12/13/2015

SECTIONS

Prepsoftball:Tath,MohawksrollintosemisTHonline.com

Sunday,December13,2015

LOGIN

Prepsoftball:Tath,Mohawksrollintosemis
BYMIKESTEFFENSTHMEDIA TelegraphHerald

BELLEVUE,IowaBellevueMarquettehasn'ttasteddefeatoftenthisseason.
Inordertokeepitsstreakofconsecutiveregionalfinalsappearancesintact,the
Mohawksneededtoavengeoneofthosefourlosses.
GabbyTath,whodidnotpitchinthepreviousmeeting,madeallthedifferenceon
Wednesdaynight.
Tath,theMohawksacewhoenteredregionalplaywithanearnedrunaverageof0.88,
threwatwohitshutoutasClass1ANo.7rankedMarquettedefeatedCalamus
Wheatland,20,inaregionalquarterfinalatColePark.
CalWheatdefeatedtheMohawks,21,onJuly3.MarquetteadvancedtoplayCentral
CityinFriday'sregionalsemifinalbackatColePark.
Tathcontinuedherplayeroftheyearcaliberseasonassheeasilymadeherway
throughtheWarriors'lineuprackingupsevenstrikeoutswithhernastydropcurve.
"MostofmypitchesItriedtokeepawayfromthemsotheywouldn'thititashard,"said
Tath,the2014THMediaCoPlayeroftheYear."Mydropcurvehelpedalot.Itwasmy
gotopitch."
ButTathcouldn'tdoitalone.Sheneededherteammatestoputrunsontheboardtoget
theW.Inrecentlossesa32defeattoMonticelloandthelosstoCalWheatthe
Mohawksstruggledwithleavingrunnersonbase.
ItlookeddiceyearlyonWednesdayastheMohawksoffensewasheldquietthroughthe
firsttwoinnings.Finally,inthethirdMarquette'stimelyhittingstartedup.
KortneyKirby,theMohawks'No.9hitter,startedthehitparadebydoublingtoright
center.Next,AnnaAmbrosysacrificebuntedKirbytosecond.

AdspoweredbyWajam

NikkiBlumcameupwithatimelydoubletoscoreKirby,thenlatercrossedtheplate
herselfasBellaBerthelsingledherhome.BlakeBanowetzthendoubled,leadingthe
WarriorstopullpitcherJennaDiercks.
http://m.thonline.com/mobile_new/sports/local_sports/article_25aee6418b1c59adaf731622304a84a6.html

1/3

12/13/2015

Prepsoftball:Tath,MohawksrollintosemisTHonline.com

"Ithinkourhitterscameoutwhentheyneededtoandgotsomebighits,"Marquetteco
headcoachMelissaSturmsaid."We'vebeenstrugglingalittlebitlatelywithleaving
runnersonbase.Wedon'talwaysgetthatbighitandtheydidittonightwhenthey
neededto."
BehindasoliddefensethetworunthirdinningwasalltheMohakwsneededtoholdoff
CalWheat.
"Evenifthey(Warriors)puttheballinplayourdefensewasbehindherbutshethrewa
greatgame,"Sturmsaid.
Needlesstosay,thewinoverCalWheatwasasweetonefortheMohawksafterthe
priordefeat.
"Itfeelsgood,"Tathsaid."Eventhoughthescorewasn'tashighasIwouldhaveliked,it
feltgoodtowin."
NowBellevueMarquettehasadatewithCentralCity,whofelloutoftheClass1A
rankingsinthefinalweekoftheseason,intheregionalsemifinals.TheMohawks
previouslydefeatedCentralCity140,143.
"Weneedtokeepupourdefenseandbemaybealittlebitbetterwithourbats,"said
Tathonwhatitwouldtaketomakeittotheregionalfinalforthefourthconsecutiveyear.
"ButIfeelconfidentthathopefullywe'lldobetter."
LansingKeeandTurkeyValleymeetintheothersemifinal.
2015THonline.com.Allrightsreserved.Thismaterialmaynotbepublished,broadcast,rewrittenorredistributed.

Sections
HOME

LOCALNEWS

TODAY'SPHOTOS

VIDEOS

OPINION

SPORTS

OBITUARIES

http://m.thonline.com/mobile_new/sports/local_sports/article_25aee6418b1c59adaf731622304a84a6.html

2/3

12/13/2015

OBITUARIES

Prepsoftball:Tath,MohawksrollintosemisTHonline.com

FEATURES

NATION&WORLD

IOWAILLINOISWISCONSIN

POLICEREPORT

WEATHER

CONTACTUS

CARRIER

VIEWFULLSITE

BACKTOTOP

LOGIN

http://m.thonline.com/mobile_new/sports/local_sports/article_25aee6418b1c59adaf731622304a84a6.html

3/3