(Van Meter) – Two-time defending state champion Van Meter and their Head Coach James Flaws overcame an early scare before its offense erupted, defeating Atlantic 9-1 in six innings to capture the Class 3A Region 5 championship and earn another trip to the state softball tournament in Fort Dodge.
The Bulldogs (32-6) broke open a tight game with timely hitting throughout the lineup before Marah Karados punctuated the victory with a two-run walk-off home run, her sixth of the season.
The game featured a tense opening, as both teams stranded scoring opportunities in the first two innings. Atlantic left a leadoff walk in the first and a leadoff double by Zoey Kirkhoff in the second, while Van Meter stranded leadoff hitter Mady Schnell after her opening-inning double…