KIMBALLTON (July 9) -- Trailing 3-0 and down to its last four outs, the Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton softball team needed a break. The Spartans caught one in the form of a dropped fly ball and never looked back, scoring two runs in the sixth and two in the seventh to rally past Woodbine 4-3 in Friday’s Class 1A regional semifinal at Kimballton. Veteran juniors Alisa Partridge, Macy Emgarten and Mollie Rasmussen all delivered clutch singles in th

 LE MARS (July 9) -- The Harlan Community baseball team finished last week with a pair of road wins to get back to the .500 mark, winning 11-2 at ADM Wednesday night and 5-2 at Le Mars on Friday. The Cyclones improved to 14-14 overall going into Tuesday’s game at Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln and Wednesday’s regular season finale at Thomas Jefferson. They will open Class 3A Substate play Friday with a 7 p.m.

 AVOCA (July 7) -- The AHSTW softball team saw its season come to a jarring end last Wednesday as conference rival Tri-Center knocked off the Lady Vikes 3-1 in a Class 2A regional quarterfinal. AHSTW, which finished 15-13, had beaten T-C by scores of 19-1 and 4-3 during the regular season, but couldn’t complete the postseason trifecta. The 7-18 Trojans turned two double plays on the night and got a four-hitter from senior pitcher Faith McPhill

 GUTHRIE CENTER (July 6) -- A frustrating softball season came to a close for IKM-Manning last Tuesday as the Wolves lost to ACGC 11-0 in a Class 2A regional first round game. The host Chargers scored six runs in the fourth and won by the 10-run rule in five, improving to 16-13 overall.

 KIMBALLTON (July 7) -- What seemed innocent enough at the time was ultimately the play of the game. Sophomore Shay Burmeister hustled all the way home from second on Quinn Grubbs’ first-inning sacrifice bunt, sliding in safely on a bang-bang play to give Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton a 1-0 lead over Audubon. It would be the only run scored in Wednesday’s Class 1A, Region 2 softball quarterfinal as junior Macy Emgarten barely outdueled Kali Irlmei

 HARLAN (July 6) -- The Harlan Community softball team must turn the page quickly for the start of regional play following a sour ending to the regular season earlier this week. One night after losing 7-4 to an 11-21 St. Albert team, the Cyclones were defeated 12-2 in six innings by No.

 HARLAN (July 6) -- The Harlan Community baseball team suffered a pair of lopsided home defeats to start the week, losing its Hawkeye Ten Conference finale to St.

 UNDERWOOD (July 1) -- Following a nice mid-game rally, AHSTW simply couldn’t get the timely hit it needed down the stretch Thursday night, falling to Logan-Magnolia 7-6 in an eight-inning Western Iowa Conference Softball Tournament semifinal at Underwood. The second-seeded Panthers won the game in walkoff fashion when courtesy runner Kali Collins slid home safely on Amelia Evans’ fielder’s choice grounder to shortstop with one out in the bott

 KIMBALLTON (July 1) -- The Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton softball team lost its final two games of the regular season last week to fall into a tie for first place in the Rolling Valley Conference. The Spartans lost a home game to CAM, 2-0, last Wednesday as Cougar pitcher Helen Riker fired a two-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts.

 CLARINDA (July 1) -- Emily Brouse hit her eighth home run of the season and also notched her 500th career strikeout Thursday night as the Harlan Community softball team swept a doubleheader at Clarinda by identical scores of 8-0. Junior Tianna Kasperbauer (12-2) pitched a four-hit shutout in game one, striking out seven, walking one and also hitting one batter. Brouse, a senior, improved to 13-6 in the night cap with a one-hit shutout, walkin

 CLARINDA (July 1) -- Harlan Community split a baseball doubleheader at Clarinda Thursday night, losing game one 11-5 before dominating the night cap 15-1 in just five innings. The Cyclones finished the twin bill with a record of 12-12 overall and 10-9 in the Hawkeye Ten Conference. The Cardinals finished the regular season 14-10 overall and 10-10 in league play. Following Monday’s 10-1 home loss to St.

 HARLAN (June 29) -- Teagon Kasperbauer pitched a five-hit shutout for his fourth win of the season and the Harlan Community baseball team put together several solid at-bats during a four-run third inning Tuesday night, beating Carroll 5-0 in non-conference action. The Tigers (10-13 overall) left the bases loaded in the top of the first and stranded two runners each in the third, fifth and seventh as Kasperbauer (4-2) calmly worked out of trou

 HARLAN (June 29) -- Power numbers typically rise and fall in the sports of baseball and softball. The average slugger might go two weeks without hitting one out of the park, then bash about one home run a day. Right now, senior Emily Brouse is on one of those feel-good tears for the Harlan Community softball team. Brouse homered two more times Tuesday night at H.

 AVOCA (June 29) -- The AHSTW softball team punched its ticket to the Western Iowa Conference Tournament semifinals Tuesday night with a 7-0 win over Treynor. The third-seeded Lady Vikes struck early with two runs in the bottom of the first and took control by plating five more runs in the fifth to beat the sixth-seeded Cardinals for the third time this season. The quarterfinal win advanced AHSTW to Thursday’s (July 1) semifinal and title game

 UNDERWOOD (June 29) -- IKM-Manning’s seventh-inning rally fell one run short Tuesday night as the Wolves lost a 4-3 decision to Tri-Center in the first round of the Western Iowa Conference Softball Tournament. The ninth-seeded Wolves trailed 4-1 going into their last at-bat before scoring two runs in the top of the seventh.