The Mount Vernon Mustangs claimed their first softball championship in the Class 3A state softball tournament Friday, July 24, with a 10-5 victory over Davenport Assumption.
It was a win the Mustangs had been shooting for all year, in terms coach Robin Brand said at a reception for the Mustangs Friday night was “unfinished business” for the team following last season’s loss to Davenport Assumption.
One of the other observations that was made by activities director Matt Thede and Josh Rife of the Mount Vernon Booster Club noted was the infectious joy the players had, every step of the way this season.
Rife recounted the championship win was a culmination of the past four years of play for the Mustangs, who had a total of 120 wins, 78 of those against conference opponents.
The Mustangs were the conference champions the past two years, and made it to the state championship game the past two years in a row as well.
“You represented our town well every step of the way in these competitions,” Rife said.
“Even when you were down in the scores in some of these games, you didn’t let it show as you took the stage,” Thede said. “You should all feel proud of all you’ve accomplished.”
Mount Vernon principal Steve Brand noted that the Mustangs returning to the state tournament wasn’t an accident.
“You have all put in an incredible amount of time in the offseason preparing for the contests,” Steve said.
Steve noted there were a lot of multiple sport athletes on the team as well this year.
He said that watching the teams play against Algona, Wahlert and Saydel solidified that the Mustangs were championship team
Coach Robin Brand said that with everything the Brand family has been going through this summer, that the infectious joy her players had in the season helped her keep things in perspective and gave her something to look forward to each day there was a game or practice.
“For me, the hardest part is for the outgoing seniors,” Robin said. “With other sports, we get some time to say goodbye to our seniors, that there’s still time after their seasons to say something. With softball, though, it’s the last sport of the season, and after that most of you are off to college or your next activities.”
Robin said the team did everything they needed to do to earn this win, adjusting to multiple pitchers, taking time to wait for the right pitches and hitting the balls to advance runners.
She commended the support from the community and team this year as important to her and her family as they deal with Summer’s cancer diagnosis.
Mustangs take win against Wahlert CatholicThe Mustangs week at the state tournament began with a 3-1 win against Wahlert Catholic Monday, July 18.
Mount Vernon were first on the scoreboard with one run in the bottom of the first inning. Nadia Telecky had a triple, and Jenna Sprague’s at bat allowed Telecky to advance for the score. Wahlert tied the game with a run in the top of the second inning.
The Mustangs added two more runs in the fifth inning to set them up with the 3-1 score in the game. Lilly See led off the inning with a single. Telecky slapped a double, giving the Mustangs runners at third and second. Sprague’s at bat once again led to a teammate scoring, with her sacrifice fly to center field, advancing See to home plate. Telecky also scored in the inning.
Nadia Telecky and Addison Gookin led the Mustangs with hits with two each. Jenna Sprague, Ashlyn Steen, Lauren Swartzendruber, Avery Plathe and Lilly See contributed a hit each in the game. Telecky also contributed to two of the runs scored by the Mustangs, with See providing the other run.
Sprague picked up the win, pitching the seven innings. She allowed three hits and one run, while committing one error. She had three strikeouts in the match as well.
The win advanced the Mustangs to play against Saydel.
Mustangs sail past SaydelThe Mustangs won against Saydel with a 2-0 victory on Wednesday, July 20, to advance to the championship game.
Maia Bentley and Addison Gookin were given base on balls by Saydel. The Mustangs capitalized on Saydel not controlling the ball after advancing to first, with several batters going for second and taking the plate unchallenged, setting runners up for scoring positions in the game.
Kenna Rollinger provided two hits in the game in her three at bats. One of her hits allowed Bentley and Gookin to score in the fourth inning.
Sprague took the win, with six strikeouts and only one hit against her in the entire game.
Mount Vernon beats Davenport AssumptionIt was a rematch of last year’s state championship game, with Mount Vernon squaring up against Davenport Assumption Friday, July 22.
And it may have been a rematch of the same competitors, and ended in the same 10-5 score, but the Mustangs were the winners in this matchup.
The Mount Vernon Mustangs scoring came alive in the fourth inning, when the Mustangs got back to the top of the order. The Mustangs knocked in four runs in the fourth inning.
“Honestly, the team getting back to the top of the line-up and seeing that pitcher once before, it really helped them find their pitches and square up their hitting,” Robin said. “This team, when one player lands a run, it just leads to another and another as well.”
The Mustangs have averaged seven runs in a game.
Davenport Assumption scored five runs in the fifth inning to take the lead 5-4. It was the only time they held the lead in the game, however, as the Mustangs charged towards victory at the bottom of the fifth inning.
Mount Vernon added another three runs in the fifth inning and three runs in the sixth inning to take the winning score of 10-5. Sprague pitched the final three outs at the top of the seventh, keeping Davenport Assumption from scoring.
Gookin provided three hits in the win, followed by Rollinger, See, Bentley and Plathe with two hits each. Bentley, Gookin, Steen and Courtney Franck each had two runs in the game, with Elsa Appleton and Plathe having one run each.
Sprague was the winning pitcher, allowing eight hits and five runs in the win, and six strikeouts in the match.
Sprague caught the final out of the game, out of pure reaction to the ball coming her direction, and it took a few seconds to register that the Mustangs had claimed their first championship win at Fort Dodge.
The championship game marked the end for six seniors on the team – Maia Bentley, Avery Plathe, Ashlyn Steen, Nadia Telecky, Jenna Sprague and Lauren Swartzendruber.
“I’m going to miss all of them as members of our team,” Robin said. “They have been exceptional role models for the team, and seeing the joy they have in playing have been great memories.”
And while the Mustangs now have a state title to defend, Robin notes many of the players are involved in many sports – cross country, volleyball, basketball, track and field – and she’s always ready to help or give guidance of things for them to work on in the offseason.
Class 3A Tournament TeamA number of Mustangs were also named to the Class 3A All-Tournament team.
Jenna Sprague, Nadia Telecky, Kenna Rollinger and Addison Gookin (as captain) were named to the team.

Gallery • 12 Photos

--Courtesy photos Anna Moore

Mount Vernon softball players celebrate Addison Gookin’s (center) home run smacked in the sixth inning of the championship game.