Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Claire Long of West Des Moines Valley connects for a single against Cedar Rapids Prairie on Monday at Rogers Park. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

The top-ranked (Class 5A) West Des Moines Valley softball team took a little while to get going here Monday morning at Rogers Park.

Once they did, though, the Tigers looked like the same dominant team everyone has watched over the past month-plus.

Valley took advantage of several Cedar Rapids Prairie errors to post an 11-1 five-inning victory and advance to the semifinals where they will meet Ankeny on Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. on Channel Seeds Field.

The Tigers (37-4 overall) have not lost since a June 12 split with Johnston, reeling off 24 consecutive wins. Included in that stretch are sweeps over state qualifiers Waukee Northwest and Urbandale where they scored a combined 43 runs.

“We have a very veteran team with seven seniors who all contribute,” Valley head coach Tom Bakey said. “These kids all have a passion for softball and want to have the best season possible. When you put all that together, this is the result.”

After tying it in the second, Valley took the lead with a three-run third. In the fourth, junior Mackenzie Mohler connected on her 10th home run of the season, blasting a three-run shot over the field in left. She had hit back-to-back doubles in her first two at-bats.

Bakey, a multi-time state champion who surpassed 1,000 career wins earlier this year, admitted there were some nerves after going down 1-0.

“Sure, they were Cinderella,” he said. “You never know here. We haven’t played them since 2016 so we didn’t know what to expect. They are a well-coached team with a really good pitcher that was even better than we thought.”

Cedar Rapids Prairie (24-18) upset Cedar Rapids Kennedy on a walk-off three-run homer in the regional final. The Hawks are in the state field for just the third time in program history and will face Waukee Northwest in a consolation game Tuesday at 10 a.m. on Yankee Field.

WDM VALLEY 11, CEDAR RAPIDS PRAIRIE 1 (5)

CR Prairie 100 00 — 1 5 5

Valley 013 52 — 11 11 0

WP–Alexa Stevermer (19-1, 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 K, 1 BB). LP–Tatum Goedt (15-13, 3.1 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 0 K, 2 BB).

HR–V: Mackenzie Mohler. 2B–P: Piper Johnson; V: Mackenzie Mohler (2), Kari Rose. RBI–P: Emeri Hill; V: Claire Long, Mackenzie Mohler (4), Audrey Heller, Alexa Stevermer, Ilsa Hervey, Emma Scully (2). SB–V: Audrey Heller.