Clarksville outlasts lightning, Sigourney to earn first title berth

Update: Rain in Fort Dodge has delayed the 1A title game to at least 3:15 p.m.

FORT DODGE -- Waiting out a 92-minute lightning delay and surviving a back-and-forth game that included 40 total hits and eight errors, Clarksville advanced to today's (Friday) Class 1A state title game.

It came with a 15-12, nine-inning state record-breaking game.

The Indians final knockout punch during their state-record 24 hits in the game that got them through to play Kee, Lansing at 2:39 p.m. on Friday, July 21 was a three-run blast by Janet Borchardt.

Borchardt also fittingly recorded the final out to set off the celebration by the Indians.

"I knew I had to hit one hard to the outfield to get Ainsley (Lovrien) and Chloe (Ross) in to get us a cushion and a lead," Borchardt said. "And I just got the contact I was wanting and it went over."

Clarksville head coach Katie Wedeking added, "They were all talking in the van coming over that they were going to hit some home runs, those three (who hit them, including Chloe Ross and Ainsley Lovrien) and all three did. It's weird.

"She just goes up to the plate relaxed, I think, and that helps all of us, going up relaxed and ready to get a hit."

The complete story will run in the July 27 issue of the Clarksville Star.