WEST BRANCH

Just a few minutes after Wednesday’s game ended in West Branch, after Mid-Prairie had scored five runs in the ninth inning to break an extra-innings battle, a voice shouted out during a postgame huddle.

“Six wins in a row!”

Indeed, that’s precisely what the 8-3 victory accomplished for the first time since 2015.

Since losing to Regina Catholic, the No. 6-ranked team in Class 2A, the Golden Hawks have defeated North Cedar, Mount Pleasant, 10^th-ranked Davis County, Centerville, Anamosa and West Branch.

The Golden Hawks trailed by a run, 3-2, entering the seventh inning, but freshman shortstop Dakota Mitchell reached base on a hit, went to third on a bunt and score on a wild pitch to force extra innings.

Mitchell also began the five-run rally in the ninth inning with a one-out hit.

Pitcher Sydney Knebel worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning and shut out West Branch the rest of the way for the win.

Mid-Prairie 11

Mount Pleasant 1

Mid-Prairie freshman Dakota Mitchell struck quickly.

Leading off in the Golden Hawks home game June 10 against Mount Pleasant, she jumped on a pitch and smacked the ball toward an outfield gap. She was standing on third base with a triple before Mount Pleasant’s outfielders could retrieve the ball and send it back to the infield.

A minute later, Mitchell danced home to score on a triple by Gabi Robertson.

It was just the beginning of a Golden Hawks hit party that wound up in an 11-1 mercy-rule victory.

The big blow came in the fourth inning, when eighth-grader Kadence Grout, hitting ninth in the lineup, slammed a pitch over the left-field fence for a three-run home run and was mobbed by her teammates at home plate after rounding the bases.

The homer was not only the first of Grout’s high school career, but the first by any Golden Hawk this season.

“By an eighth-grader. The future’s bright,” said Mid-Prairie head coach Amy Hartsock-Williams, enjoying the moment after the game ended early.

Mitchell, who has been a starter at shortstop since she joined the team last year as an eighth-grader, had a triple and double in her first two-bats. In her third at-bat, she was walked intentionally. She had multiple hits in every game she played last week, including three against Regina Catholic and Davis County.

“That girl was hot today,” Hartsock-Williams said. “She was seeing the ball well. She’s a good hitter. She worked hard in the offseason, she continues to work hard in the season, practices, on her own. She really squared it up tonight and saw the ball well.”

Sophie Miller, another eighth-grader, had three hits and scored twice.

Robertson, Grout and Brittany Kinsinger each had two hits.

Freshman pitcher Sydney Knebel struck out six and gave up just two hits in five innings. The 10-run rule meant Knebel’s night finished early.

“Our pitcher doesn’t have to throw all those extra pitches. It saves her. It’s a long season,” Hartsock-Williams said.

EBF Tourney

The Golden Hawks extended their season-best winning streak to four games with victories June 11 over Davis County and Centerville in the Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Tournament at Eddyville.

Gabi Robertson, a sophomore outfielder, led Mid-Prairie with six hits in two games.

Dakota Mitchell, Robertson and Brenna Jehle each had three hits in a 9-8 victory over Davis County (10-2), which is ranked eighth in Class 3A and had won nine straight games. Robertson hit her first home run of the season.

The Golden Hawks scored four runs in the fifth inning to overcome a three-run deficit.

Sydney Knebel was in the circle for the win.

Schrader added another three hits in a tight 3-2 victory against Centerville (1-9). Mitchell and Brenna Jehle each had two hits.

Mid-Prairie 9

North Cedar 6

Gabi Robertson had four hits and drove in two runs for the Golden Hawks in a game played June 9.

Mid-Prairie scored seven runs in the first three innings and never trailed.

Brittany Kinsinger had three hits, and Dakota Mitchell and Madeline Schrader had two hits apiece. Mitchell scored three runs.

Junior pitcher Landry Pacha had seven strikeouts.

Regina 6

Mid-Prairie 1

Dakota Mitchell had three hits to lead an 11-hit Mid-Prairie attack, but the Golden Hawks were able to score just one run in a game played June 8 in Iowa City.

Regina Catholic pitcher Emma Nibaur struck out 6 and had two hits at the plate.

Madeline Schrader had two hits and drove in Mid-Prairie’s only run. Gabi Robertson and Brittany Kinsinger also had two hits.

Dani Laughlin, formerly of Highland, had one hit and scored a run for Regina.

GAME STATS

REGINA CATHOLIC 6, MID-PRAIRIE 1

Mid-Prairie hits: Dakota Mitchell 3, Gabi Robertson 2, Brittany Kinsinger 2, Madeline Schrader 2, Sophie Miller, Molly Yoder.

Regina hits: Courtney Kessler 2, Emma Nibaur 2, Dani Laughlin, Gabby Sueppel, Morgan Gahan, Kennedy Connor, Laci Chambliss.

WP: Nibaur

LP: Sydney Knebel

MID-PRAIRIE 9, NORTH CEDAR 6

Mid-Prairie      232  002  0  --  9  14  1

North Cedar    203  000  1  --  6    8   5

Mid-Prairie hits: Gabi Robertson 4, Brittany Kinsinger 3, Dakota Mitchell 2, Madeline Schrader 2, Sydney Knebel, Sophie Miller, Brenna Jehle.

North Cedar hits: Hilary Frey 3, Alyssa Hefflefinger 2, Haley Hefflefinger, Baylee Pullen, Kylie Frey.

WP: Landry Pacha

LP: Alyssa Hefflefinger

MID-PRAIRIE 11, MOUNT PLEASANT 1

Mt. Pleasant        010  0  --  1  4   6

Mid-Prairie           501  5 --  11  14  0

Mid-Prairie hits: Sophie Miller 3, Dakota Mitchell 2, Gabi Robertson 2, Brittany Kinsinger 2, Kadence Grout 2, Madeline Schrader, Sydney Knebel, Landry Pacha, Brenna Jehle.

Mount Pleasant hits: Jersey Beachy 2, Saige Burchett, Jayden Housh.

WP: Knebel

LP: Madison Helling

MID-PRAIRIE 9, DAVIS COUNTY 8

Mid-Prairie hits: Dakota Mitchell 3, Gabi Robertson 3, Brenna Jehle 3, Madeline Schrader 2, Brittany Kinsinger, Sydney Knebel.

WP: Knebel

MID-PRAIRIE 3, CENTERVILLE 2

Mid-Prairie hits: Madeline Schrader 3, Dakota Mitchell 2, Brenna Jehle 2, Gabi Robertson, Sydney Knebel.