Last ride: 14 years together on the diamond coming to a close for Iowa father, daughter

WE HAVE. TIME FLIES. THAT’S ESPECIALLY TRUE WHEN YOU’RE HAVING FUN RIGHT OVER AND BLOOMFIELD IOWA. ONE DAD DAUGHTER DUO IS EXPERIENCING THAT FIRSTHAND. AND HERE’S TONIGHT’S SUNDAY SPORTS EXTRA. FOR 14 YEARS, ZACH AND MADISON DUNLAVY SUMMERS HAVE BEEN SPENT HERE AT THE BALLPARK. OH. OH, GOOD ONE. SUMMERS SPENT TOGETHER AS DAD AND DAUGHTER COACH, COACH AND PLAYER FROM THE EARLY DAYS I’VE BEEN COACHING MADISON SINCE T BALL, WHICH WOULD BE PROBABLY ABOUT FOUR YEARS OLD AND BEYOND. ALL THE WAY UP THROUGH MINOR LEAGUES. LITTLE LEAGUE AND NOW IN HIGH SCHOOL AT DAVIS COUNTY. FOR MOST IF NOT ALL HER LIFE. MADISON HAS HAD JUST ONE COACH DEATH. YES, I DON’T KNOW. OBVIOUSLY, ANY OTHER WAY OF SOFTBALL. HE’S ALWAYS BEEN MY COACH AND IT’S DEFINITELY BEEN A HUGE PART OF OUR RELATIONSHIP FROM BATTING PRACTICE. CASS YOU HAVE TO WORK TODAY. AND SHE SAID, YEAH, AT 11. I SAID, IT’S 11. IN THE DUGOUT CHATS. SOFTBALL IS THEIR LIFE, BUT LIFE IS ABOUT TO CHANGE. MADISON GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL THIS PAST YEAR AND IS PREPARING TO GO TO COLLEGE, MEANING AS THE MUSTANGS NAVIGATE THE PLAYOFFS, ANY GAME COULD BE THE PAIR’S LAST. ANY LOSS COULD END THAT 14 YEAR RUN. I’VE BEEN TRYING TO AVOID THAT FEELING, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. I THINK MADISON AND MY RELATIONSHIP IS WE’VE HAD SOME OF OUR BEST MOMENTS OUT ON THE SOFTBALL FIELD. IT’S EXTREMELY WEIRD TO THINK ABOUT. AND LIKE HE SAID TO I HEARD HIM SAY THAT HE DOESN’T LIKE TO THINK ABOUT IT AND I DON’T LIKE TO THINK ABOUT IT EITHER, REALLY. BUT THE MUSTANGS ARE HOPING TO HOLD OFF THAT FEELING UNTIL THE VERY END. THE TEAM IS COMING OFF A STATE TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE IN 2022 AND PRIMED TO RETURN IN THIS YEAR, HOPING TO TAKE HOME A STATE TITLE. HOPEFULLY IT’S AT FORT DODGE. YOU KNOW, THAT’S ALWAYS THE GOAL REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THAT FINAL GAME TOGETHER COMES NOW OR LATER. THE MEMORIES ON THE DIAMOND SPANNING. 14 YEARS ARE SOMETHING THAT WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. THE ONE THAT COMES TO MIND FIRST IS IT WAS HIS 100TH WIN FOR VARSITY FOR THE VARSITY SEASON NOT TOO LONG AGO, AND SO WE HAD THE IDEA TO DUMP A WHOLE BUNCH OF WATER ON HIM AND HE DIDN’T SEE IT COMING AT ALL. SO THAT WAS VERY FUNNY. YEAH. AND THAT WAS MY IDEA. WE PUT IN THE TIME, YOU KNOW, MADISON PUT IN A TON OF TIME, YOU KNOW, SHE’LL PROBABLY TELL YOU SHE’S NOT, YOU KNOW, THE MOST NATURAL ATHLETE, BUT SHE’S PUT IN SO MUCH WORK. AND I COULDN’T BE MORE PROUD OF HER CLOSING THE BOOK ON A LONG CHAPTER IN BOTH THEIR LIVES. IT DOES MEAN THE WORLD TO ME. THE LAST TO WALK OFF THE FIELD. AND THAT’LL BE HARD. WELL, THEY’RE NOT DONE YET. THEY PLAY ATLANTIC ON TUESDAY FOR THE REGION CHAMPIONSHIP. IF THEY WIN THAT GAME, THEY WILL GO TO FORT DODGE MADISON, ATTENDING NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE HASN’T DECIDED IF SHE’S PLAYING SOFTBALL, SHE TOLD ME, LEANING TOWARDS NO. BUT EITHER WAY,