Van Meter softball defeats Audubon for Iowa softball state championship

FORT DODGE — Mady Schnell, do you remember the name?

Van Meter softball fans certainly will.

It was Schnell who led the No. 1-seed Bulldogs to the state championship game with a walk-off home run. Then she won it all for her team with another home run in a 5-3 victory over No. 3 Audubon for the Class 2A Iowa high school softball title.

What a start to his high school career, because Schnell is in the eighth grade after all.

“You can’t make something like this up,” Bulldogs coach James Flaws said. “Yeah, once in a lifetime, but to do it twice in three days? It’s just unreal.”

The unusually low-scoring game started slowly on both sides of the ball. Van Meter pitcher Maddie Waldorf walked two batters, but the Bulldogs defense forced three outs before Audubon could score a run.

Van Meter put two runners on base – both with four walks. But even with a stolen base, the Bulldogs ended the first inning without a run on the board.

Kennedy Wiedman put the Bulldogs ahead by one run in the second inning by scoring on an error by Audubon.

The Wheelers turned the game in their favor in the third inning, with Jordan Porsch and Mattie Nielsen both scoring when a wild pitch turned into a catcher-to-pitcher error.

Audubon’s defense did its job in the bottom of the inning, catching two fly balls and retiring one batter to preserve the lead.

Audubon’s no-hitter ended in the fourth inning when Wiedman hit an infield single, beating the throw to first base. That didn’t change the score, however, and the Wheelers scored another run the next inning.

But as fans in Fort Dodge learned this week, don’t count the Bulldogs out if they trail late in the game.

Van Meter sent Audubon’s first three batters back to the dugout in the sixth, then jumped on offense. With the bases loaded and no outs, the Wheelers’ Lauren Wallace walked and Katie Vaught scored.

Maddie Waldorf on Van Meter’s State Softball Championship Win

Van Meter senior Maddie Waldorf on winning the Iowa high school softball championship, getting her 2023 compensation back, and Mady Schnell’s home run.

A few outs later, Halle Karaidos’ single gave Schnell a run and the Bulldogs tied the score at 3-3.

And then, guess what, Schnell came to the plate with two outs and a runner on second base.

For those who didn’t watch Van Meter’s previous two tournament games, Schnell’s stats include three runs batted in and a walk-off home run in the eighth inning of the state semifinal against East Marshall.

She has been making a difference throughout the tournament, and Friday’s match was no exception.

Bulldogs fans in blue and white watched as Schnell hit another home run over the center field fence, just like he did on Wednesday. It was a two-run jack that gave Van Meter a 5-3 lead going into the seventh inning.

“She’s had a great tournament all week,” Flaws said after the game. “We knew if they threw the ball over the plate, she was going to hit it hard and obviously she hit it hard.”

The Bulldogs waited with bated breath as Audubon entered the final half.

The Wheelers’ first batter was thrown out at first base, where Waldorf went – and shined – after Bianca Prickett took over the circle. Audubon’s second batter suffered the same fate.

But with back-to-back singles, the Wheelers put runners on first and second, trailing by two runs and two outs. Hopes for a tying pair of runs were dashed when a grounder to third ended with a force out to end the game.

Van Meter’s dugout emptied and collapsed in a blissful heap in front of the pitching circle. Waldorf embraced Wallace.

And then – a year after losing in the 2023 championship game – the Bulldogs finally lifted the title trophy over their heads.

Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at [email protected] or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.