Schumacher Walk-Off Gives Cyclone SB Split with West Monona

Harlan Community's Brynn Schumacher (6-30-26)

Schumacher Walk-Off Gives Cyclone SB Split with West Monona –

(6-30-26) – The youngsters are leading the way for Cyclone softball again.

It took a walk-off hit by Brynn Schumacher to give Harlan Community a doubleheader split with top-ranked West Monona, winning Game 1, 8-7, but falling in the nightcap, 6-3.

For Schumacher, her approach in that final at-bat was simple.

“My mindset was just base hit, like base hit starts it and once Kinley (Eck) was on 2nd, I'm like base hit wins. So, my mindset was just make contact.”

Making contact was not a problem for Schumacher, who went 3 for 5 in doubleheader with 2 HR’s and 5 RBI. The 8th grader now has a team-high 33 RBI on the season.

Schumacher feels comfortable asking about situations she may not understand.

“I've learned to just like, if I don't know (I) ask questions and hustle after every ball. Like those short pop flies, hustle after them. If you think you (aren’t going) to get them, hustle. But just like being confident out there has helped me a lot.”

In Game 1, the Cyclones trailed early, giving up a run in each of the 1st 3 innings, but Olivia Scheuring drove in a run, followed by Schumacher’s 1st homer, a 2-run shot to tie the game at 3 in the 4th.

A sacrifice allowed the Spartans to regain the lead in the 6th, Harlan Community got 4 runs in the bottom of the inning, including a 2-RBI single by Carleigh Goshorn to give the Cyclones their first lead of the game.

But their 7-4 lead wasn’t enough as West Monona used small ball to force the play and get the three runs they needed to tie the game. It then took Scheuring reaching on an error with 1 out in the 7th and courtesy runner Eck advancing on a passed ball to set Schumacher up for her game-winning hit.

The Cyclones got terrific working in the circle from Rebekah Christensen, who stranded the go-ahead run for the Spartans at 3rd after relieving fellow senior Lauren Schmitz. Christensen also got out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in Game 2 to keep the game close late. Her line in the two games: 2 1/3 inn., 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 K.

The seniors have impressed Schumacher by their performance and she feels they’re an inspiration to the whole team.

“It’s amazing. Like, yeah, it’s their last year. It sucks they're leaving us, but they're doing their job and they're doing it very well.”

In Game 2, West Monona jumped out to a 4-0 lead, helped by a 2-run homer by McKenna Baker. Schumacher cut the deficit in half in the 4th with another 2-run homer, but two more runs by the Spartans would put the game just out of reach.

Meanwhile, Schumacher, who now hitting .353 with a 1.174 OPS, says her experience at the varsity level and working with this Cyclones team has been amazing.

“The girls have been so welcoming and my approach was just like 8th grade season, just do your best.”

Harlan Community improves to 15-11 on the season.

View past scores by visiting the Iowa High School Athletic Association's website, Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union website,
or Iowa Quik Stats