LAKE MILLS, IOWA – At the midway point of the season, the Lake Mills High School softball team endured sort of an identity crisis.

Monday, July 23, 2001

LAKE MILLS, IOWA – At the midway point of the season, the Lake Mills High School softball team endured sort of an identity crisis.

Would the Bulldogs live up to their early-season ranking as one of the top Class 1A teams in the state? Or would they fade into mediocrity?

It didn’t take them long to decide.

Now, they’re two wins away from the state tournament.

The Bulldogs reached the Region 3 semifinals with a pair of weekend wins, 2-1 over Twin River Valley on Friday and 3-0 over North Kossuth Saturday.

The 31-13 Bulldogs will play at 7 tonight at Laurens for the right to advance to the region title game to be played Tuesday at a site to be determined.

According to coach Jim Boehmer, the Bulldogs have been sharp since their midseason mini-slump.

&uot;In the middle part of the year, we had some ups and downs,&uot; said Boehmer. &uot;Our record at one point was 15-6. We lost a couple in a row. We had a bad week. Since then, we’ve just done a lot better.&uot;

The Bulldogs scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth against Twin River Valley, which finished 25-6.

Jessica Ball pitched a five-hitter, striking out eight and walking three. Mindy Bjelland, Jessica Grotewold and Stacie Gaskill had two hits apiece. Libbi Rank scored both Lake Mills runs.

A first-inning double by Kjerstin Back proved to be the difference against North Kossuth, whose record fell to 23-12. Rank had two hits. Ball threw a four-hitter.

It was the second shutout in four tournament games for Ball, who has allowed only four runs – two earned – in postseason play.

Boehmer feels good about the Bulldogs’ chances of making it to state, although he said the four remaining teams are extremely similar.

&uot;Out of the four left, it’s a toss-up,&uot; said Boehmer. &uot;Whoever, I guess, has a good night will win it. If we continue to play like we have been, we should be all right.&uot;

&160;

Bulldogs 2, Twin River Valley 1

Twin River Valley 000 100 000 – 1 5 1

Lake Mills 001 000 001 – 2 8 4

WP – Jessica Ball

Bulldogs 3, North Kossuth 0

North Kossuth 000 000 0 – 0 4 1

Lake Mills 120 000 x – 3 7 0

WP – Jessica Ball