Albia's Grace Pence Leads Lady Dees Into State Title Hunt With Historic Season
By John Damon | Just The News Iowa
OTTUMWA — The third-ranked Albia Lady Dees are charging into the postseason with a 29-1 record, a state championship mindset, and arguably the best pitcher in Iowa high school softball history.
Senior ace Grace Pence has already punched her ticket into the record books. She is the only pitcher in the state to surpass 300 strikeouts this season, finishing the regular season with 308 strikeouts over 147 innings in 24 starts. Her ERA sits at a jaw-dropping 0.19, the best in Iowa. She carries a 23-1 record into the playoffs.
But as Pence is quick to point out, the Lady Dees are far from a one-player show.
Defense Shines in Ottumwa Classic
In a recent appearance at the 53rd Ottumwa Classic, Albia's defense put on a clinic. Junior Aliyah Hood made a diving catch in the third inning against Central Lee, robbing Jali Hawk of a lead-off hit. The play saved Pence from allowing a hit and set the tone for a 7-0 shutout victory.
“Our defense is always out there diving for balls and giving their best effort,” Pence said. “They’ve been doing it all season long. They’ve been doing it every day in practice. Our defense continues to show everyone what they can do.”
Hood didn't stop there. She drilled a home run three innings later and made an inning-ending catch in the fourth, despite taking a glove to the face from teammate Lillian DeMoss.
“I’m just getting hit all over the place,” Hood joked. “It hurt when I made the dive for the catch. I wasn’t even thinking I was going to have to dive. I got up close to the ball. At least getting hit by Lillian’s glove didn’t hurt. That’s one of those balls that you just have to come together and hope someone makes the catch.”
Triple Play Seals Regular Season Finale
The defensive highlight of the tournament came in Albia's final regular season game, a 5-2 win over Fairfield. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Addie Pearson, DeMoss, and Brooke Rubel teamed up to turn a rally-ending triple play.
“Those are the kind of things you don’t see happen very often, but the type of things that happen when you put in the hard work,” Pence said. “That triple play was amazing, but our defense has been making amazing plays all season.”
Path to State Championship
Albia opens postseason play Thursday at home against Saydel. The Lady Dees need three wins to return to the Iowa High School State Softball Tournament. But the team has bigger ambitions: seven more wins to bring home the program's second state championship.
“If we keep playing how we’re playing, we’ll be just fine,” Hood said.
With Pence in the circle and a defense that turns heads — and triple plays — Albia looks like a serious contender to bring the title back to southeast Iowa.