One team was going home with their 4th state championship on Thursday night in Fort Dodge in 4A, when number three Dallas Center – Grimes faced off against number one Winterset. The Huskies were able to pull through with a big home run in the 5th inning, winning their 3rd title in six years by the score of 3-1. DCG ends the season on a 35-7 while Winterset ends theirs with a 37-4 record.

DCG started the game with runners in scoring position in the first three innings, but couldn’t find a way to bring anybody home as the score take knotted at zero. The bottom of the 3rd, Winterset got the scoring going with an RBI single from Riley Kious scoring Jena Young to make it 1-0. DCG would finally get in the scoring column in the 4th inning, as a single from Olivia Huston would score Macee Reiling to make it 1-1. After both teams traded 1-2-3 innings, Winterset would get a big two run home run from Neela Applegate out to left field, hitting a laser over the 200 feet sign to make it 3-1. The Mustangs got a runner on in the 7th, but struck out to end the game.

Thea Banning was able to get the win for Winterset while Aubrey Johansen picked up the loss, pitching six innings, giving up three runs on eight hits, striking out one and walking one.

Offensively, this was the first time in the last nineteen games that the Mustangs weren’t able to score at least five runs.

For DCG, they were able to get their best finish since 2015, and were able to put together a remarkable run overall.

Multiple players were able to make the all tournament team in Aubrey Johansen, Izabella Mulder, Olivia Huston, and Macee Reiling.

DCG will be losing two seniors off of their roster in Elle Nelsen and Lauren Wyllie. The Mustangs will be returning eight projected starters for next years team, and will projected to showcase one of the best teams in the state for the 2023 year.