The 2012 Lakes Conference softball crown could be shared by
three teams, following a 2-0 victory by LeMars over sixth-ranked
Estherville-Lincoln Central on Saturday. The Midgets and Bulldogs finished the
regular season with identical 11-3 conference records. Emmetsburg, with wins
Monday against Storm
Lake and Spencer, would
also reach eleven wins in league play. In Saturday’s contest, LeMars outhit ELC
by a 10-4 margin on the Midgets home diamond. Estherville-Lincoln Central lost
its final two games of the regular season to end at 24-6, and will open the
postseason Tuesday with a Class 3A Regional at home against Spirit Lake.
That game can be heard on KUOO.
Emmetsburg has a first round bye in the Class 2A Regional
and will host the winner of Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn and South O’Brien on
Thursday. The E-Hawks played in the Storm Lake Classic over the weekend,
picking up a pair of wins in three contests. Emmetsburg topped Storm Lake St.
Mary’s, 3-1, and defeated Sioux City North, 5-4. The lone loss was to 14th-ranked
Harlan, 5-1. The E-Hawks, now 27-9 overall, host a Lakes Conference
doubleheader Monday against Spencer and Storm Lake.
The Siouxland Conference softball title will also be shared
in 2012. Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley earned a 5-2 victory over Central Lyon/George-Little
Rock on Saturday to pull even with MOC-Floyd Valley at 12-2 atop the standings.
The Dutch played out-of-conference over the weekend, beating Spencer, 13-6. The
eighth-ranked Dutch scored twelve runs in the third inning and held the Tigers
to four hits. Spencer, now 11-17 on the year, plays Monday at rival
Emmetsburg.
