FACE AR-WE-VA TUESAY IN SUBSTATE
East Greene continues to march forward to another berth in the Class 1A State Tournament, upending Elk Horn Kimballton/Exira tonight 8-5 in the district championship game in Coon Rapids. EHKE was the state's No. 4 ranked team in 1A and undefeated in 26 games before running into "Green Machine" tonight. EHKE bows out at 26-1.
The Hawks take a 19-11 record into Tuesday's substate championship game in Denison against Ar-We-Va (Westside). The Rockets (12-13) advanced to substate with a 3-2 win over Woodbury Central in Moville. Woodbury Central bowed out with a 10-11 season record.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Hawks Bag Big Win Over CRB
ADVANCE TO DISTRICT FINALS AGAINST EHKE
A big 3-1 win over Coon Rapids-Bayard in the district baseball semifinals in Coon Rapids Thursday has sent East Greene to the district championship game tonight against fourth-ranked Elk Horn-Kimballton/Exira. Game time is 7 p.m. in Coon Rapids.
The winner advances to Tuesday night’s substate championship game in Denison to play for a spot in the Class 1A State Tournament at Principal Park in Des Moines. The Hawks advanced to State last year winning the district in Ames and the substate in Ankeny.
EG was a solid underdog in the game as they had fallen to CRB—co-champs of the West Central Conference—by a 5-2 score earlier in the season and then 17-6 in a game shortened to 6 innings by the 10-run rule last Friday in Rippey. That win gave the Crusaders a share of the conference title with Woodward-Granger as both teams ended league play with glossy 17-1 marks.
EG had compiled a less than stellar 8-9 league mark for fifth place, so the home fans at Crusader Field on Thursday night most likely thought the semifinal game with EG was a just stepping stone to a big CRB showdown with undefeated EHKE two nights later.
The Hawks had other ideas.
They struck quickly in the top of the first frame as Tom Beger walked and Aaron Lyons singled. A single by the next Hawk batter, Tyler Cooklin, scored Beger putting the Hawks up 1-0. When CRB pitcher Brett Carstens then threw three straight balls to Wes Onken, veteran Crusader Coach John Waddle pulled Carstens and put Gage Reis on the mound. Reis, in turn, threw a ball and Onken was on his way to first, loading the bases for EG.
Onken was then picked off at first, but Jessie Priest walked to load the bases again. Josh Neese struck out and Zach Dearborn hit one to the 2nd baseman who threw him out at first, ending the inning. EG stranded three base runners and squandered some scoring opportunities--a situation that hampered both teams throughout the game.
CRB got on the board in the bottom of the inning to knot the score at one. Leadoff batter Jacob Esdohr rapped a single off Cooklin and then stole second. Cooklin walked Carstens, and then Esdohr stole third, putting runners at the corners. Schwartz struck out but Carstens stole second. Tyler Boeke struck out, but then Gage Reis singled to center field sending Esdohr across the plate to knot the score at 1-1. Carstens rounded third and was headed to home plate but a terrific throw from Lyons in center field to catcher Tory Beger nailed him at the plate, snuffing out the rally and ending the inning.
Both teams got on base in the second inning and each stranded two runners. In the third inning, a single by Zach Dearborn sent Neese to third base with two outs, but a short chopper to the shortstop by Zach Beyerink ended the threat. CRB advanced a runner to second with just one out, but two quick outs left the game tied at 1-1 after three innings. At that point, EG had 5 hits and stranded 7 runners, but had scored just the 1 run. CRB had left 4 runners on base.
Reis bore down in the top of the fourth and the Hawks went down in order. The Crusaders threatened in the bottom of the inning on a walk to Michael Schwenk followed by a single from Caylor Deeth with just one out. But a great catch of a popup near the first base line by second baseman Alex Gordon and then a shot hit right to Neese at third base ended the threat.
Cooklin got things going for the Hawks in the fifth with a leadoff single up the middle. Onken’s infield popup was the first out, but a balk on Reis sent Cooklin to second base. Jessie Priest struck out for the second out of the inning, but Neese then smashed a line drive to left field which turned into an RBI double as Cooklin scored putting the Hawks up 2-1. A dribbler by Dearborn to the first baseman ended the inning.
Cooklin was firing on all cylinders in the bottom of the inning, striking out Carstens and Boeke with Schwartz lining one to Neese sandwiched between the strikeouts, putting down the Crusaders 1-2-3.
EG threatened again in the sixth as Reis walked the first batter, Ostrander, and then was taken out by Waddle and replace by Boeke. CRB had now rolled out all three of its top pitchers and Waddle, who entered the game with 507 career victories—all earned in Coon Rapids—was looking for a way to contain the Hawks. The three pitchers had an accumulated record of 19-2 and Reis was credited with two saves and Boeke one as CRB had rolled up 26 victories coming into the semifinal game with EG. Gordon then got a bunt off of Boeke and the throw from third to first was wide, leaving Gordon safe at first and advancing Ostrander to third. Pinch runner T. J. Lint came in for Gordon but second baseman Brendan McAlister turned a short chopper by Tom Beger into a double play. Ostrander was still a threat on third, but Lyons struck out, leaving another runner stranded in scoring position.
