Facing yet another multi-run, late-game deficit, Tri-Valley found a way to win.

A day after rallying from a 5-run deficit with a late surge in the opening round, the Mustangs came back from a 4-0 deficit to walk off Dakota Valley 6-5 Friday evening in the semifinals of the State A softball tournament at Players Field Softball Complex.

Tri-Valley used a combination of long ball, small ball in Friday’s comeback, getting on the board on a 3-run Izzy Davey homer in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Mustangs then used a series of defensive miscues from Dakota Valley coupled with a bunt single and an extra-base hit to push three more runs across in the bottom of the seventh.

“I’m feeling so excited,” said Izzy Davey. “We’ve worked so hard throughout the season just trying to get this. We always find our motivation towards the end of a game. Find a way to come together, string our hits together.”

Davey had a hand in every facet of the win, going 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored and three driven in. The senior also came on in relief of starting pitcher Emry Jones to get the final out of the top of the seventh inning, a strikeout to end a bases-loaded threat.

“I’ve done this my whole life,” Davey said of the relief appearance. “I can trust myself with my simple mechanics, just the little things is what matters. Just focus on those details I already know how to do.”

“Izzy is one of those people, if you watch her, before she throws every pitch, before every at bat, she takes a big deep breath and internalizes what she’s going to do,” said Tri-Valley coach Sami Van Asselt. ”She calms herself down and it also brings it to every person on our team.”

Davey certainly injected new life into the Mustang dugout after her 3-run shot in the sixth inning. But, she said, a homer was not what she had in mind heading to the plate.

“I just wanted a base hit,” she said. “Just get on and keep us moving. Nothing much, just a base hit. That’s all I wanted.”

The walk-off win ended what had been fairly heavy-handed control of the game by Dakota Valley and starting pitcher Annie Bourne. The Panthers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and extended it to a 4-0 advantage with six outs to go before the Mustangs broke through.

“We just had to find the opportunity,” Van Asselt said. “We had to find our bats. Just sync some bats in a row and line them up instead of just one bat here and there. They just had to have that confidence in themselves.”

After a sixth-place showing a year ago, Tri-Valley advances to its first ever state title game where it will face top-seeded West Central at 4 this afternoon. 

“I don’t know what to think,” Van Asselt said. “I’m kind of shaking. Proud of the girls. This proves that those tough games in the middle of the season where we had to come back and finish, they paid off. They were worth it. These girls throughout the entire game, said it doesn’t matter. We’ll finish.”

Dakota Valley 100 003 1 – 5 8 5

Tri-Valley 000 003 3 – 6 7 2

Annie Bourne and Mallory Riibe; Emry Jones, Izzy Davey (7) and Kadence Davey. 2B – Tri-Valley, I. Davey. HR – Tri-Valley, I. Davey.

West Central 6, Dell Rapids 4

West Central advanced to the state championship game for the third time in as many state tournament appearances after claiming a 6-4 nailbiter over Dell Rapids in the semifinals Friday afternoon.

The Trojans held off an upset-minded Quarrier squad on the strength of a solid pitching performance from junior Elisabeth Miller, who notched 11 strikeouts in a complete-game outing.

“I’m feeling really excited,” Miller said. “Nervous, too. I want that back. We’ve been hungry for it all season. I’m just grateful to be here.”

West Central held an early 4-0 lead only to have the Quarriers slice into that advantage with a 3-run fourth inning.

“Shout out to Dell Rapids,” said West Central coach Heather Harden. “They are solid, they battle, they’re aggressive. They believe in themselves and they got after us. I’m proud of our girls for fighting that fight. The resilience they’ve had all year, some of our season games have been tough games against AA schools that have been tough battles that have set us up for these tough moments. I’m really proud of our girls.”

In addition to her efforts on the mound, Miller also collected a pair of hits, a walk, a run scored and another driven in at the plate. 

“I came into the game thinking I’ve done good all season, why not just play my game?” Miller said. “It’s going to end up the way it ends up. I trust my team to back me up in the field.”

Harden said she had faith in Miller’s desire to compete for every pitch, both on the mound and at the plate.

“She’s a work horse,” Harden said. “She’s never satisfied. You can see it in games, she might get that pitch, but she’s like, ‘Oooh, I could have done better.’ I’m proud of her for doing that. When she gets in that lull, she relies on her defense to go to work behind her. And Maddy (Kunzweiler) behind the plate, she’s outstanding. She wins us a lot of strikes, too. I told her in the huddle, (Miller) does the hard work of getting you strikes, you win them for her, but you’re not on paper. “

West Central will face its third different state title game opponent, taking on Tri-Valley at 4 p.m.

“I’ve been looking forward to Saturday since we got here so I’m ready,” Miller said. “I trust my team, we’ve put in the work throughout the season. We’re ready to go.”

Dell Rapids 000 301 0 – 4 6 2

West Central 301 020 x – 6 6 1

Lexi Scherff, Katie Kvigne (3) and Rylee Halverson; West Central, Elisabeth Miller and Maddy Kunzweiler. 2B – Dell Rapids, Kvigne. HR – West Central, Ayla Kramer, Miller.

Vermillion 10, Sioux Valley 0

Mya Halverson struck out 11 batters while giving up just three hits, as Vermillion rolled to a 10-0 5-inning victory over Sioux Valley in consolation action.

Halverson also drove in a run with a double and went 2-for-3 at the plate in an all-around effort for the Tanagers.

Vermillion notched 13 hits in the win, with 2-hit efforts from Halverson, Madigan Wallin, Mallyah Johnson and Madeleine Eisenbeisz.

The Tannagers will face Madison in the fifth place contest at noon today.

Vermillion 022 06 – 10 13 0

Sioux Valley 000 00 – 0 3 1

Mya Halverson and Madigan Wallin; Sioux Valley, Abby Axtell, McKinley Schwab (3) and Amelia Jacobson.

Madison 7, Elk Point-Jefferson 1

Madison scattered 11 hits and three extra-base hits over seven innings to upend Elk Point-Jefferson 7-1 in the consolation semifinals of the State A tournament Friday afternoon.

Elk Point-Jefferson struck early with a leadoff triple from Laney Trometer and a sacrifice fly from Molly Geary. 

Madison countered with a Evie Lurz double that scored Paislee Cooney and the Bulldogs never looked back, adding a solo home run from Ella Malone in the second, an RBI triple from Mara Klingbile and a run-scoring single from Cooney in the fourth and three straight RBI singles in the fifth.

Kelcie Dudley backed up those offensive efforts with a complete-game effort on the mound, striking out six and giving up just three hits over seven innings of work.

Madison will face Vermillion in the fifth place contest today. Elk Point-Jefferson will face Sioux Valley for seventh.

Elk Point-Jefferson 100 000 0 – 1 3 4

Madison 110 230 0 – 7 11 0

Regan Rasmussen, Sailor Kommes (5) and Bailey Johnson; Madison, Kelcie Dudley and Evie Lurz. 2B – Elk Point-Jefferson Rasmussen; Madison, Lurz. 3B – Elk Point-Jefferson, Laney Trometer; Madison, Mara Klingbile. HR – Madison, Ella Malone.