The Marshalltown softball team secured its sixth run-rule victory of the season, winning Thursday’s Class 5A Region 4 first-round game over Iowa City West by a 13-3 margin in six innings.

The Bobcats (15-23) advance to face sixth-ranked Ankeny Centennial (28-9) at 7 p.m. Saturday night in Ankeny after winning a postseason home game for the first time since 2021.

It’s only the third regional victory for Marshalltown in the last 11 seasons, and second-year head coach Jason Bowers acknowleged it as such.

“It should be a big deal, and I don’t think the kids realized how big of a deal this is,” Bowers said after the game. “To host a regional game, for one, because that doesn’t happen very much around here, it’s a big thing. I told the girls that we should be proud that we’re hosting a regional game and to go play like it.”

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE - Marshalltown junior Karsyn Price delivers to the plate during the first inning of Thursday’s Class 5A Region 4 softball game against Iowa City West. Price pitched all six innings for the win on her 17th birthday, helping MHS topple the Trojans 13-3.

Junior left-hander Karsyn Price pitched all six innings for Marshalltown, allowing seven hits and just one walk while striking out four, celebrating her 17th birthday with a momentous win.

“It means a lot to me because I know this team has worked really hard and we have so much potential, and I think we gave our all on the field,” Price said. “I was really proud of everybody.”

It took a little warming up, but the Bobcats eventually shined through on this night. The igniting spark was a 1-2 pitch that hit Kennedy Feldman in the backside, firing up a five-run rally with two outs in the bottom of the second inning.

Feldman took first base in front of three straight Bobcat singles, including Aubree Mundt’s two-run rip to right field, and consecutive Iowa City West errors in the outfield plated three more runs to make it 5-0 Marshalltown.

“I didn’t realize it would create that spark of energy in the dugout,” Feldman said. “I think we honestly needed baserunners at that point and that helped ignite everyone else.”

The visiting Trojans (3-32) mustered up a bit of a comeback in their next at-bat, starting with leadoff batter Savannah Mathias’s slap bunt single. One of only two Marshalltown errors in the game plated Mathias, and Cecilia Sterba’s two-run home run rattled Price but briefly.

Price worked consecutive ground balls to get out of the jam, and Marshalltown dodged the last big threat Iowa City West assembled.

“Whenever someone hits a homer off me it’s like a deep level of sadness, but you have to push through and I think I did a good job of not letting it affect me,” Price said.

Her head coach agreed.

“Honestly I never talk to a pitcher before a game,” Bowers said. “I feel like I just make them nervous if I do. I talked to her tonight, and I just told her I needed her to be her best — not pitching — I needed her to be her best person today with her body language and everything.

“You saw a little bit of a dip, but it’s probably the best it’s been all year, and I think the kids feed off that. When she’s positive and she’s got good energy, the rest of the team feeds off it, especially on defense, and I felt that tonight.”

The Bobcats put the game away with a seven-run eruption in the bottom of the sixth, sending 10 batters to the plate and piling up seven hits along the way. Leadoff batter Gianna Baune had two singles, including the game-ending hit to right field that went through the defender’s legs and allowed two runners to score.

Ava Kusserow finished 4-for-4 with a two-run double and a run scored, and her courtesy runner Kam Price also scored a run in her place. Mundt was 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs, and Feldman was 2-for-2 with two runs scored. Bella Avise added a single and two runs scored as the bottom four batters in the Bobcats’ lineup went 9-for-13 (.692) at the plate, scoring eight runs and driving in five more.

“It’s no secret if you look at our stats, the bottom half of our lineup has not performed very well all year,” Bowers said, “but I would say these last few games they’ve come through. That’s really nice to see.

“Iowa City West gave us some gifts we took advantage of, but in the sixth inning our bats really came alive.”

Baune was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and reached twice on dropped fly balls. Laney Danielson started the Bobcats’ big finish with a two-run double, and Emma Stupp added a single.

Freshman shortstop Kate Sandvick chipped in a sacrifice bunt and was 7-for-8 on ground balls, making a brunt of the plays for the Bobcat defense.

Sterba was 2-for-2 and Mathias went 2-for-3 to lead the Trojans offensive. Pitcher Max Pech surrendered 13 hits and four walks while striking out three.