Cooklin picked up right where he left off from the fifth inning, striking out Reis and Zach Imler to open the sixth, giving him three strikeouts in a row. A walk to Schwenk was followed by a pop up from Deeth—sending the Hawks into the 7th inning with a 1-run lead and the hint of a possible upset.
Again, Cooklin came to the fore, this time slamming a double down the right field line as the leadoff batter, giving him a hit off of each of the three Crusader pitchers. Onken’s sacrifice bunt moved Cooklin to third, and Priest walked to put runners on first and third. Neese was intentionally walked which loaded the bases. Dearborn then hit a line drive single into the outfield, sending Cooklin home and the Hawks were up 3-1 with just 1 out and the bases still loaded. Ostrander then struck out and Alex Gordon lined out to the shortstop, giving the Hawks a key run but stranding three runners.
The pressure was on Cooklin, who walked the first batter, McAlister. Esdohr hit into a fielder’s choice which put him on first with one out, but Cooklin got Carstens to strike out for CRB’s second out and their chances fading. Esdohr advanced to second on a passed ball and Schwartz walked so CRB’s fortunes were improving, and then Cooklin hit Boeke with a pitch that loaded the bases.
Gage Reis came to the plate and got ahead of the count 1-0. He took a strike but then another ball had him up 2-1. Another ball made things tense for the Hawks but Reis hit a foul behind the bleachers to make it a full count, 3-2. Cooklin then got one right across the plate with Reis looking as the called strike ended the game, and EG was on its way to the district finals.
Cooklin had an amazing game, going 3-4 with an RBI and scoring 2 runs. On the mound, he threw 11 strikeouts, walked seven and held the Crusaders to just 3 hits. Carstens, Boeke and Reis allowed the Hawks 9 hits, walked 7 and struck out 6.
Dearborn had two singles and a RBI, Neese had a double and a RBI, and Lyons, Tom Beger and Dearborn each hit key singles.
EG heads to the final with an 18-11 record to face EHKE, champions of the Rolling Hills Conference. The Spartans blasted CAM (Anita), another RH member, 15-0 in 5 innings in the other district semifinal game in Adair. The win ran up EHKE’s season record to 26-0. CAM ended the year at 4-15.
CRB’s loss ended its season at 26-7.
The EG vs. EHKE winner (District 15) will face the winner of District 16 in the Substate 8 championship. Ar-We-Va (Westside) takes on Woodbury Central (Moville) tonight in Moville in the District 16 title game. Both teams are in the Western Valley Conference. Ar-We-Va (11-13) finished sixth in the Western Valley South (nine teams) at 7-9 and Woodbury Central (10-10) went 7-9 for fifth place in the Western Valley North (eight teams).
EYE ON GJ SAYS: EHKE is indeed a formidable opponent. There is no arguing with a 26-0 record and in conference play the Spartans dispensed 8 of their 12 opponents in games shortened by the 10-run rule.
But what EG brought to the diamond on Thursday night, they can bring again. EG is a defending state tournament qualifier and this same team has faced down the pressures of a championship district game and a championship substate game. EG is very familiar with the CR diamond too, having faced off there against the Crusaders every year since first joining the West Central in 1997 and in many years facing competition in the districts held at Coon Rapids.
EHKE’s pitching chores have been handled all season by three senior pitchers: Carson Smith (11-0), Travis Stevens (8-0) and Nolan Himmelberg (7-0). Himmelberg picked up his seventh win against CAM on Thursday, throwing a one-hitter. Smith got things moving for the offense, blasting a three-run homer in the top of the first. EHEK had 15 hits on the night.
Those are lofty marks, but EG shut down all three of CRB’s pitchers on Thursday who brought a collective 19-2 mark into the game. CRB and EG each play a tougher conference schedule—18 games against 1A and 2A teams while EHKE plays 12 games against 1A teams.
EG and EHKE both faced the same six teams—two in the Rolling Hills and four in the West Central. EHKE beat Earlham 4-3 and EG beat them 5-3. The Spartans downed Panorama 12-2 while EG split with the Panthers, winning 9-4 and losing 12-8. EHKE beat Guthrie Center 10-0; EG beat Guthrie 6-0 and 8-7. As noted, EG earlier lost two games to CRB but on Thursday rectified that in a big way in the semifinal matchup, 3-1. EHKE beat CRB 6-3 on June 9.
The Spartans clearly took it to the second- and third-place finishers in the Rolling Hills, thumping Iowa Christian 10-5 and 18-0 and drubbing GR 9-2 and 18-0. EG also faced those two teams in non-conference action, beating ICA 4-2 on its home field in Waukee and posting a 13-7 win over GR in Rippey in early June.
It looks like coach Dana Fink has the Hawks peaking at just the right time, as noted by their solid play against CRB. The Hawks weren’t sharp against winless Southeast Webster-Grand on Tuesday, as that game was deadlocked at 1-1 well into the later innings, but they came back strong and picked up one of their biggest wins over the Crusaders two nights later.
