HARLAN -- There are many Iowa prep baseball teams that would gladly take a plus-55 run differential at season’s end. Harlan Community just so happens to have reached that mark in only four games. Continuing to post video game-like numbers at the expense of all those in their path, the Cyclones improved to 4-0 Wednesday night with a 20-1 shellacking of Shenandoah in just three and a half innings. Ranked second in Class 3-A by the Iowa Baseball

 DENISON -- Taking control early with eight runs in the top of the second inning, Harlan Community recorded its third blowout victory in as many games Tuesday with a 15-3 five-inning baseball romp at Denison-Schleswig. The second-ranked (3-A) Cyclones (3-0 overall, 2-0 Hawkeye Ten) stole 12 bases in the game and constantly had runners on base vs.

 HARLAN -- On Tuesday night at Denison, the Harlan Community softball team was able to survive six errors and grind out a 13-12 win over the Monarchs. One night later in Harlan, however, five errors in the fourth inning alone were simply too much to overcome. Sergeant Bluff-Luton took full advantage of the Cyclone generosity, plating eight unearned runs in the top of the fourth and beating HCHS 13-3 in five innings. The Cyclones (3-3 overall)

 AVOCA -- The AHSTW girls soccer team had at least 10 reasons to feel good about Tuesday’s Class 1-A, Region 2 quarterfinal vs.

 WINTERSET -- The Harlan Community softball team finished 1-1 at the Winterset Softball Tournament last weekend, beating Nodaway Valley 8-5 in Friday’s first round game before losing to A-D-M 11-2 in the semifinal round Saturday. The third-place game was rained out.

 GLENWOOD -- A season plagued by frustrating overtime losses as well as lopsided defeats came to an end for the Harlan Community girls soccer team Friday when Glenwood punched in five second-half goals to beat the Cyclones 5-0 in a Class 2-A, Region 2 quarterfinal. HCHS played with good energy and also dodged a few bullets to reach halftime in a scoreless tie, but the Rams scored three times in a seven-and-a-half minute span early in the secon

 SIOUX CITY -- Harlan Community played hard and hung close, but simply didn’t have enough possession time or shots to save its season in Wednesday’s Class 2-A substate semifinal boys soccer game at Sioux City Bishop Heelan. The third-ranked Crusaders scored off a free kick just 52 seconds into the match, then added a penalty kick in the 26th minute and a third goal midway through the second half to beat the Cyclones, 3-1, at Memorial Field. Bi

 NORWALK -- AHSTW gave the state’s seventh-rated team all it could handle last Wednesday night, but an Alex Pringle header goal with 2:01 remaining lifted Pella Christian past the Vikings, 2-1, in a Class 1-A, Substate 7 boys soccer semifinal at Norwalk. AHSTW trailed 1-0 for most of the second half until Dawson Martin’s 25-yard crossing goal knotted the score with just 6:34 to play. With overtime imminent, however, the Eagles sent a 20-yard f

 CARROLL -- The Harlan Community girls golf team finished just five strokes away from qualifying for the state meet last Monday (May 23), placing third out of 11 teams in the Class 4-A, Region 1 Final Tournament held at the Carroll Country Club. Creston shot a fantastic score of 349 to claim the team title by 30 strokes over second-place Spencer, which also advanced to state with a 379.

 SIOUX CITY -- One week into the high school baseball season, the only opponent causing Harlan Community any trouble is Mother Nature. The Cyclones’ home game vs.

 MANILLA -- Jared Vollstedt pitched six scoreless innings of four-hit ball last Tuesday as the IKM-Manning baseball team beat AHSTW, 4-0, in the season opener for both teams. Vollstedt struck out eight batters and walked just one before Sam Gross struck out the side in a scoreless seventh. Jay Heiny, Chase Jacobsen, Zach Hagadon and Cain Francois all hit a single for AHSTW.

 DENISON -- The difference between state and the end of the season came down to four strokes for the Harlan Community boys golf team. The Cyclones scored a 329 at the Class 3-A District Tournament on May 20, placing third behind Atlantic (314) and MOC-Floyd Valley (325), who both advanced to the state meet.

 IRWIN -- IKM-Manning senior Abbey Youngren set a school record by blasting her 26th career home run last Tuesday night as the Wolves softball team topped AHSTW 11-0 in five innings. Youngren and Vanessa Freese hit back-to-back home runs during IKM-M’s seven-run fourth inning.

 HARLAN -- It didn’t take long for Harlan Community to show some resiliency under first-year head softball coach Brooke Schaben. Just 24 hours after losing their season opener, 8-1, vs. Kuemper Catholic, the Cyclones bounced back against arguably a better opponent in Bishop Heelan and blanked the Crusaders, 8-0, at H.

 HARLAN -- Harlan Community scored the first run in Tuesday’s softball season opener, but it was all downhill from there. Issuing eight walks and commiting seven errors, the Cyclones lost 8-1 to Kuemper Catholic at H. Jack Field and started 0-1 in the Hawkeye Ten Conference. Cora Hicks batted 3-for-4 and Kendra Peter slugged a home run for the Knights, whose three-run fifth highlighted a string of scoring in five straight innings.