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Moorman delivers in extras for Indians

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Devan Welch of Oskaloosa tags Mount Pleasant Trinity Krabill during class 4A quarterfinals on Tuesday

Oskaloosa head coach Jay Harms is a member of the Iowa Girls Coaches Association Hall of Fame, owns over 800 career wins and won the Class 4A state championship last summer.

But even he couldn’t have predicted what happened Tuesday at Rogers Park.

Freshman shortstop Meghan Moorman delivered a game-winning double to give the Indians a 3-2, eight-inning win over Mount Pleasant on Diamond 1. The No. 5 Indians (30-12 overall) move into Thursday’s semifinal with second-ranked Winterset on Diamond 2 at 11:30 a.m.

Moorman drove classmate Emily Richmond, who entered as a runner for Aubrey Miller, a returning member of the all-tournament team. In all, Oskaloosa has seven starters and four members from that honor squad back, but one — all-state catcher Alexis Westercamp — has been sidelined since June with a broken hand.

“We just have had pieces fall into place,” said Harms, who is now 845-575 in 40 years of coaching. “The young kids have stepped it up.”

Another ninth-grader, Taylor Wills, belted a sixth-inning home run that broke a 1-1 tie.

“I was concerned with our youth coming in,” Harms said. “Taylor courtesy ran last year for us, but Meghan didn’t play at all. We’ve had kids learning on the job this season and they have done a great job.”

Moorman finished with two RBI, while Willis had two hits including her second homer this year. Alexis Groet, a senior who is headed to DMACC and has over 1,000 career strikeouts, recorded 11 more and allowed just six hits and two walks.

Mount Pleasant (31-11) twice answered one-run deficits, including when junior Chi Glaha connected on an RBI single to score Allison Buckert in the seventh. She was 3-for-4 with two RBI in the game.

The Panthers will face Sergeant Bluff-Luton on Wednesday at noon in the consolation round on Diamond 1.

OSKALOOSA 3,

MOUNT PLEASANT 2 (8 inn.)

M Pleasant 000 010 10 — 2 6 1

Oskaloosa 000 101 01 — 3 7 0

  Cali Liechty (L, 18-5, 7 2/3 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 4 K, 2 BB) and Sarah Moffett; Alexis Groet (W, 23-7, 8 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 11 K, 2 BB) and Meghan Moorman. HR–O: Taylor Wills. 2B–MP: Chi Glaha; O: Aubrey Miller. Meghan Moorman. RBI–MP: Chi Glaha (2); O: Meghan Moorman (2), Taylor Wills.

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