Emmetsburg’s 15th win in its last 16 games has the E-Hawks one step closer to reaching the state softball tournament, after Friday’s 5-1 victory over West Lyon in the Class 2A Regional Semifinals. For the second straight game, Faith Schmidt led the way. The senior had three of Emmetsburg’s ten hits, including two home runs and three RBI. She now has three round trippers in the postseason. Schmidt also hurled seven innings of three hit ball with seven strikeouts, leaving her three shy of 300 for the season. Seventh-ranked Emmetsburg improves to 31-9 and will travel to Algona Monday for a regional final matchup against Lake Mills. The Bulldogs upset top-ranked North Union in Swea City by a 9-7 final. Coverage can be heard on Y100.
Offense was at a premium on Friday as fifth-ranked Estherville-Lincoln Central shut down Humboldt, 3-0, in the Class 3A Regional Semifinal on the Midgets home diamond. Senior Kendall Bosch held the Wildcats to just three hits and set down ten batters via strikeouts. At the plate, Kellie Christensen had two of ELC’s six hits and scored one run. The Lakes Conference co-champions are now 26-6 and will head to Sheldon on Monday to battle Central Lyon/George-Little Rock. The Lions ousted Siouxland Conference rival Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley by a run, 5-4, on Friday.
Also in Class 3A, MOC-Floyd Valley advanced to the regional finals with a 5-0 blanking of 14th-ranked OA-BCIG. The eleventh-ranked Dutch play Monday against Ballard in Wall Lake.
The Class 1A Regional Semifinals ended with top-ranked and defending champion Akron-Westfield moving past Remsen-Union, 7-0. In that same bracket, LeMars Gehlen Catholic upset Remsen St. Mary’s, 5-4. The region 2 bracket had fourth-ranked Newell-Fonda eliminating Southeast Webster-Grand, 7-0, and Marcus-Meridan-Cleghorn downing Algona Bishop Garrigan, 8-3.
