WEBSTER CITY – Out of conference games haven’t been kind to the Webster City softball team so far this season, but inside the North Central Conference is where head coach Jess Howard will always put the emphasis.

And, what do you know, the Lynx find themselves in the thick of the race for the league crown with just a couple weeks remaining in the regular season.

WCHS (8-14, 7-2 NCC) remained all alone in second place in the conference hierarchy behind sixth-ranked (Class 3A) Humboldt (18-1, 8-0 NCC) courtesy of a walk-off RBI single by Cassidy Nerland in a thrilling 4-3 victory over Hampton-Dumont Monday night at Lynx Field.

Sure, Humboldt is in control of its own destiny and, yes, WCHS will need to beat the Wildcats when they meet next week and then get some help. Still, Howard is pleased with how her team is performing against familiar foes.

“The girls did a good job,” Howard said following Monday’s win. “We had

a fundamentally sound defensive game and the girls made plays that normally might have gotten though gaps.”

Hampton-Dumont (7-4, 3-3 NCC) forced some tense moments late with a three-run sixth inning to knot the game at 3. The Bulldogs sent nine batters to the plate and notched four of their five hits off WCHS hurler Gabbi Hoversten in the frame.

WCHS loaded the bases in the last half of the sixth, but walked away empty-handed. Hoversten quickly retired the Bulldogs in order in the top of the seventh and that set the stage for Nerland, the team’s powerful clean-up hitter, to play the role of hero.

Lead-off hitter Taylor McKinney put the late surge in motion by drawing a walk from Hampton-Dumont pitcher Kylie Voy and she eventually made it over to third. With two outs, Nerland turned on a pitch and sent a blistering shot in the direction of Bulldogs’ third baseman Callie Grover and shortstop Courtney Miller; neither was able to handle the laser and that allowed McKinney to waltz home with the winning run.

“The top of the order did what they needed to do to get on base and score a run in that seventh inning,” Howard said. “It’s a lot of pressure going into the seventh inning, so for those girls to get up to bat with confidence and not be tense was good to see.”

McKinney, an eighth grader who just recently moved to the top of the order, went 1 for 2 with a RBI single in the fifth inning and scored two runs.

“She’s doing a great job of seeing the ball and hitting the ball,” Howard said of McKinney. “She almost does better when she has that pressure on her.”

Three-time all-NCC player Allie Flaws went 1 for 3 with one run scored right behind McKinney. Nerland added two base hits.

WCHS jumped out to a 2-0 advantage on a pair of hits in the second inning. After Nerland reached on an error, Courtney Lampman made the Bulldogs pay by hitting the gap in right-center for a RBI double. She scored moments later when Cynthia Whitehill belted a RBI single down the left-field line.

Pinch-hitter Kamry Dawson opened the fifth inning with a base hit. Atlanta Hopp took over on the bases and raced around to the dish for a 3-0 Lynx lead on McKinney’s base knock into center.

WCHS finished with seven hits.

Outside of the sixth inning, Hoversten had Hampton-Dumont’s number. The senior right-hander sat down 11 consecutive batters during a stretch between the second and sixth frames and finished with four strikeouts against just one walk.

The Lynx will look to stay within striking distance of Humboldt on Wednesday when they make the short bus trip to Fort Dodge to take on St. Edmond at 7:15 p.m.

On Friday, Howard’s club will head north to face Clear Lake.