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Hawks soar into semis

-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Leah Wegmann of West Delawere tags Independence during Class 4A quarterfinals on Tuesday

The youth of the West Delaware softball team stepped up Tuesday at Rogers Park.

Sophomore Eve Wedewer and junior Macey Kleitsch each drove in two runs, and Kleitsch quieted the Independence hitters to lift the Hawks to an 8-2 victory in the Class 4A semifinals.

Next up for sixth-ranked West Delaware (31-11 overall) will be No. 1 Carlisle in the final four on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.

Down 2-1 in the fourth, the Hawks exploded for six runs. Wedewer had a two-RBI double and Leah Wegemann picked up an RBI when she was hit with the bases loaded.

Wedewer was 3-for-3 with two RBI and a run, with Kleitsch adding a pair of RBI and Claire Demmer two hits. Koloc also went 3-for-3 and had an RBI and a run scored.

“I was just looking inside-out,” Wedewer said. “I wanted to make sure if I got a good pitch to hit, I hit it.

“This feels amazing (going to the semifinals). We’ve all worked very hard and we all deserve it.”

Kleitsch improved to 14-5 with six strikeouts inside the circle.

The Hawks have won eight in a row and avenged a regular season Wamac sweep at the hands of Independence.

This is the first time for West Delaware at state since 2013 and the 14th trip overall.

For the Mustangs (30-12), they returned to state after going 1-1 here a year ago.

Independence is one of just three qualifiers back in the field alongside Charles City and Dallas Center-Grimes.

Brooke Beatty drove in a pair in the first for Independence.

WEST DELAWARE 8,

INDEPENDENCE 2

West Delaware 010 610 0 — 8 12 1

Independence 200 000 0 — 2 4 2

WP–Macey Kleitsch (14-5, 7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 6 K, 4 BB); LP–Mackenzie Hupke (20-7, 7 IP, 12 H, 6 ER, 2 K, 2 BB); 2B–WD: Eve Wedewer. RBI–WD: Eve Wedewer (2), Ella Koloc, Macey Kleitsch (2), Leah Wegmann; I: Brooke Beatty (2), Allie Joe Zieser.

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