No. 4 Mount Vernon closed its WaMaC softball schedule with four wins last week and claimed the WaMaC East title.
The Mustangs (29-9, 15-7) swept winless South Tama on Monday, June 24, 10-0 in five innings and 14-0 in three innings.
“That was a really fun night,” Mount Vernon coach Robin Brand said. “The Mustangs won two Level 2 games and two Level 3 games and also had the youth leagues there to celebrate with the varsity on Senior Night. “Just an awesome night for our program.”
In the opener against South Tama, freshman Hayden Gookin pitched a one-hitter with eight strikeouts. In the second game, junior Olivia Haverback pitched a no-hitter over three innings.
Then Wednesday, June 26, Mount Vernon won twice at West Delaware, 15-2, in three innings and 4-3.
Considering the Mustangs won the East title by one game over Marion, that second game was critical for an outright crown.
In the first game, the Mustangs blasted 15 hits, including four home runs – Brynlee Bettcher, Elsa Appleton, Libby Dix and Abbie Moss – and Gookin held the Hawks to two hits and struck out seven.
The Mustangs have hit 29 home runs this season by 10 different hitters. “
The thing about our lineup, we’ve got good kids throughout the lineup,” Brand said. “And we executed bunts so well that night, too. We’re doing everything well.”
In the second game, it was tied 3-3 before the Mustangs pushed one run across in the top of the sixth.
Dix led off with a single, advanced on an Abbie Moss sacrifice fly, and was batted in by Hayden Gookin.
The Mustangs had 10 hits, including three by Hayden Gookin and two by Dix. Kenna Rollinger hit a home run.
The Mustangs’ game at Cedar Rapids Prairie on Friday, June 28, was postponed to Wednesday, July 3.
Mount Vernon opens the postseason by hosting Union on Thursday, July 11. Center Point-Urbana and Solon are both in that 3A region (the Mustangs split with both WaMaC foes). West Liberty is the No. 2 seed.
“Anytime to get to state, you have to run into some good teams,” Brand said. “We’ve got a good shot and I’m excited about our bracket.”