Trending
Dubuque Wahlert put together a dominant performance here on Wednesday to reach the Class 3A state softball championship round.
The second-seeded Golden Eagles soared to a 13-3 victory over Van Meter. They will now meet top-seed and defending state champion Williamsburg in a rematch of last year's finals on Friday at 5 p.m.
Junior Natalie Ruba homered and was the winning pitcher for Wahlert (38-6), which remained undefeated this week at Rogers Park. Ruba drove in five in all.
Julia Roth continued to swing a hot bat for the Golden Eagles, as the Iowa Hawkeye recruit backed Ruba by going 3-for-3 with a homer and three RBI. Ruth Tauber -- like Roth, a senior standout -- drove in three, and Claire Brosius contributed two hits.
Ruba allowed three runs in the first inning before calming down and quieting Van Meter the rest of the way. The Bulldogs (34-8) had won two consecutive 2A state titles heading into this season.
Ruba just missed a homer in the first inning, then drilled her two-run shot in the third as the Golden Eagles took the lead for good in what wound up being an eight-run frame. Tauber's two-run double ended the contest early in the fifth.
Last year, Williamsburg edged Wahlert in the finals by a 3-2 count. The Raiders, who are trying to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive state title, bounced back from a Tuesday loss to Mount Vernon by taking out PCM and then the Mustangs twice on Wednesday.