By Tom Anderson, Head Coach

PLOVER – The Iola-Scandinavia softball team lost to Pacelli when Haylee Ciesewski hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Cardinals to a 6-5 win over the Thunderbirds in a WIAA regional semi-final game. The T-Birds finish the season with a 16-8 record.

The loss marks the end of the season for Iola-Scandinavia and their seven seniors: Brooklyn Berrens, Rayanne Clendenning, Brylee Jueds, Maya Munoz, Ava Printz, Katie Rosenthal, and Natalie Schwirtz.

Pacelli took an early 3-0 lead in the first inning. The Thunderbirds responded with four runs in the third inning to take a 4-3 lead. The Cardinals scored two runs right away in the bottom of the third inning to regain the lead, 5-4. The T-Birds tied the game, 5-5, in the fourth inning, and it stayed that way until Pacelli’s winning home run in the eighth inning.

Berrens and Braelyn Jueds each had two hits and drove in two runs for Iola-Scandinavia. Berrens had a two-run home run in the four-run third inning. The Thunderbirds did outhit the Cardinals 9-8.

Pitcher Rayanne Clendenning went the distance in taking the loss. She had no walks and two strikeouts.