The comeback was fierce, but the agony of defeat was the final emotion for the No. 11 Sigourney softball team last night when they lost to No. 7 Twin Cedars 7-6 in walk-off fashion in the class 1A region 8 final.

As heard on KCII, the highly anticipated playoff matchup in Bussey was all Sabers early when they belted a pair of two run shots to left field in the first inning to open a 5-0 lead. The Savages got back in it with a two RBI single from Darby Mitchell in the second. Trailing 6-2 in the sixth, Courtney Hemsley connected on Sigourney’s biggest hit of the game with a bases clearing triple that plated three and she was brought home the next at-bat on a RBI groundout from Carly Goodwin. The 6-6 tie stayed true until the bottom of the seventh when a two out rally was started by Grace Bailey with a single and she came around to score on a walk-off double from Ali Mockenhaupt where the relay home was late and the Saber celebration was on. The victors had seven knocks with Bailey going 3-for-4 and three RBI. Sigourney had five knocks with Hemsley having their only extra base-hit. Carly Goodwin went the distance in the circle surrendering three earned runs on seven hits and striking out 10 batters. 

Savage Head Coach Shelly Streigle tells KCII Sports she loved the comeback from her girls. “Every 21 of these girls have fight in them from beginning to end. We struggled in the first inning and had to dig ourselves out of a hole, but I knew the score wasn’t going to end 6-2. I had complete confidence in every single one of these girls in their abilities to comeback.”

Twin Cedars moves to 26-3 and advances to their first state bid since 1978. Sigourney just misses out on their second straight Fort Dodge appearance and bows out at 23-6. They say goodbye to a pair of seniors in Madi Richard and Flora Wilcox.