The road was about as tough as it could be. In its three games at the Class C State Softball Championships, Malcolm faced the top three teams in the class. After an opening round win, the Clippers lost two in a row to make an early exit from the Oct. 14-16 event in Hastings.
The No. 7 seed Clippers seemed to get every break and all the bounces in the opener against No. 2 Fairbury. After scoring four runs with two outs in the opening frame, Malcolm went on to knock off the defending state champs with a 16-3 win in four innings.
“That’s the best of our team,” Malcolm head coach Travis Meyer said. “Things started rolling right away and we dominated. That’s the team we know we can be.”
Jaiden Helms got the scoring started when she swiped home on a pickle play in the top of the first. The junior finished the game 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.
Helms’ freshman sister, Ava, stayed hot by going 3-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs. The younger Helms hit .706 in the postseason while driving in 12 runs.
“She’s fearless,” Meyer said. “She goes up there to hit. She is very aggressive and can hit multiple pitches. She a very good, bad ball hitter. She grew up in a hurry.”
Kiana Dostal also had a hot bat against the Lady Jeffs. The junior went 3-for-3 with a double and four RBIs.
Following the opening round win, the Clippers had the tall order of facing third-seeded Bishop Neumann, the only higher seed to win in the opening round. After a slow start, the Cavaliers took advantage of some Malcolm fielding troubles as they piled on seven runs in the top of the fourth and ran away with an 11-3 win.
“Total frustration,” Meyer said. “We were a ball of nerves and couldn’t get out of our own way.
“We made them look like a far better team than they really are. It’s the most depressed I’ve been after a loss. After a confident early win, we were full of self-doubt in that game.”
The Helms sisters combined for six hits against the Cavs.
The Clippers’ season came to a close when they had no answer for Erin Franzluebbers of No. 1 Guardian Angels Central Catholic. The southpaw used her rise ball to keep Malcolm batters off balance all afternoon as she recorded 14 strikeouts in the Bluejays’ 5-1 win. In seven games in the tournament, the senior hurler struck out 61 batters while helping her team win the state title.
“Her rise ball is tough,” Meyer said. “She’s very good, and we made her look even better.”
The Clippers finished with a 26-10 record and the second straight appearance at the state tournament. The senior class played at state three of their four years.
“They were my first freshmen class,” Meyer said. “I will miss their love for the game and the smiles at every practice.”
