By: Matt Scher, matts@977thebolt.com
Monroe, IA – The Humboldt Wildcats softball season came to an end Saturday night with a 10-0 loss to No. 5 (3A) Prairie City-Monroe in four innings in the Class 3A Region 6 Semifinal Round.
Prairie City-Monroe (25-4) scored five runs in the first inning, added one in the second, three in the third and another in the fourth to advance to Tuesday’s regional championship game against No. 15 (3A) Algona.
The Mustangs were led offensively by Ryan DeVore, Kyra Naeve, Libby Winters and Addi Hudnut, who each collected two hits. DeVore drove in two runs, while Naeve, Winters, Hadley Millang, Tori Lindsay, Lillian Knapp, Camden Webb and Hudnut each added an RBI.
Winters earned the victory in the circle, tossing a two-hit shutout over four innings. She walked one and struck out four.
Humboldt managed two hits in the contest, with Claire Dieleman and Gracie Lyon each recording a single.
Hayden Graaf started in the circle for the Wildcats, allowing five runs, one earned, on two hits with three walks in one inning. Adalee Nolting worked the final three innings, surrendering five runs, four earned, on seven hits while walking one and striking out one.
Following the game, Humboldt head coach Sheridan Zeka reflected on the loss and her team’s potential.
“There’s no other words to say other than this stings and it sucks,” Zeka said. “We just talked about whether or not the girls realize how much talent they actually have and what they are capable of, and things that the whole community can see, and whether or not they truly believe in themselves to do those things that we all know that they’re capable of. We talked about grit and mental toughness and coming off the bus with a certain swagger to us, and how those things are necessary to playing well.”
Humboldt finishes the 2026 season with a 13-19 overall record and a 6-8 mark in the North Central Conference, tying Webster City and Iowa Falls-Alden for fourth place in the conference.
Prairie City-Monroe hosts Algona in the regional final Tuesday at 7 p.m., with a trip to the Class 3A state tournament on the line.