COUNCIL BLUFFS (July 17) -- For nearly six innings Saturday night, Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton junior Tyler Kingery was doing what just one team has managed to accomplish all season: hold a potent St. Albert baseball lineup without any runs. The unheralded, but gutsy, Spartans were outplaying the fourth-ranked Falcons and had them on the ropes, up 2-0 in a Class 1A district final at Wolever Field. St.

 NEOLA -- The Tri-Center baseball team defeated IKM-Manning 9-0 in a Class 1A, District 15 quarterfinal game played Monday, July 12. The Trojans scored three runs in the third inning to build a 4-0 lead and took control with a four-run sixth to make it 9-0. T-C (27-2) went on to shut out West Harrison 6-0 on July 13 and Logan-Magnolia 10-0 on July 17, setting up a Substate 8 final vs.

 TREYNOR (July 12) -- Following a 48-hour suspension due to rain, AHSTW was outscored 7-0 when play resumed last Monday and lost to Shenandoah 9-2 in an opening round Class 2A district baseball game at Treynor. The contest was tied 2-2 on Saturday, July 10, when play was halted with two outs in the top of the third. The Mustangs scored four runs in the bottom of the third and added three more in the sixth to pull away, improving to 8-20 overal

 WINTERSET (July 13) -- For the Harlan Community softball team, another successful season has ended with another one-sided regional defeat. On Tuesday night, it was an eight-run bottom of the first that dashed the Cyclones’ latest hopes for their first state tournament berth since 2010. Winterset star shortstop Jena Young led off the first with a triple, capped the inning with a grand slam and added a two-run homer in the third as the top-rank

 ELK HORN (July 13) -- The Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton baseball team advanced to the district finals Tuesday night with an 11-1 win over Sidney in a Class 1A, District 14 semifinal. The Spartans (11-13) will now play fourth-ranked St. Albert (30-8) in a the District 14 final Saturday, July 17, in Council Bluffs. The Falcons have advanced with wins of 15-0 over Essex and 13-2 over Riverside.

 FONDA (July 12) -- The third time was nearly a charm for the Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton softball team. Loading the bases with one out in the top of the seventh inning, the Spartans were just a base hit away from tying the game or taking the lead against top-ranked Newell-Fonda. Instead, N-F freshman ace Kierra Jungers buckled down and struck out the next two batters on pitches up in the zone, allowing the Mustangs to escape Monday night’s Clas

 COUNCIL BLUFFS (July 16) -- Harlan Community will take a record of 15-15 into the Class 3A substate baseball tournament after splitting its final two regular season games against a pair of Council Bluffs teams. HCHS lost at Abraham Lincoln 6-2 on Tuesday night before routing Thomas Jefferson 18-6 on Wednesday, committing five errors in both games. Seeded fifth in Class 3A, Substate 8, the Cyclones will open the postseason at fourth-seeded Gle

 HARLAN (July 10) -- As Kate Heithoff stepped to the plate for one of the biggest at-bats of her life, she still had tears in her eyes. Not because she was nervous or scared for the moment, but because she was filled with pride for one of her teammates. With Saturday’s Class 4A, Region 2 semifinal tied 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Harlan Community softball senior Kennedy Kjergaard, batting .209 on the year, had just electrified the H.

 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.