MARTENSDALE — The Webster City softball team dominated two opponents, but was unable to solve a familiar foe for a second this time season at Saturday’s Martensdale St. Marys tournament.

The Lynx blanked AHSTW, 5-0, in their opening game and flew by Essex, 10-1, to close out their day. But in between, No. 8-ranked (Class 1A) and tourney host MSM beat WCHS for the second time this season, 6-3.

“The girls finished out the weekend well and we hope to take the success from those two wins into this week,” WCHS head coach Jess Howard said after her club improved to 14-7 on the season. “It’s always good to face good teams like Martensdale that have good pitching because you can grow from those games.”

Three runs in the first inning paved the way to the shutout win over AHSTW, and Jenna Miller tossed a two-hit gem in the circle with four strikeouts. Miller also drove in what turned out to be the winning run in the first inning on a sacrifice fly. Alayna Finucan and Trinity Griffith followed with back-to-back RBI base hits to make it 3-0.

Leah Kasch went 2 for 4 with a double, while Kelly Stoakes laced a double of her own. Livia Kasch added a single.

MSM utilized a pair of second-inning home runs off Lynx freshman pitcher Delainey Bargfrede to overcome an early 2-0 deficit and take the lead for good. Campbell German opened the flurry with a solo shot, and Anna Parrott blasted a three run long ball later in the frame.

The Lynx out-hit MSM, 8-7, as Leah Kasch had two more hits, including a double. Stoakes and Bonnie Nohrenberg roped RBI singled in the second inning and Griffith plated a run with a base hit in the third.

Bargfrede walked two and struck out two.

Three more hits from Leah Kasch and two from Finucan and Bargfrede spurred WCHS to the rout of Essex. The Lynx led 5-0 after one inning and 7-0 after two, as they sprayed 13 hits to all parts of the field.

Both Kasch sisters found the gap for a double and they combined for three RBIs. Finucan had a pair of RBI knocks. Stoakes and Miller both belted doubles as well and Griffith drive in two with a first-inning single.

Stoakes got the start in the circle and limited Essex to just four singles. The junior struck out eight.

“All three of our pitchers did a good job of hitting their spots and keeping hitters off balance,” Howard said. “We’ve got three girls that we can trust.”

WCHS will host Clear Lake this evening at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday at Martensdale

WCHS 5, AHSTW 0

WC 302 000 0 — 5 7 1

AHSTW 000 000 0 — 0 2 0

Jenna Miller and Kelly Stoakes. Sienna Christian and Rylie Knopp. W — Miller. L — Christian. Multiple hits — WC: Leah Kasch. 2B — WC: Stoakes, Le. Kasch. RBI — WC: Miller, Alayna Finucan, Trinity Griffith.

Mart. St. Marys 6, WCHS 3

WC 021 000 — 3 8 0

MSM 042 00x — 6 7 4

Delainey Bargfrede and Jill Symens. Braelynn Long and Madeline Myer. W — Long. L — Bargfrede. Multiple hits — WC: Leah Kasch; MSM: Myer, Campbell German. 2B — WC: Le. Kasch. HR — MSM: German, Anna Parrott. RBI — WC: Kelly Stoakes, Trinity Griffith, Bonnie Nohrenberg; MSM: Parrott (3), German (2), Myer.

WC 10, Essex 1

Essex 000 010 — 1 4 2

WC 520 30x — 10 13 0

Elise Dailey and Sami York. Kelly Stoakes and Jill Symens. W — Stoakes. L — Dailey. Multiple hits — ES: Alex King; WC: Leah Kasch (3), Alayna Finucan, Delainey Bargfrede. 2B — WC: Stoakes, Le. Kasch, Livia Kasch, Jenna Miller. RBI — WC: Le. Kasch (2), Finucan (2), Trinity Griffith (2), Li. Kasch, Miller, Bargfrede.