First-year head coach Madaline Dalke didn’t get the wins she wanted out of her debut with the Marshalltown softball team.

Her victory came in a culture shift that she believes can change the future of the Bobcat program.

On Thursday night, however, the on-field outcome didn’t reflect the success Dalke pointed to after a 10-8 loss to Des Moines East/North in the opening round of the Class 5A Region 5 play.

The Bobcats trailed 9-1 before mounting their comeback over the final three at-bats, even bringing the potential tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh. Emma Stupp, one of 5A’s top home run hitters, was waiting in the on-deck circle when Des Moines East (3-23) recorded the final out.

Briley Danielson hit a two-run double in both the sixth and seventh innings to power Marshalltown’s last gasp to get at least one more game this season.

Instead, the summer ended at 18-21 for the ‘Cats and their coach.

“They never gave up, I’ll start with that,” said Dalke. “They never, ever, ever gave up. The first five innings we really, really struggled. … A lot of stuff went in their favor until the end when we started hitting it around.

“I think we showed up ready to play, but we started a little slow coming out.”

Marshalltown swept Des Moines East in a home doubleheader earlier in the season, winning 5-0 and 4-2, so Dalke wasn’t fearful that her team overlooked its first regional opponent. Instead, the visiting Scarlets simply performed better. East outhit the Bobcats (13-11) and made fewer errors (3-5) in the win.

East scored in each of its first six at-bats, while junior pitcher MIa Martin overcame seven walks with her unconventional pitching form that prompted grumbles and eventually contestation from softball fans behind the backstop. The home plate umpire issued one warning to spectators during the fourth inning as Martin’s windup and delivery appeared to wander outside of the pitcher’s lane, or chute, throughout the contest.

Marshalltown eventually overcame it and adjusted to the unorthodox delivery method, making its comeback as the game wore on.

Trailing 9-1 in the bottom of the fifth, the Bobcats started their necessary surge. Danielson reached on a fielder’s choice grounder, moved up on a walk to Lauren O’Neal and a bloop single by Stupp. Hanna Osgood dribbled a ground ball through the left side for an RBI single, signalling the Bobcats’ charge. Had they not scored, the game would have ended by the mercy rule.

Des Moines East answered with its last run in the sixth to take a 10-2 advantage, forcing Marshalltown again to score to simply avoid the run rule.

Down to their final out, the Bobcats got a single from Abby Janssen and a walk to Faith Sommerlot. Danielson drove both home with a double to right-center field and scored on a throwing error by Martin on O’Neal’s subsequent grounder back to the circle.

O’Neal took second on the play, opening first base so Martin could intenionally walk Stupp without consequence. Osgood nearly made the Scarlets pay, but Hailey Rocha’s lunging catch of a blooper into shallow right field prevented Marshalltown of an even bigger inning.

Danielson and her defense delivered a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the seventh, and the Bobcat bats went back to work. Olivia Wise hit a leadoff single, and Bristol Ealy walked one out later. A groundout by Janssen moved both runners into scoring position, and Sommerlot’s slow-roller to third brought in Wise.

After Sommerlot swiped second base, Danielson drilled a line drive to the gap in left, bringing the Bobcats to within 10-8 with one out to go. Martin got O’Neal to fly out to right to end the game, however, ending the MHS comeback.

“Honestly, I thought it was gonna happen in the first inning, I thought it was gonna happen in the second inning,” Dalke said of the rally. “The way the girls ended this game is the way they played Waterloo East and never giving up against Nevada. That’s the way we play. That’s the way they play at practice.

“We have to consistently show up and play Bobcat softball, and that was something we really struggled with tonight. You’ve got to be consistent.”

East was led by Juliana Montalvo, who went 3-for-5 with a run scored and two RBIs. Brooklinn Purdy, Kaylyn Richards, Adalai Lopez-Zermeno and Halle Hajek had two hits apiece.

The Scarlets scored half of their runs via error. Stupp started in the circle and surrendered six runs — three earned — on eight hits with four strikeouts. Danielson pitched the final 4 2/3 frames, giving up four runs — two earned — on five hits and two walks with one strikeout.

Martin allowed seven earned runs on 11 hits and seven walks, striking out two.

East’s reward for the win is a regional semifinal match on Saturday at No. 4 Dallas Center-Grimes (27-6).

Janssen went 3-for-5 with an RBI, and her courtesy runner Avery Buschbom scored once. Danielson was 2-for-5 with a pair of two-run doubles and two runs scored, while Stupp had two hits. Leah Graves also doubled and scored.

The Bobcats suffered their first loss when scoring seven runs or more in a game this season, while East achieved double digits for just the third time — all three wins.

“I think it was just a couple errors that snowballed,” Dalke said. “It doesn’t help when you’ve got your parents screaming at you, and they were hitting the ball well.”

Marshalltown stranded 11 runners on base in the season-ending defeat. Two reversed outcomes would have meant the program’s first winning season since 2013.

“It definitely hurts, and it hurts more because I know that this is not the team they are,” Dalke said. “People who are saying stuff and making comments don’t actually see what’s being changed. I think if you asked any of the girls, they want to be here. The culture is better. It’s not negative.

“Parents are yelling at you and the girls aren’t taking that down — they’re letting it roll off them. And I don’t think the people who are attacking our girls in our program are understanding exactly what is being changed. … One of the main things I talked about when I interviewed for this job was to flip the culture. Bobcat softball was known and I think has been known as one of the more toxic sports, and that’s never what it should be.

“Is this exactly where I want it to be? No, but there is definitely a change and there is definitely progress and that’s a win in my book.”