Linn-Mar Softball

Lions finish 8th at state softball

FORT DODGE - The Linn-Mar Lions came home empty-handed from the Class 5A state softball tournament Wednesday.

The Lions lost to Bettendorf, 3-1, and fell to Ankeny, 9-0, in consolation games and finished last in the eight-team field.

Linn-Mar lost to Cedar Rapids Jefferson, 6-3, in the opening round Monday.

The Lions collected only seven hits in the two games Wednesday. Morgan Braughton had two hits in the 3-1 loss to Bettendorf.

DoniRae Mayhew hit a two-run homer and tossed a four-hitter with six strikeouts for Bettendorf. Maddy Ryan pitched a complete game for Linn-Mar with five hits, five walks and two strikeouts.

Olivia Brooks went 3-for-4 with five RBIs for Ankeny in its 9-0 victory over the Lions. Brooks had a two-run double and a three-run homer in the onslaught.

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J-Hawks cherish win over Lions at state

FORT DODGE - Alyssa Olson has pitched better games during her all-state career with the Jefferson J-Hawks, but few have felt as sweet as this one did Monday afternoon.

Olson tossed a complete game as the third-ranked J-Hawks topped Linn-Mar, 6-3, in the opening round of the Class 5A state tournament at Harlan Rogers Park in Fort Dodge.

Olson and the J-Hawks lost in the opening round of the state tournament in 2013 and 2014, so this was the last chance for Olson and the rest of the Jefferson seniors to reach the semifinals.

"It feels great," she said. "We knew coming into this game that it wasn't going to be easy, by any means. We knew that Linn-Mar was going to put up a fight and we were going to put up a fight."

Olson has enjoyed lots of big wins, including a 7-0 masterpiece with 13 strikeouts against Muscatine in the regional finals two years ago as a sophomore. Monday's victory was really big, too.

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Olson, Ryan are foes now, teammates later

Alyssa Olson of Jefferson and Maddy Ryan of Linn-Mar will be teammates at Coe when they begin their college softball careers later this summer, but first they have some unfinished business to settle as high school players.

Olson and Ryan will pitch against each other Monday afternoon when Jefferson (35-7) faces Linn-Mar (25-17) in the opening round of the Class 5A state tournament in Fort Dodge.

First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

Ryan and the Lions nipped Olson and the J-Hawks, 3-2, when they pitched against each other in the first game of a Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader at Linn-Mar on June 9.

Jefferson won the second game of that doubleheader, 14-4, and now the two Metro rivals will meet 150 miles away in Fort Dodge to settle the score for this season.

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Hansen tops all-Metro softball team

Cedar Rapids Jefferson catcher Maddie Hansen has been named the Athlete of the Year on the All-Metro Softball Team, as selected by Metro coaches.

Hansen, a senior, is hitting .504 with 11 home runs and 46 RBIs to rank among the state leaders in all three departments. She plans to play next season at Kirkwood Community College.

Hansen has helped the third-ranked J-Hawks reach the Class 5A state tournament with a 35-7 record. Jefferson will face Linn-Mar in the opening round at 3:30 p.m. Monday in Fort Dodge.

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