Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Pleasant Valley hoists the Class 5A state championship banner after Thursday's win over West Des Moines Valley. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

West Des Moines Valley might have one of the best offenses in the state. On Thursday evening, Pleasant Valley proved they are right there too.

The Spartans socked four home runs and erased an early deficit to stun the top-ranked Tigers at Rogers Park and claim the Class 5A state title, 14-11.

Down 5-1 in the fourth, Pleasant Valley started its rally with a pair of runs. In the fifth, though, they took off, forcing multiple pitching changes as both Addison Ohda and Jessie Clemons each cleared the outfield fence with homers during a nine-run frame that saw 11 batters come to the plate.

Clemons, a future Iowa State Cyclone, hit her three-run shot that went over the green safety net in left. She also had a solo homer in the seventh and doubles in the first and fifth, coming around to score both times.

“It was a crazy game,” Clemons said. “It is an amazing feeling. I didn’t have the best semifinal but I have a wonderful group of people around me that kept my confidence up and told me to just play like I always do.”

Clemons, part of state-winning basketball and track team titles for Pleasant Valley, admitted that lifting the softball crown helped her as she prepares to head to Ames.

“I really was worried I’d have to answer the question of why I didn’t win a softball title when I got to Iowa State,” she said. “But now I don’t have to worry about that.”

Kasey Kane added a fourth Pleasant Valley homer to start the sixth.

Clemons finished 4-for-5, driving in four with her four runs scored. Ohda drove in four and Kane had three RBI

Last year, the Spartans reached the finals, coming up short vs. Ankeny Centennial. With nine starters back from that club, they would not be denied this time. They also avenged one of their three regular season losses in the process, as Valley won in late June, 8-3.

For the Tigers, who were seeking state title No. 7 under legendary head coach Tom Bakey, Anna Eastin hit a two-run homer in the third. Valley entered the game having won its last 25, including convincing wins this past week at state.

The game broke the 5A record for most combined runs, which was set at 21 by Pleasant Valley and Southeast Polk at 21. It also surpassed the longest seven-inning regulation game in terms of time, which was set at 2:30 in 2012 by Des Moines East and Davenport West.

Pleasant Valley also set a new single-inning record for 5A with nine in the fifth, topping the mark of eight set by Ankeny Centennial last year and West Des Moines Dowling in 2013.

PLEASANT VALLEY 14, WDM VALLEY 11

PV 100 291 1 – 14 15 1

WDMV 203 104 1 – 11 16 2

WP-Grace George (4â…” IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 0 K, 3 BB). LP-Alexa Stevermer (4â…” IP, 10 H, 9 ER, 2 K, 2 BB).

HR-PV: Addison Ohda, Kasey Kane, Jessie Clemons (2); WDMV: Clara Long, Anna Eastin. 2B-PV: Addison Ohda, Jessie Clemons (2); WDMV: Mackenzie Mohler, Kari Rose, Marin Heller. RBI-PV: Jessie Clemons (4), Ashley Hansen, Kasey Kane (3), Sarah Rigdon, Addison Ohda (4); WDMV: Kari Rose, Marin Heller (2), Clara Long (3), Mackenzie Mohler (2), Anna Eastin (2) SB-PV: Ashley Hansen.