Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Van Meter teammates Alice Ruggles (left) and Kennedy Wiedman react after scoring a run on Friday. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

Mady Schnell will have quite a story to tell when she walks through the Van Meter High School doors for the first time.

The eighth-grader lived what every player dreams of growing up in their back yard.

For the second time in the Class 2A state tournament, the youngster delivered a game winning home run — and this time, it was for the state crown on Friday at Rogers Park.

Schnell’s blast broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the sixth inning to put the Bulldogs (43-1 overall) up for good as they held on to beat Audubon (29-5) and clinch Van Meter’s second state championship by a final of 5-3.

“I don’t feel like a hero,” Schnell said. “I just wanted to contribute and come through for the team.”

On Wednesday, the eighth-grader belted a one-out home run in walk off fashion of the bottom of the eighth to put Van Meter in their second straight final.

“Rounding third base, I was thinking about the team the whole time,” Schnell said. “I wasn’t expecting to hit a home run. I just wanted to put the ball in play.”

It wasn’t the only movie-script moment for top-ranked Van Meter, which has now won 40 straight games. There was also the Flaws effect.

Bulldog head coach James Flaws won his second career state championship (2016) the same week his father, Jim, won his sixth state crown for Carlisle.

“They bought into the moment,” Flaws said. “They just kept plugging away and didn’t worry. They lean on our faith in God and trust in each other.

“This is like a vacation for us (the Flaws family). During the summer we all play softball, so during state, we all come up get together. We were all in the dorms (at Iowa Central Community College) together. It’s been pretty cool to (win it all) in the same week. Dad has been super supportive.”

Both Van Meter and Carlisle coaching staffs are packed with Flaws family members. Josh Flaws is an assistant for James. Carlisle has Justin, Jordan and Jay on Jim’s staff.

“It’s incredible to see him do it the same week,” said Jim Flaws, who celebrated with his Wildcats the night before in Class 4A. “This might be the first father-son duo to win state titles in the same year.”

Jim was in the stands as he watched his son capture the 2A crown. Dad even switched colors for a night, sporting a Van Meter t-shirt in the winner’s circle.

“He does it his way and I couldn’t be more happy for him,” Jim said. “His players just believed in him and in the system, which is what it’s all about.”

Van Meter got on the board first in the bottom of the second, but Audubon — in its state tourney debut — took a 3-1 lead after four-and-half innings.

The Bulldogs plated two runs in the bottom of the fifth, as Halle Karaidos knocked home Schnell. Lauren Wallace had an RBI single as well in the frame.

Schnell’s heroics came in the bottom of the sixth with two outs, and she was down to her final strike. Schnell, the Class 2A all-tournament captain, cleared the Rogers Park fence in a blast that went about 220 feet — her second of both the tournament and the season.

“That was an incredible moment,” James Flaws said. “She has been in spots of incredible challenges and she has come through.

“She deserves all the attention she gets. She’s earned it.”

Kennedy Wiedman was 2-for-3 in the contest with two runs scored.

For Audubon, Jordan Porsch was 2-for-3. Taryn Petersen had a double and an RBI.

Bianca Prickett relieved Maddie Waldorf in the third inning for the second time in the tournament and closed the door on Audubon.

Prickett improved to 14-0 on the season, and Waldorf is 26-1.

Prickett went four-plus innings. She allowed three hits and an unearned run. She walked zero and struck out two.

VAN METER 5, AUDUBON 3

Audubon 002 100 0 — 3 5 3

Van Meter 010 022 x — 5 5 2

WP–Bianca Prickett (14-0, 4.33 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO); LP–Riley Miller (6 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 7 SO); LOB–Audubon 8, Van Meter 5; 2B–A: Taryn Petersen; HR–VM: Mady Schnell; HBP–A: Mattie Nielsen; SACB–A: Petersen; VM: Schnell, Bianca Prickett;; SB–A: Jordan Porsch, Addie Hocker; VM: Kennedy Wiedman (3), Finley Netten.