In the end, Van Meter seized their moment instead, as eighth-grader Mady Schnell slammed a walk-off solo home run in the eighth inning to lift the top-ranked Bulldogs past the Mustangs, 4-3, in an incredible Class 2A state semifinal at Rogers Sports Complex.

East Marshall (33-5) will play Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont in the third-place game at 3:30 p.m. on Friday back in Fort Dodge. Van Meter (42-1) advanced to Friday’s 2A title game against Audubon, which also won its semifinal with E-B-F in walk-off fashion.

“When we started practice in April, I never thought we’d be in the final four,” East Marshall head coach Jary Hoskey said. “I never thought we’d be able to play for a state championship, and we were right there. … A hit here, a hit there, it’s a different ballgame. … I’m so proud of the way the girls played to get here, it just wasn’t meant to be.”

The Mustangs were patient from the first moments of Wednesday’s game, forcing Van Meter ace Maddie Waldorf to find the zone and immediately putting pressure on the Bulldog defense with seven total walks issued by Waldorf in 5 2/3 innings.

T-R PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER - Van Meter’s Kennedy Wiedman, right, reacts as East Marshall shortstop Makayla Hala throws her hand in the air in celebration after tagging out Wiedman on a play at third base during Wednesday’s Class 2A state softball semifinal game in Fort Dodge.

To that end, East Marshall never trailed in the game until Schnell’s home run landed over the right-center field fence. But with 11 runners left on base compared to just one left on base for Van Meter, the Mustangs were afforded near-unlimited ammo for their slingshot in the battle with Goliath.

“We knew that every single run was going to count,” East Marshall senior pitcher Morgan Neuroth said.

Runners were left on first and second in the first two innings before East Marshall drew first blood in the third inning with a two-base wild pitch scoring Peyton Grabenbauer from second base.

The Mustangs doubled it with a screaming RBI double from Neuroth in the fourth inning that scored Makayla Hala.

Van Meter got a run back in the bottom of the fourth but East Marshall looked like they’d blow the doors off the Bulldogs in the sixth inning, loading the bases with one out.

T-R PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER - East Marshall’s Peyton Grabenbauer, right, celebrates after scoring a run as Van Meter catcher Cali Richards, left, looks to third base after a play at the plate in Wednesday’s state softball semifinal game in Fort Dodge.

A bunt attempt resulted in a fielder’s choice force out at home, but the Mustangs grabbed a run on a bases-loaded walk for Rayne McIlrath.

That was the end of Waldorf’s day, as Van Meter brought in Bianca Prickett, a much slower thrower that stood tall against Grabenbauer — who had smashed a grand slam against Lisbon on Tuesday — coaxing a groundout from Grabenbauer to end East Marshall’s best threat of the night.

“[Prickett] kind of handcuffed us, we weren’t used to that style of pitching,” Hoskey said. “That made a difference.”

Finally, Van Meter’s offense was roused into action in the sixth inning. A Finley Netten RBI double and Cali Richards sacrifice fly tied the game at 3-all, but Waldorf lined out to Makayla Hala to end the inning.

Prickett retired East Marshall in order for the first time all night in the seventh, and then Prickett singled with two outs in the bottom of the seventh but was caught stealing second to force extra innings.

Libby Atcher earned a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a Makayla Kerber groundout but another groundout and strikeout left her there.

Neuroth, entering her eighth inning of work, struck out the first batter she faced, before Schnell got a hold of an 0-1 pitch.

“I don’t think anyone expected a home run,” Van Meter head coach James Flaws said. “[Neuroth] is very good, she’s got the ball spin, she doesn’t walk anybody, so we had to hit from behind a lot. It took a while to get on top of her. … It was just the right pitch in the moment for [Schnell] to hit.”

Van Meter got their moment, but East Marshall gave a championship-caliber performance, particularly on defense behind Neuroth, who went 7 1/3 innings with five strikeouts, no walks, and four earned runs on seven hits.

The tag out at second on a steal attempt in the seventh was the second of two runners Bailey Grant caught stealing behind the plate, and the Mustangs seemingly were in the right spot for almost all of the balls Van Meter got a hold of on Wednesday.

“I was pretty nervous today, not gonna lie,” McIlrath, a senior, said. “But I knew we could do it, I knew we had the power to do anything. … We’ve got a young team and all of us do our part, are so positive and we just work great as a team.”

After a whirlwind two days in Fort Dodge, East Marshall heads home to prepare for one last game on Friday, and a chance to end their season with a victory.

“They should be very proud,” Hoskey said. “Proud of how they played to get here, proud of how they played against a very good Lisbon team, proud of how they played tonight. I hope we come back on Friday and set the story straight and come up with a win for our seniors.”

Neuroth and the Mustangs will be ready.

“We’re gonna give it our best on Friday,” Neuroth said. “We went to extra innings with the number one team in the state, we know we can play with anyone. If we put our mind to it, we can do it. We’re going for third on Friday.”

CLASS 2A

Quarterfinals

Tuesday, July 23

Van Meter 10, West Fork 0, 6 innings

East Marshall 8, Lisbon 1

Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont 6, Northeast 1

Audubon 4, West Monona 3

Consolation Finals

Wednesday, July 24

LIsbon 4, West Fork 0

Northeast 8, West Monona 2

Semifinals

Wednesday, July 24

Van Meter 4, East Marshall 3, 8 innings

Audubon 3, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont 2

Third Place

Friday, July 26

No. 4 East Marshall (33-5) vs. No. 7 Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (23-14), 3:30 p.m.

Championship

Friday, July 26

No. 1 Van Meter (42-1) vs. No. 3 Audubon (29-4), 5 p.m.

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