Cyclone softball still unbeaten in Hawkeye Ten

 HARLAN (June 23) -- The Harlan Community softball team maintained its share of first place in the Hawkeye Ten Conference earlier this week with home wins of 4-2 over Denison-Schleswig Monday night and 8-3 against Lewis Central on Tuesday. The 13th-ranked (Class 4A) Cyclones improved to 7-1 overall and 5-0 in Hawkeye Ten Conference play, tied for first place with Atlantic. Shenandoah, meanwhile, is 3-0 in league play.HCHS 4, Denison 2 The Cyclones answered Denison’s two-run top half of the third inning with two of their own in the bottom half and added an insurance run in the sixth to double up the Monarchs (1-6, 1-4 H-10). Tianna Kasperbauer (4-0) earned the win, allowing three hits and one earned run in four innings. She struck out seven and walked none. Emily Brouse notched her third save with three hitless innings of relief, striking out four and hitting a batter. Julia Schechinger (two runs scored) and Ellie Ineson both had two hits for the Cyclones, who totaled seven singles off D-S sophomores Cambri Brodersen and Hailey Meseck.HCHS 8, Lewis Central 3 Madison Schumacher belted a two-run homer in the fourth and Brouse put HCHS up 8-1 in the sixth with her second home run of the year as the Cyclones cruised past LC (1-3). Brouse (3-1) and Kasperbauer (second save) split the pitching duties once again and combined to allow six hits, no walks and one earned run. Brouse struck out nine Titans in four innings while Kasperbauer fanned three and hit a batter in her three innings of work. Julia Schechinger hit a two-run double in the second and went 2-for-4 on the night. Ineson (sac fly) and Heese (single) both drove in runs in the third before Schumacher and Brouse capped the scoring with their home runs. Schumacher and Heese both went 2-for-3 to help lead the team’s 10-hit attack.