DES MOINES -- Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton fell one run short against Grand View Christian last Tuesday night (July 3), losing 3-2 in a Class 1A regional softball quarterfinal. The Spartans finished the season at 13-9 overall while the Thunder (17-10) advanced to the Region 7 semifinals and lost to Glidden-Ralston in 10 innings Friday, 9-8. Trailing 3-1 after three, the Spartans scored a run in the fifth but were unable to get the game tied vs.

 UNDERWOOD (July 3) -- AHSTW got the start it wanted last Tuesday, but was unable to finish in a Class 2A regional softball quarterfinal game at Underwood. Trailing 3-0 at the halfway point, the host Eagles tied the score with three runs in the bottom of the fourth and added three unearned runs in the fifth to end the Lady Vikes’ season 6-3. Underwood improved to 16-8 and advanced to Friday night’s Region 2 semifinal at No.

 KIMBALLTON (July 2) -- Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton didn’t waste any time taking care of business vs.

 IRWIN (July 3) -- Peyton Gross pitched a four-hit shutout and IKM-Manning blew the game open with seven runs in the third inning Tuesday night to oust Manson-Northwest Webster 10-0 in a five-inning Class 2A regional softball quarterfinal. The 2nd-ranked Wolves (23-2) will now host Panorama (11-11) in a Region 3 semifinal game Friday night (7 p.m.) in Irwin. The winner will face either Ogden (22-7) or No.

 DALLAS CENTER (July 3) -- Less than 24 hours after its 19-game winning streak came to a close at Lewis Central, the Harlan Community baseball team bounced back in a big way Tuesday afternoon with a 13-1 victory at Dallas Center-Grimes. The top-ranked (Class 3A) Cyclones didn’t pull away until late, using a four-run fifth inning and a six-run seventh to turn a close game into a blowout.

 HARLAN (July 2) -- It wasn’t the ideal way to finish regular-season play, but Harlan Community softball coach Brooke Schaben feels okay about her team’s momentum going into Thursday’s 7:00 p.m. postseason opener at Glenwood. On Monday night, 10th-ranked (4A) Lewis Central blanked HCHS 6-0 at H. Jack Field to cap a regular-season sweep.

 RED OAK -- The Harlan Community softball team split a Hawkeye Ten doubleheader at Red Oak on June 28, winning game one 6-2 and losing the night cap 10-7. The games were moved from Harlan to Red Oak due to rain. HCHS junior Morgan Schaben (10-10) pitched all seven innings of the first game, allowing seven hits and one earned run while striking out 11.

 KIMBALLTON (June 29) -- With its 7-1 first-inning lead cut down to one run, the Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton softball team responded with five runs during the fourth and fifth frames and finished off Glidden-Ralston 12-6 on Friday to avenge a 10-run loss earlier this season. The Spartans picked up two more home wins Saturday, beating Audubon 11-5 and Boyer Valley 3-2 to finish the regular season on a seven-game winning streak. Mollie Rasmussen,

 ELK HORN (June 29) -- Cole Burmeister pitched six scoreless innings and also had a big night at the plate Friday to lead Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton to an 8-0 baseball win over Glidden-Ralston. Limited by a rib muscle problem early in the season, according to coach Trevor Miller, Burmeister (2-1) was able to go six innings for the second consecutive start and allowed just three hits. He walked two and struck out nine.

 RED OAK (June 28) -- Setting the tone with a 14-run top of the first in game one, the Harlan Community baseball team clinched its second straight Hawkeye Ten Conference title Thursday night with a doubleheader sweep at Red Oak, winning 22-3 (in four innings) and 7-2. Originally scheduled to be played in Harlan, the games were moved to Red Oak due to a heavy morning rain at Jim Goeser Field. The 2nd-ranked Cyclones sent 20 batters to the plate

 OAKLAND (June 28) -- With the regular season and conference tournament officially in the books, the IKM-Manning softball team is ready to start a new winning streak just in time for postseason play. The previous streak - an impressive 16-gamer - ended late Thursday night as ninth-ranked (2A) Logan-Magnolia held off the second-ranked Wolves 7-5 in the championship game of the Western Iowa Conference Tournament. Moved from Logan to Oakland due

 OAKLAND (June 28) -- IKM-Manning outhit Riverside 18-1 in a Western Iowa Conference Softball Tournament semifinal game Thursday, beating the Bulldogs 11-1 in six innings to advance to the championship later that night. The Wolves hit the ball all over the diamond for 16 singles and two doubles.

 AREA -- The AHSTW softball team will open regional play Tuesday (July 3) and Harlan Community will start its postseason trail Thursday night (July 5). The Lady Vikes (8-14) will play at Underwood in a Class 2A, Region 2 quarterfinal on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.

 NEOLA (June 26) -- The IKM-Manning baseball team defeated Griswold 5-4 in the first round of the Western Iowa Conference Baseball Tournament last Tuesday before losing a tight 2-0 decision vs. top-seeded Tri-Center in the quarterfinals. Amos Rasmussen went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three stolen bases in the win over Griswold. Senior Jared Johnson pitched six innings of one-hit ball and had the Wolves’ only hit against Tri-Center.

 HARLAN (June 27) -- The Harlan Community baseball team picked up its first walk-off win of the season last Wednesday, scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh off Sioux City West reliever Ray Ray Douglas to rally past the Wolverines 5-4 at Jim Goeser Field. HCHS trailed 4-0 after an inning and a half before chipping away and extending its winning streak to 17 games. Still down 4-3 with three outs to go, Jared Moser led off the Cyclone se