HARLAN -- Hitting in tough luck for nearly six innings, the Harlan Community baseball team mustered up just enough late offense to back a solid pitching performance from Brett Croghan Tuesday night and beat St. Albert, 2-0, at Jim Goeser Field. The Cyclones’ two-run sixth was more than enough support for Croghan (4-2), who pitched a four-hit shutout and struck out 10 to outduel St. Albert’s Brandon Williams for the second time this year.

 HARLAN -- Members of the Harlan Community baseball and softball teams joined together to send a message to Cyclone Activities Director Mitch Osborn as part of this week’s “Green Out” for cancer awareness. Osborn, who continues his battle with cancer, was presented with a poster of the above photo by the Cyclone seniors prior to Tuesday’s home games vs. St. Albert.

 HARLAN -- Approximately $3,000 was raised for the Shelby County Relay for Life through the efforts of Harlan Community’s annual Green Out Night, held in conjunction with Tuesday’s HCHS vs. St. Albert baseball and softball games. The event was hosted by this year’s six senior players - Nolan Heese, Kyle Juhl, Brett Croghan, Logan Schaben, Emily Juhl and Julia Sorfonden.

 HARLAN -- With the end of the regular season looming closer, the Harlan Community softball team is still searching for a level of defensive consistency that will keep them competitive on a nightly basis. One of the Cyclones’ biggest downfalls all summer - defensive miscues - reared its ugly head again Tuesday as HCHS committed 10 errors in a 13-8 home loss to St.

 HARLAN -- When it comes to facing Sioux City baseball teams, the 2016 Harlan Community Cyclones have arguably fared as well as any squad in program history. HCHS improved to 3-0 against the Sioux City schools late Wednesday afternoon, beating West 10-0 in a rainy five-inning affair behind Nick Foss’s first-inning home run and Josh Cheek’s abbreviated four-hit shutout. Combined with earlier five-inning routs of Sioux City East and Bishop Heela

 ATLANTIC -- Josh Cheek doubled twice and drove in four runs and Brett Sears pitched a complete game Monday night as the Harlan Community baseball team completed a regular-season sweep of Atlantic with a 10-2 road victory. The third-ranked (3-A) Cyclones put up two crooked numbers to take control - scoring four runs in the second inning and five in the fourth - and totaled 16 hits off Trojan pitchers Kolton Mudd  five innings, 15 hits) and Mas

 ATLANTIC -- Alexis Handel homered and drove in five runs Monday night as the Atlantic softball team crushed Harlan Community 10-1 to avenge an early-season loss to the Cyclones. Highlighted by a five-run second, the Trojans (18-10 overall, 10-4 Hawkeye Ten) scored in all but one inning and outhit HCHS 12-8, also taking advantage of five errors.

 AREA -- The AHSTW baseball team advanced to the semifinals of the Western Iowa Conference Baseball Tournament with a pair of wins on Monday, beating Riverside 13-4 in first-round action before topping host Tri-Center 9-4 in a quarterfinal.

    HARLAN -- Vernal D. Henriksen, 104, Harlan, died Wednesday, July 6 in Harlan.    Services will be held Saturday, July 9 at 10:30 a.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Harlan with burial in the Harlan Cemetery.  Friends may call Friday, July 8 from 2-8 p.m. with family greeting friends from 5-7 p.m.