Linn (25-7) ended the 2025 softball season with a 1-0 loss in Monday’s C2D3 championship to New Bloomfield.

“We had opportunities, we were just unable to capitalize when we needed to,” said Coach Ryan Rost. “Throughout the season we have found ways to score and come up with clutch hits when we needed to, but it just didn’t go our way tonight. I thought we fought and battled as hard as we possibly could have.”

The lone score came in the fourth inning after New Bloomfield manufactured a run.

Linn countered in the fifth, with runners in scoring position, but both were stranded. Paige Senevey went 2-3 and Anna Peters added a bunt single.

“We did everything right in order to give ourselves a chance to win,” said Rost. “We just came up short.”

Rost credits New Bloomfield’s pitcher for making it tough. “She did a really good job keeping us off balance, working both sides of the plate, and forcing us into tough at bats,” he added.

Sophie Voss, who surpassed 400 career strikeouts in the district semis against Russellville, had a solid game. “Sophie pitched incredibly well and kept us in a position to try and win the game,” said Rost. “Sophie did everything and more that I could have asked of her in this game, it is just unfortunate that we couldn’t get it going offensively. She has had an unbelievable career here at Linn and I couldn’t be more proud of all she has accomplished.”

Voss was not charged for the run. She struck out four and gave up three hits. Voss finished with 123 strikeouts on the year.

Defensively, Linn had two significant catches, one an over-the-shoulder catch by Higginbotham near the left-center fence, the other a diving catch by Senevey. “Our defense has been rock-solid all year,” said Rost. “Any time a ball gets hit to the outfield, I have full confidence it’s going to be caught and a play is going to be made. All three of my outfielders have been great for us all year, and are only continuing to get better.”

On Thursday, the Lady Cats beat Russellville 4-1 to advance.

“That was a great game,” said Rost. “We took advantage offensively of the few opportunities we got and made them count.”

Linn scored a run in the first after Hackmann was hit by a pitch and stole second. However, she was cut down at third on a fielder’s choice that allowed Voss to reach. Two batters later, Starke (1-3, RBI) singled to plate Voss.

The Lady Indians reset the game with a tying run in the second, but Linn’s three-run third put the Lady Cats ahead for good.

Voss (1-3) hit a one-out single and scored on a line-drive base hit to right from Dudenhoeffer (1-3, RBI). Starke reached on an error, and after an FC — Warren (1-3) —put two outs on the board, Senevey (2-3) singled to load the bases. Peters (2-3, triple, 2 RBI) delivered a single to left field to plate Starke, and Warren scored on the throw for a 4-1 lead.

In a complete game, Voss notched the win after allowing one earned run on five hits, with seven strikeouts and a walk.

Rost is still pleased with the season even with the disappointment of coming up short in the championship. “We’ve had a great year,” he said. “These girls have worked hard and put in the hours to be successful, and I couldn’t be happier with the effort and progress they all have made for this team. Even though the season did not end how we hoped, this team was still unbelievably successful and had a ton of accomplishments. I am incredibly proud of all of them.”