bases loaded and one out, a sacrifice fly brought home the game’s only run. Pollard held on to finish the inning without more damage and keep the Bobcats close. In a complete game, Pollard gave up one earned run on seven hits, two walks and four strikeouts.

Marshalltown’s first official hit came from senior Madi Finch in the top of the fourth inning, but she was eventually stranded at third.

The same thing happened to Finch in the sixth after reaching on a two-base error. She was moved to third on a single from fellow senior Gabby Himes, but with two outs in the inning, the Bobcats were unable to drive either player home. It was the Bobcats’ best chance of the game to strike.

“I think that the strike zone for the umpire was a little iffy,” Finch said of the strike zone. “A lot of people were swinging at high ones because he was calling high ones.”

After Pollard held the Tigers in the top of the seventh, a leadoff single from Avery Mull and a sacrifice bunt from Kyra Feldman gave the Bobcats a runner in scoring position with one out.

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING

Marshalltown’s last two batters struck out looking to end the game — and the season.

Still, Finch was happy with her final year in blue and red.

“I think we played really well, actually,” Finch said. “It’s kind of emotional for me because it’s the last time I get to play with my friends because we’ve played every sport together this year.”

——

Cedar Falls 1, Marshalltown 0

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING

MHS 000 000 0 — 0 3 0

CF 000 100 X — 1 7 1

Kailee Pollard and Emma McWherter; Cyrah Rasmussen and Lex Hesse. W–Rasmussen. L–Pollard. LOB–MHS 6, CF 7.