T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE - Marshalltown junior first baseman Emma Stupp, left, congratulates the game-ending catch by eighth-grade second baseman Bristol Ealy during Monday’s non-conference softball game against Nevada.

The Bobcats got some bloops and a blast, but the blast came first.

Emma Stupp hit her team-leading ninth home run of the season and the Marshalltown softball team held off Nevada for a 4-3 victory on Monday night at the MHS diamond.

The Bobcats’ other four hits all came consecutively with two outs in the third inning, providing Marshalltown (16-20) with a four-run lead that withstood a consistent comeback attempt from the visiting Cubs.

Nevada (9-19) scored single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, but stranded three runners on base as its rally fell short in the end.

Marshalltown junior pitcher Briley Danielson struck out 12 — including four in a row between the sixth and seventh innings — to lock down the non-conference triumph.

“Briley really held us in that game,” said MHS head coach Madaline Dalke. “That is probably one of the best games she’s pitched all season, I’m extremely proud of her.

“She really worked through mental toughness tonight. We pitched a lot of different stuff, we really worked those counts and it worked in her favor. She did her job and she did it well.”

Danielson allowed just four hits and three total walks as Nevada mounted its comeback in the last four innings. Jorie Hillman had two singles and scored a run, and Addison Good added two hits with an RBI as the Cubs refused to go away.

Marshalltown’s five hits came from five different hitters, starting with Stupp’s solo slam over the left field fence in the bottom of the second.

The Bobcats piled on in the third as consecutive two-out singles by Bristol Ealy, Abby Janssen, Danielson and Faith Sommerlot plated three more runs.

The added insurance proved necessary as Nevada came back, but MHS held its ground.

“Defense was great tonight, it was probably one of our better nights,” said Dalke. “Abby was a wall, she was heads-up on all those plays, and our defense was top tier tonight.”

Ealy, playing second base, made a juggling catch in the third inning and an off-balance grab in foul territory to end the game in the top of the seventh.

The Bobcats closed the regular season with an Iowa Alliance Conference doubleheader at Waterloo East on Tuesday, and Marshalltown hosts Des Moines East to begin Class 5A regional play on Thursday at 7 p.m.