During WaMaC doubleheaders much of the season, No. 3 (3A) Mount Vernon has looked like Superman in the first game, and Clark Kent in the second.
Well, both are bulletproof, so that worked out fine in a sweep of Benton Community – 12-1 and 6-5 – on Wednesday, June 25, at Van Metre Family Field.
“We struggle sometimes with that second game during our doubleheaders, but we got it done today,” senior Libby Dix said.
This season Mount Vernon (22-10, 13-5 WaMaC East) is 8-1 in their WaMaC opener with a plus-46 run differential and 5-4 in the nightcap with a plus-2 run differential.
Against Benton, those pesky Bobcats decided to throw their No. 1 pitcher in the second game.
“We were kind of on a high after the first game, and then had to zero in on their best pitcher,” Mount Vernon coach Robin Brand said.
Mount Vernon won the opener 12-1 in four innings. The Mustangs hit six doubles and a triple, led by Rylee Rasmussen with a double, a triple, and three RBIs.
“The past few weeks, the goal has been to hit line drives,” Rasmussen said. “Get runners on. We know we have a good enough team to hit them around.”
Hayden Gookin was on the mound and limited the Bobcats to four hits and struck out nine (of the 12 outs).
The Mustangs definitely feel the “S” on their chests when Gookin is on the rubber. She has 178 strikeouts in 120.1 innings this season and set the Mount Vernon career strikeout mark later in the week. As a sophomore.
“Hayden leads our team so well,” Dix said. “And Liv (Olivia Haverback) is a great pitcher.”
Benton was able to get out to a 5-3 lead in Game 2, partly due to four Mustang errors.
When a dropped fly ball and fumbled grounder put two runners on in top of the fifth, Gookin came in to put the fire out. After a sac fly, she struck out two to end the threat.
Trailing, 5-3, Brynlee Bettcher hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to 5-4.
“We were thinking, we’re not letting this game go,” Rasmussen said. “We want to make it close and have fun.”
In the bottom of the seventh, Sophia Patten doubled to right field. She scored when Gookin hit a double to tie the game. Dix provided the game winner with a two-out single.
“We like to beat them,” Dix said of topping the Bobcats. “The last few years, they’ve gotten us.”
It was also a big sweep right before the latest IGHSAU rankings and pairing were released.
“We made a big statement there,” Dix said. “First we run-ruled them, then had a great comeback.”
The Mustangs rose to No. 3 in 3A and will get to host every regional game. They open with Union Community (2-18) on July 10, then host either Solon (16-12) or Anamosa (10-15) on July 12. The regional final is July 15 and could include Forest City (8-8), Clear Lake (14-7), Hampton-Dumont-CAL (4-11) or No. 15 Center Point-Urbana (17-12).
It was the Stormin’ Pointers who upset the Mustangs in the regionals last summer.
The Mustangs have a few things to wrap up before then, including a Wamac crown.
On Monday, June 23, they rolled over Vinton-Shellsburg 17-0 and 12-0.
In the first game, Carly Elliott hit 3-for-3 and Rasmussen and Abbie Moss each had two hits and three RBIs.
In the second game, Lucy Wischmeyer had three RBIs and Haverback hit a double. Haverback also pitched a one-hitter. Gookin and Rasmussen each also had two hits, including a double.
The week ended with some tough battles at the Linn-Mar/Alburnett Tournament.
On Friday, Mount Vernon beat Northeast, 12-0. Gookin had a no-hitter over four innings with nine strikeouts. Bettcher had two hits, including a triple, and three RBIs.
Then the Mustangs lost to No. 2 (5A) Linn-Mar, 4-1.
On Saturday, Mount Vernon beat Ankeny, 1-0, and then lost to No. 5 (5A) Johnston, 7-1.
“We’ve had a great last few weeks and we are ready to get to Fort Dodge,” Dix said.