Kate Sandvick

PLEASANT HILL — The Marshalltown softball team was unable to put together enough hits to contest Southeast Polk, falling 10-0 in four innings to the third-ranked Rams in Saturday’s Class 5A Region 6 semifinal.

Facing off with Southeast Polk for the first time since 2019, the Bobcats (19-21) were limited to just two hits in the season-ending loss. Kate Sandvick hit a first-inning single and Olivia Wise added a hit up the middle in the second, but they were the only two Bobcats to reach base.

Southeast Polk pitcher Karter Price didn’t walk a batter and struck out three, while her defense was 9-of-9 behind her.

The Rams racked up their 10 runs on just seven hits, highlighted by a two-run home run from Jesslyn Stairs. The senior third baseman had an RBI double in the first inning, an two-run homer in the third and a sacrifice fly in the fourth, finishing with four RBIs to power Southeast Polk.

The Rams’ first four batters got hits off MHS starting pitcher Briley Danielson, but the Bobcat sophomore struck out two of the next three batters to get out of the early jam with only a three-run deficit.

Southeast Polk caught up to her in the third, scoring six times before finishing the game with a run in the fourth.

Berkley Weiland, Kennedy Borud and Stairs had two hits apiece for Southeast Polk (30-10), which will host Ankeny (13-26) in Tuesday’s regional finals. Ankeny upset No. 9 Ames, 5-1, in their semifinal showdown.

Danielson struck out four and walked only two in the loss, allowing seven earned runs on seven hits. The Bobcats committed three errors in their final game of the season.

Marshalltown will return nearly its entire roster for next summer, saying farewell to two seniors — Laney Danielson and Aubree Mundt — after finishing with 19 wins for the first time since 2013.