Players in the Pleasant Valley dugout cheer for their teammates during the IHSAA 4A State Championship Bracket Semifinal against Sioux City East on Thursday, July 23, 2026, at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids.
Michael Baniewicz/The Gazette
CEDAR RAPIDS – They made four errors. They got outhit by more than a two-to-one margin.
But this was a game that went to extra innings, and the Pleasant Valley Spartans don’t lose those.
Sophomore Mason Mcfate hit a go-ahead double in the top of the 10th inning, then threw out the tying run at the plate to end a 5-4 Class 4A state baseball tournament semifinal Thursday night that put the ‘D’ in dramatic.
Final play between Pleasant Valley and Sioux City East semifinal baseball game of the IHSAA State Baseball Tournament at Veterans Memorial Stadium Thursday, July 23, 2026.
Video: Amir Prellberg/The Gazette
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The Spartans (31-10) play either Indianola or West Des Moines Valley in Friday night’s championship game at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The club that won that later Thursday night semifinal had better hope the title game doesn’t go past seven innings.
PV has played and won four postseason games so far, three of them in extras.
“Keep playing the game,” said Pleasant Valley Coach Derek Stecklein. “It’s something where obviously we’ve been a little battle tested in the postseason. The kids just keep playing. Things aren’t always going to go our way, so you’ve got to try and continue to find a way to execute and do those things. The guys, there’s just never a doubt. Never a doubt in our minds. When they play like that, have that mentality, then usually good things happen.”
Pleasant Valley second baseman Mason McFate (6) throws the ball too first base during the IHSAA 4A State Championship Bracket Semifinal against Sioux City East on Thursday, July 23, 2026, at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids.
Michael Baniewicz/The Gazette
Gavin Barber’s RBI single up the middle in the top of the sixth inning gave PV a 3-2 lead, but top-ranked and top-seeded Sioux City East (41-3) tied things in the bottom of the seventh inning when Cal Jepsen singled to center with one out, went all the way to third base on an errant pickoff attempt at first and scored on the same play when a throw to third also was wild.
East had runners and second and third with one out in the bottom of the eighth but didn’t score. PV’s Jackson O’Meila homered to left in the top of the ninth (his first this season), but East tied it in the bottom half on a squeeze play.
The Black Raiders left the bases loaded. Mcfate’s two-out run-scoring double past third put Pleasant Valley ahead again, 5-4, in the top of the 10th.
East had a runner on first with two outs in the bottom half, but Kason Clayborne (who went 5-for-6) singled to right, then Callan Koch singled through the right side. That appeared to be scoring the tying run, but Sully Weimer, the runner at second, stumbled after rounding third, which allowed PV right fielder Mason McCaw to hit relay man Mcfate at second.
Pleasant Valley’s Mason Mcfate after defeating Sioux City East in the semifinal game of the IHSAA State Baseball Tournament at Veterans Memorial Stadium Thursday, July 23, 2026. Mcfate the game-winning hit and relay throw for the final out at home plate.
Video: Amir Prellberg/The Gazette
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He fired home to catcher Evan Farr, whose tag on Weimer was just in time. Game over.
“That was crazy,” Mcfate said. “I looked up, and he was coming home. I was like ‘Oh, shoot, he might be safe.’ Then I saw him slip. Bang-bang at the plate, he calls him out, we just erupt and go to the state championship. We’ve had a lot of games like that this year … A lot of low-scoring, high-pressure situations where we’re just competing, just playing.”
East had 14 hits in the game to PV’s six.
“We’ve won both of our games in the substate (1-0) in extra innings, and that just says a lot about our team,” O’Meila said. “We’re always fighting, never give up.”