Sicard's big game launches AGWSR to 1A title game

FORT DODGE -- Go ahead, name someone who had a better day on Thursday, July 23 than AGWSR's Ashley Sicard.
The senior pitcher for the Cougars cranked two two-run home runs, recorded her 1,000th strikeout and pitched a no-hitter.
All of that aided her team to its first state title game in three straight attempts with a 9-1 win over upstart team River Valley.
"My teammates helped me get to today with both the two home runs and the 1,000 strikeouts I just had," Sicard said. "I'm just so shocked that just happened and now we're in the championship game. It's a great day."
Sicard didn't even realize that she had thrown a no-hitter until the media surrounding her informed her of the fact.
"I didn't know that," Sicard said. "Wow, that's even better yet!"
Her first home run to straight centerfield put the Cougars on the board and her two-run shot to left in the fourth put the icing on the cake.
"What can you say, it's unbelievable," AGWSR co-coach Brenda Drake said. "It's funny after her second home run, talking to her, she said, 'I wasn't going to let it happen like with Callaway where I hit a long home run over the fence foul and then I strikeout. I was going to keep my head down and hit it and it went over the fence.'"
The strikeout to end the game was also career No. 1,000 and, despite giving up an unearned run in the seventh, she completed the no-hitter against the Wolverines.
She is the first Iowa High School softball player in state tournament history to have a multiple home run game and throw a no-hitter in the same game.
Which was better?
"I don't know," Sicard said, "both felt pretty good."
More on this story will run in the July 29 print and online editions of the Hampton Chronicle.