AVOCA -- The AHSTW baseball team stole 14 bases and got an excellent outing on the mound from Blake Osbahr Friday night (June 23) to beat Logan-Magnolia 6-1. The Vikings improved to 13-7 overall and finished 11-7 in Western Iowa Conference play, tying Audubon for fourth place in the regular season standings. AHSTW scored single runs in each of the first six innings against the Panthers to gradually pull away.

 SIOUX CITY -- Harlan Community’s unbeaten start to 2017 and its 24-game winning streak overall came to an end last Wednesday (June 21) as Sioux City East split a doubleheader with the Cyclone baseball team. The Black Raiders won 4-2 in game one before HCHS took the night cap 12-4 in a game shortened to six innings. The loss was Harlan’s first since a 6-3 setback vs. Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson in last year’s regular-season finale.

 COUNCIL BLUFFS -- Down to its last out - then its final strike - the Harlan Community baseball team found a way to stay unbeaten one more time Tuesday night at Lewis Central. Trailing 6-5 in the top of the seventh, HCHS senior Joshua Cheek drew a two-out walk and stole second base - on a bang-bang play - with Nick Foss at the plate.

 HARLAN -- Wednesday night was just what the doctor ordered for a Harlan Community softball team staggering a bit from the stress of a nine-game losing streak over eight days. Starting seven eighth-graders in the field - only one more than usual - the Cyclones increased their run production in each inning and got a three-hitter from Emily Brouse to trounce Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln 12-1 in five innings at H.

 DENISON -- Kyle Schmitz pitched three hitless innings for his fourth win and later belted a three-run homer, leading Harlan Community to a 12-0, six-inning baseball win at Denison-Schleswig Monday night (June 19) and a season sweep of the Monarchs. Schmitz (4-0) allowed just three base runners in his 35-pitch stint, issuing a walk in the second inning and hitting two batters in the third.

 COUNCIL BLUFFS -- The Harlan Community softball team lost its ninth consecutive game on Tuesday night (June 20), falling 9-1 at Council Bluffs Lewis Central. The Titans (20-7-1 overall) took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Ashtyn Miller’s RBI single and Alea Binkley’s RBI double.

 AVOCA -- The AHSTW softball team rallied back to tie the score twice against Underwood Monday night (June 19) but couldn’t put the brakes on the Eagle offense in a 7-3 home loss.

 AVOCA -- AHSTW put runners on base in nearly every inning but couldn’t push anyone across home plate Monday night (June 19), losing to Underwood 7-0 in Western Iowa Conference baseball action. The Eagles set the tone with three runs in the top of the first and added insurance in the middle innings to earn a split in the season series, improving to 10-5 overall and 10-4 in the WIC. The Vikings (10-6 overall, 8-6 WIC) matched the Eagles with ei

Denison-Schleswig 9, HCHS 2 DENISON -- Denison-Schleswig used a three-run first and a four-run fifth to down Harlan Community 9-2 Monday night (June 19) and complete a regular-season softball sweep. Anna Ahrenholtz and Molly Gubbels both doubled and singled to lead HCHS, with Ahrenholtz scoring one run and driving in another.

 HARLAN -- Whether it’s a close game or a blowout, the Harlan Community baseball team just keeps on winning. Freshman reliever Connor Bruck retired Ethan Fisher on a ground ball to shortstop for the final out Thursday night (June 15), preserving the top-ranked Cyclones’ 10-9 win over Glenwood as well as their undefeated record. HCHS trailed 4-0 in the second inning and 6-5 in the fourth but rallied twice by posting four-spots in the bottom of

 HARLAN -- Six errors and four unearned runs cost the Harlan Community softball team a victory Thursday night (June 15) as Glenwood beat the Cyclones 4-2 in the first game of a doubleheader. Game two was suspended by rain and lightning in the fourth inning with the Rams leading 3-2 and will be completed on Friday, June 23, at 1:00 p.m. HCHS let an opportunity slip away in game one as all four Ram runs were unearned against Cyclone sophomore Mo

 FORT DODGE -- Harlan Community finished in 16th place with an 0-4 record at the Fort Dodge Softball Tournament this past weekend, facing a pair of top-five ranked teams at the Harlan Rogers Sports Complex. On Friday (June 16), HCHS was defeated by Fort Dodge 9-2 in the first round and lost 7-2 vs. top-ranked (Class 2-A) North Union in the consolation bracket.

 ELK HORN -- Always be aggressive and make the other team make plays. That’s been the mantra for Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton baseball so far this season and it paid dividends once again Friday night (June 16) as the 10th-ranked (1-A) Spartans topped Ar-We-Va, 2-1, in a mid-season battle of unbeaten teams. With the game tied 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth, Spartan senior Tyson Partridge led off second base with nobody out and Drew Buckholdt stand