Host homers twice, but winds blow Luther to title game

INDIANOLA, Iowa - Kelsie Host's (Altoona, Iowa/SE Polk) second home run knotted the game after six, but No. 5 Luther used a 10-run seventh inning to take a 14-4 win over No. 14 Simpson in the Iowa Conference Softball Tournament on Friday evening.

Host - who didn't hit a home run during the regular season - sent two long balls over the fence for the top-seeded Storm (30-9). Her solo shot tied the game 1-1 in the second and her two-run blast evened things at 4-4 in the bottom of the six.

But the second-seeded Norse (36-5) earned a spot in the championship game Saturday at 1 p.m. thanks to 10 runs off five homers in the top of the seventh inning.

Simpson will play third-seeded Central at 11 a.m. for a shot at a re-match with the Norse. No. 15 Central defeated fourth-seeded Coe, 11-7, to advance to Saturday. Along with Coe, Loras and Buena Vista were also eliminated from the tournament on Friday.

With the wind blowing out to center field at up to 35 miles per hour, the ball had a hard time staying in field of play. Luther proved the primary beneficiary, hitting six home runs in the game. Tiffany Kruse hit two long balls, giving her three on the tournament as she finished the day with four hits and six RBIs.

Three hits by the Norse and one error by Simpson allowed Luther to jump out ahead in the top of the first inning, but Simpson responded with Host's first homer in the bottom of the inning, tying the game 1-1.

A three-run homer by Kruse put the Norse ahead once again in the third inning. Veronica Roshek(Urbandale, Iowa/Johnston) drove in a run in the fifth with a double to center field, setting the stage for Host's second home run two batters later.

Jessica Toyne (Bellevue, Neb./East) took the loss in relief of Whitney Oviatt(Carnation, Wash./Cedarcrest). Oviatt went three innings, giving up four runs - three earned - while Toyne went 3 2/3 innings. Toyne held the Norse offense to two hits and no runs in her first three innings of work.

Saturday's game against Central can be heard on live on 105.3 KEDB FM and online at www.kedb.fm. You can also follow live stats for all of tomorrow's action at www.simpson.edu/livestats.