There was one more thing left to do Friday afternoon.
The Class C No. 4 Fort Calhoun High School softball team had already sewn-up its first NSAA State Championships qualification in history, but it hadn't yet doused coach Mandy Taylor in water and covered her in silly string.
The Pioneers got that done, too, though.
After besting Albion Boone Central two-to-none during the best-of-three District 4 Finals on Friday, FCHS (25-5 overall) will open its first-ever Class C state tournament 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in Hastings. The Pioneers' program went 0-19 in 2020 and won just six games during the current seniors' freshman season in 2021.
Now, though, in 2024, Coach Taylor's team has an opportunity to contend for the title.
“This exceeds anything I thought we would be able to do,” senior first baseman Addie Benoit said.
A younger version of Anna Taylor wouldn't have believed her future either.
“I would not have imagined ever going to state in my high school career, but here we are,” she said.
Her twin sister, Kaylee Taylor, was just coming to terms with the events of the day, too.
“I'm kind of coming to grapple with it myself, but it's pretty amazing,” she said. “First time in school history.”
Fort Calhoun started its Friday at the ballfields for a team meal.
“Homemade breakfast burritos,” Kaylee said.
But it returned a few hours later for two games with the Cardinals (17-15), winning both by run-rule, 13-5 and 18-8. Together, Tacey Belina, Allison Prunty and Anna Taylor combined for eight home runs as the Pioneers totaled 28 hits.
Multiple school record-holder Kaylee Taylor wasn't surprised by the offensive output, noting her team's excitement. Neither was Belina, a sophomore who now holds FCHS' home run records after blasting four against Boone Central.
“Everyone wanted it, obviously,” she said. “Really bad.”
The Pioneers started the 13-5 opener with three first-inning long balls. Prunty later hit another homer as Kaylee Taylor, Madi Larrick and Dehlia Hallberg also plated runs.
Belina's two-run double ended the game by run-rule after she also tallied seven strikeouts across five innings for the pitching win.
The offensive onslaught continued during the 18-8 second game, too.
“We just wanted to seal the deal really bad, so we just kept hitting off of (Albion's pitcher),” Anna Taylor said.
“Hitting is contagious,” Belina explained. “Obviously, if the team is doing well, everyone's going to do well.”
FCHS swung its bats and delivered.
“Everyone just went into the box with a 'we have nothing to lose' mindset,” Belina said.
Prunty's third home run of the day gave the Pioneers an early 3-0 advantage. When she returned to the home dugout, the senior looked a bit perplexed.
“I just had no idea how I did that,” Prunty said after the game. “I have never hit two in one day, let alone three.”
The power she showcased against the Cardinals surprised her.
“I was more in shock,” the slugger said. “Did I actually just do that?”
The hits kept coming, too. Kaylee Taylor's sacrifice produced a 4-2 advantage before Belina's line-drive homer pushed the lead to 5-3. Third-inning Izzy Nolan and Kaylee Taylor at-bats turned into a 9-3 advantage, too.
Fort Calhoun's next nine runs came as the result of swings by Izzy Greenough, Nolan, Belina, Kaylee Taylor and Hallberg. Boone Central extended the game with some of their own power swings, but it could not match the Pioneers on their history-making day.
Catcher Sydney Klein eventually tagged a Cardinal out at home plate to end the game, setting off an extended celebration capped by Coach Taylor's water cooler bath.
Now, though, FCHS wants more than just to appear at the state tournament. The Pioneers' school hasn't ever been to Hastings for the NSAA Championships, but they're not content just showing up either.
“That's not good enough for our team,” Belina said. “I know that. I know that we can go so much further.”
Senior Lucie Larsen laid out Calhoun's goals simply.
“Getting wins,” she said. “Getting some wins at state.”
FCHS SOFTBALL LINE SCORES
Friday
Fort Calhoun 18, Albion Boone Central 8, 6 inn.
FCHS (25-5) 3 1 5 3 1 5 — 18 14 3
ABC (17-15) 2 1 2 0 3 0 — 8 12 4
Fort Calhoun 13, Boone Central 5, 5 inn.
ABC (17-14) 0 1 2 0 2 — 5 8 2
FCHS (24-5) 5 0 0 3 5 — 13 14 0
