WATERLOO -- A slugging pitcher like Waterloo West's Jadyn Spencer is her own best insurance policy.

Spencer's two solo home runs provided the kind of coverage the Wahawks needed Thursday to withstand Waterloo East, 5-3, in a Class 4A regional semifinal that was as tense as only an East-West matchup can be.

The first multiple homer game of Spencer's career has the Wahawks a win away from their first trip to the state tournament.

Her first homer, a screaming liner out of the park in the first inning, gave West a lead it did not relinquish, and her second came back-to-back with a solo shot by Cassie Knutson to give West a 5-1 cushion in the sixth.

"I knew we needed more," said Wahawks coach Kelly Nelson. "I knew who they had coming up, and I knew that when you play East High it's always going to be a tough game."

East, which rallied from five runs down to stun West in last year's regional quarterfinals, rallied for two runs in the seventh and had the bases loaded when Amanda Magnuson lined out to Kim Horak in right for the final out.

Horak, who appeared to stumble slightly as she made the play, was keenly aware of the importance of getting the 21st out.

"We might have been a little tight because of what we did last year," Horak said. "It felt good to put this one away."

East, with its history of comebacks, must have felt like the bases-loaded, two-out spot in the seventh was right where it wanted to be.

"My kids will never quit, and we believe we can win late," said Trojans coach Gene Laughlin.

"Unfortunately, we didn't start hitting the ball until late in the game."

Sarah Schmitz doubled twice and drove in East's first run, while Alyson Netty drove in a run with a clutch, two-out single in the seventh.

Knutson and Spencer scored all five Wahawk runs. Knutson went 2-for-4 with her fifth long ball of the season and three runs scored, while Spencer went went 3-for-4. Kelli Joens also had three hits for West.

Spencer struck out six batters and didn't issue a walk until the seventh, when she walked two.

For Spencer, the metro area's top slugger with eight homers and 36 RBIs, the extra day of rest provided by Monday's rain-out was a concern.

"Game days are always thinking days," Spencer said. "You sit around and think about what pitches to throw and what sequences are going to work.

"I know yesterday we were all geeked and ready to play, but it worked out pretty well today, too."

With a regional final showdown at eighth-ranked Cedar Rapids Jefferson tonight, West won't have time to overthink the potential of the metro area's first appearance at the state tournament.

"They're definitely an experienced team, but we feel like we'll be ready for them, too," Nelson said.

Contact Brian Pals at sportsdoor@wcfcourier.com

East ab r h bi West ab r h bi

Kinnetz,cf 4 0 0 0 Doering,cf 3 0 0 0

Rash,p 3 0 1 1 Knutson,2b 4 3 2 1

Robeson,cr 0 0 0 0 Spencer,p 4 2 3 2

AmMagnsn,ss 4 0 1 0 Joens,3b 4 0 3 0

Wright,c 3 1 1 0 Ray,1b 3 0 1 1

Schmitz,3b 3 0 2 1 MeMthias,ss 2 0 0 0

AbMagnsn,lf 3 1 1 0 MaMthias,c 2 0 0 0

Klein,1b 3 0 0 0 Merron,dh 3 0 0 0

Netty,dh 3 1 1 1 Shirey,pr 0 0 0 0

Dunn,2b 2 0 0 0 KHorak,rf 2 0 0 0

Gilbert,rf 0 0 0 0 CHorak,lf 0 0 0 0

Totals 28 3 7 3 Totals 27 5 9 4

East 000 100 2 ï½ 3 7 2

West 101 102 x ï½ 5 9 2

E ï½ Dunn 2, Ray, Me. Matthias. LOB ï½ East 6, West 8.

2B ï½ Wright, Schmitz 2. HR ï½ Knutson, Spencer 2. SH ï½ Me. Matthias.

Pitching summary IP H R ER BB SO

East

Rash (L) 6.0 9 5 4 2 4

West

Spencer (W) 7.0 7 3 2 2 6

WP ï½ Spencer. PB ï½ Ma. Matthias. HBP ï½ (by Rash) Ray, K. Horak.

U ï½ Tom Sullivan (plate) and Tom Clark. T ï½ 1:32.