The Adel-DeSoto-Minburn Softball Team fought to the bitter end, but came up just short in the Class 4A Semifinal round on Wednesday versus Pella, falling 2-1, but will be playing for third place today.

The 8th-seeded Dutch were trying to keep their Cinderella story going after defeating the top-seeded Cedar Rapids Xavier on Monday, as the 5th-ranked Tigers were looking to return to the state championship for the second year in a row. It was a pitching duel between ADM junior Lauren Hagedorn and Pella senior Emma Eekhoff, as all the scoring came in the 5th inning. 

The game was scoreless through four complete innings, before Eekhoff was able to crack the code against Hagedorn in the top of the 5th inning, when she connected on a fastball down the middle for a 2-run homer, with sophomore Riley Parks standing on 1st base for a monumental 2-0 lead for the Dutch. However, the Tigers would respond in the bottom half of the inning when freshman Aubrey Noring hit a bunt single, and later advanced to second base, before senior Aniston Tollari delivered a ground ball past third base to score Noring to cut the deficit to 2-1, which would be the final score.

ADM only had 3 total hits in the game, and could not complete the rally for the comeback, as their hope for a state title was halted. Eekhoff was the winning pitcher, going all 7 innings, allowing 3 hits, 1 run, walked a batter, and had 7 strikeouts. The losing pitcher was Hagedorn, who was great in her own right finishing 7 innings, giving up 5 hits, allowed 2 runs, but retired 14 batters. 

Pella is now 24-12 on the year and will face off against North Polk in the Class 4A Championship game today at 5pm, while ADM falls to 28-9 overall and has a chance for third place, taking on North Scott at 3:30pm on the Iowa Central Field at the Harlan Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge. Raccoon Valley Radio will carry the broadcast on K107.9 KKRF.