Emmetsburg is headed back to the Iowa Girls State Softball
Tournament for the first time since 2009 after Monday’s 3-1 victory over Lake Mills
in the Class 2A Regional Finals. The seventh-ranked E-Hawks broke a scoreless
game in the fifth, scoring on a wild pitch, however, a Bulldogs home run by
Josie Brackey tied it in the bottom half. Emmetsburg answered with two runs in
the sixth, taking advantage of a hit and two errors. Michaela Rehm went 2-for-2
with a RBI, while Faith Schmidt picked up the win. The senior scattered three
hits and struck out sixteen batters, surpassing the 300 strikeout mark for the
season. Lake Mills ends their season at 24-9. The Lakes
Conference co-champions have won 16 of their last 17, and will take a 32-9
record to the state tournament in Ft.
Dodge. They will open
play on Monday, July 16 at 3:30pm against Des Moines Christian, who owns a
record of 27-6. Coverage of the first round contest can be heard on Y100. The
rest of the Class 2A field includes Durant (31-5) taking on Denver
(26-6), Wayne
(31-3) facing off with Treynor (25-5), and Van Meter (31-7) battling
Sumner-Fredericksburg (32-10).
The Lakes Conference will be well represented at the 2012
State Softball Tournament, as Estherville-Lincoln Central solidified a second
consecutive trip with a resounding 10-0, six-inning victory over George-Little
Rock/Central Lyon in the Class 3A Regional Final. The fifth-ranked Midgets used
the long ball to take control. Junior Kristen King smashed a grand slam,
extending a 4-0 lead to a more comfortable eight-run margin. Kendall Bosch put
the game away in the sixth with a two-run blast. The senior was also the
winning pitcher, limiting the Mustang bats to three hits and striking out nine.
GLR/CL wraps up their season at 23-9. ELC will ride a 27-6 mark into the state
tourney, where the Lakes Conference co-champions will face East
Marshall on Monday, July 16 at 7:30pm. East
Marshall is 30-5. The rest of the Class 3A field features Solon
(35-6) squaring off with Waukon (14-17), Bondurant-Farrar (35-7) taking on
Davenport Assumption (23-20), and Mid-Prairie (30-11) taking the field against
Ballard (32-9). Ballard got by MOC-Floyd
Valley, 10-4, in last night’s regional
final in Wall Lake.
For the first time in three years, Class 1A will have a new champion
crowned, as two-time defending champ and top-ranked Akron-Westfield was
upset 4-1 by LeMars Gehlen Catholic in the regional final. The Jays (24-10)
will meet Martensdale-St. Mary’s (38-2) in Monday’s opening round. Newell-Fonda
will also make a return to the state tourney, following their 14-1 beat down of
Marcus-Meridan-Cleghorn on Monday. The Mustangs (34-7) draw Charter Oak-Ute
(27-12) in the opening game. The rest of the bracket has Earlham (33-4) against
Marquette Catholic (20-16) and Don Bosco (28-6) facing Mason City Newman
Catholic (25-11).
