HTC wins first-ever 20th game

WEST POINT — The three runs Holy Trinity scored in the bottom of the fifth inning of Wednesday’s Class 1A Region 1 quarterfinal against Wapello did more than give the Crusaders the lead.
“It was like a stress reliever,” pitcher Sydney Jarvis said.
Then Jarvis went out and retired the final six batters she faced, sealing the 4-2 win at South Park.
The Crusaders (20-7) advanced to play at 14th-ranked Seymour (20-4) in Friday’s 5 p.m. semifinal, a big postseason step in what is becoming a season to remember for Holy Trinity’s program.
“Every win is a historic win for us at this point,” coach Loren Menke said. “A 20-win season, that feels awesome.”
“I’m just proud,” said Jarvis, a sophomore. “I thought when we were juniors or seniors, we would get there, but being there right now, it feels amazing.”
The Crusaders lost to Wapello 7-0 on June 10 in a game where Arrows pitcher Quinn Zweibohmer allowed just one hit and struck out 15.
This time, Holy Trinity got to Zweibohmer with a second-inning run, then erased a 2-1 deficit with the fifth-inning outburst.
“It helped having a few days to (prepare for Zweibohmer),” Menke said. “It’s about timing, and we practiced that. We were expecting more speed.”
Elizabeth Griffin, the No. 9 hitter in Holy Trinity’s lineup, led off the fifth inning with a single.

“So huge — the No. 9 hitter in the lineup leads off the inning with a base hit, and she's been really starting to hit lately,” Menke said. “So when you can count on your No. 9 batter, and you know you've got some really good hitters at the top, that feels really good.”
Alivia Holmes followed with a bunt single, her third hit of the game. Makayla Simpson then bounced a single up the middle, and Griffin scored with the tying run.
Holmes was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a wild pitch, but Simpson and courtesy runner Kara Lake would score later in the inning on wild pitches to put the Crusaders up.
Jarvis then finished off what would be a two-hitter for her. Already with some momentum after striking out the side in the fifth inning, she then set down the Arrows in the sixth and seventh. Her ninth and final strikeout of the night ended the game, as catcher Ellie Hellman threw to first base on the dropped third strike to complete the victory.
“She was really sharp,” Menke said. “I think we had five or six days off here, and I think that was good for her. She’s thrown a lot of innings this year.”
“My change-up was working there for a little while,” Jarvis said. “Girls were chasing it. But I would say my fastball was pretty good. They weren’t really getting good hits off it.”
A safety squeeze bunt by Zweibohmer accounted for Wapello’s first run in the fourth. The second run scored on a passed ball.
Five of Jarvis’ strikeouts came in the first three innings.
“I was ready to start counting them later in the game, but I thought I better wait,” Menke said, laughing.
Menke said he never had a win total in mind for this season, but he knew the significance of 20 wins.
“We checked off another win, another goal tonight,” he said. “We still have some goals out there we want to check off.”