Last night’s #HungryHobo11 Player of the Game is Kaitlyn Merkel, who threw a two-hit shutout and hit a two-run home run as Pleasant Valley defeated visiting Linn-Mar 9-0 to earn their fourth-straight trip to the state softball tournament.

#hungryhobo11 Player of the Game is Davenport Assumption senior shortstop Izzy Krogman. Krogman scored on a wild pitch and drove in another run with a triple to help the Knights go back to state for the eighth-straight season with a 3-2 win over West Burlington.

FINAL: Pleasant Valley 9, Linn-Mar 0 The Spartans are headed back to the state softball tournament for the fourth straight year. #iahssb #HungryHobo11

Grace George comes in and gets a strikeout to end the game. #iahssb #HungryHobo11

Grace McCarty keeps Linn-Mar alive with a two-out single up the middle. It's just the second hit of the game for the Lions. #iahssb #HungryHobo11

Ava Crowley fields a grounder at third and throws to first for the second out. #iahssb #HungryHobo11

Clemons makes a running catch for the first out of the seventh. #iahssb #HungryHobo11

End 6: PV 9, Linn-Mar 0 Gralund, Koranda and McCarty are due up for Linn-Mar in the seventh. #iahssb #HungryHobo11

Kasey Kane singles home Ashley Hansen, and PV leads 9-0 in the bottom of the sixth. #iahssb #HungryHobo11

Another solo homer for Clemons makes it 8-0 Spartans in the bottom of the sixth. #iahssb #HungryHobo11

Merkel retires the Lions in order in the top of the sixth. Crowley, Hassel and Clemons (2-3, HR, RBI, run scored) are due up in the bottom half. #iahssb #HungryHobo11

Assumption wins 3-2. Details later. Knights go back to state. #HungryHobo11

End 5: PV 7, Linn-Mar 0 Wells, Koutny and Barnes are due up for the Lions. #iahssb #HungryHobo11

PV's not done yet. Sarah Rigdon singled with two outs, and Ohda doubled. Rigdon came home after a poor throw from the cut-off man, and the Spartans lead 7-0 in the fifth. #iahssb #HungryHobo11

Merkel hits a 2-2 pitch with two outs over the left field fence, and PV has opened up a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth. #iahssb #HungryHobo11

West Burlington gets one back on a RBI single from Elise Oleson. 3-1 for Assumption going to bottom of the sixth. #HungryHobo11

Jessie Clemons homers with one out in the fifth, giving PV a 4-0 lead. It's the 11th of the season for Clemons. #iahssb #HungryHobo11

The Lions' runner is stranded, and PV leads Linn-Mar 3-0 headed to the bottom of the fifth. It's time for the Harry Caray to sing "Take Me Out to The Ballgame" here in "The Valley." #iahssb #HungryHobo11

Knights lead 3-0 after 5. Courtesy runner Kathryn Snyder scores on WB error. Izzy Krogman adds an RBI triple. #HungryHobo11

Kaylee Bunn singles with one out in the fifth for the first Linn-Mar base runner. #iahssb #HungryHobo11