A big 3-1 win over Coon Rapids-Bayard in the district baseball semifinals in Coon Rapids Thursday has sent East Greene to the district championship game tonight against fourth-ranked Elk Horn-Kimballton/Exira. Game time is 7 p.m. in Coon Rapids.
The winner advances to Tuesday night’s substate championship game in Denison to play for a spot in the Class 1A State Tournament at Principal Park in Des Moines. The Hawks advanced to State last year winning the district in Ames and the substate in Ankeny.
EG was a solid underdog in the game as they had fallen to CRB—co-champs of the West Central Conference—by a 5-2 score earlier in the season and then 17-6 in a game shortened to 6 innings by the 10-run rule last Friday in Rippey. That win gave the Crusaders a share of the conference title with Woodward-Granger as both teams ended league play with glossy 17-1 marks.
EG had compiled a less than stellar 8-9 league mark for fifth place, so the home fans at Crusader Field on Thursday night most likely thought the semifinal game with EG was a just stepping stone to a big CRB showdown with undefeated EHKE two nights later.
The Hawks had other ideas.
They struck quickly in the top of the first frame as Tom Beger walked and Aaron Lyons singled. A single by the next Hawk batter, Tyler Cooklin, scored Beger putting the Hawks up 1-0. When CRB pitcher Brett Carstens then threw three straight balls to Wes Onken, veteran Crusader Coach John Waddle pulled Carstens and put Gage Reis on the mound. Reis, in turn, threw a ball and Onken was on his way to first, loading the bases for EG.
Onken was then picked off at first, but Jessie Priest walked to load the bases again. Josh Neese struck out and Zach Dearborn hit one to the 2nd baseman who threw him out at first, ending the inning. EG stranded three base runners and squandered some scoring opportunities--a situation that hampered both teams throughout the game.
CRB got on the board in the bottom of the inning to knot the score at one. Leadoff batter Jacob Esdohr rapped a single off Cooklin and then stole second. Cooklin walked Carstens, and then Esdohr stole third, putting runners at the corners. Schwartz struck out but Carstens stole second. Tyler Boeke struck out, but then Gage Reis singled to center field sending Esdohr across the plate to knot the score at 1-1. Carstens rounded third and was headed to home plate but a terrific throw from Lyons in center field to catcher Tory Beger nailed him at the plate, snuffing out the rally and ending the inning.
Both teams got on base in the second inning and each stranded two runners. In the third inning, a single by Zach Dearborn sent Neese to third base with two outs, but a short chopper to the shortstop by Zach Beyerink ended the threat. CRB advanced a runner to second with just one out, but two quick outs left the game tied at 1-1 after three innings. At that point, EG had 5 hits and stranded 7 runners, but had scored just the 1 run. CRB had left 4 runners on base.
Reis bore down in the top of the fourth and the Hawks went down in order. The Crusaders threatened in the bottom of the inning on a walk to Michael Schwenk followed by a single from Caylor Deeth with just one out. But a great catch of a popup near the first base line by second baseman Alex Gordon and then a shot hit right to Neese at third base ended the threat.
Cooklin got things going for the Hawks in the fifth with a leadoff single up the middle. Onken’s infield popup was the first out, but a balk on Reis sent Cooklin to second base. Jessie Priest struck out for the second out of the inning, but Neese then smashed a line drive to left field which turned into an RBI double as Cooklin scored putting the Hawks up 2-1. A dribbler by Dearborn to the first baseman ended the inning.
Cooklin was firing on all cylinders in the bottom of the inning, striking out Carstens and Boeke with Schwartz lining one to Neese sandwiched between the strikeouts, putting down the Crusaders 1-2-3.
EG threatened again in the sixth as Reis walked the first batter, Ostrander, and then was taken out by Waddle and replace by Boeke. CRB had now rolled out all three of its top pitchers and Waddle, who entered the game with 507 career victories—all earned in Coon Rapids—was looking for a way to contain the Hawks. The three pitchers had an accumulated record of 19-2 and Reis was credited with two saves and Boeke one as CRB had rolled up 26 victories coming into the semifinal game with EG. Gordon then got a bunt off of Boeke and the throw from third to first was wide, leaving Gordon safe at first and advancing Ostrander to third. Pinch runner T. J. Lint came in for Gordon but second baseman Brendan McAlister turned a short chopper by Tom Beger into a double play. Ostrander was still a threat on third, but Lyons struck out, leaving another runner stranded in scoring position.
Cooklin picked up right where he left off from the fifth inning, striking out Reis and Zach Imler to open the sixth, giving him three strikeouts in a row. A walk to Schwenk was followed by a pop up from Deeth—sending the Hawks into the 7th inning with a 1-run lead and the hint of a possible upset.
Again, Cooklin came to the fore, this time slamming a double down the right field line as the leadoff batter, giving him a hit off of each of the three Crusader pitchers. Onken’s sacrifice bunt moved Cooklin to third, and Priest walked to put runners on first and third. Neese was intentionally walked which loaded the bases. Dearborn then hit a line drive single into the outfield, sending Cooklin home and the Hawks were up 3-1 with just 1 out and the bases still loaded. Ostrander then struck out and Alex Gordon lined out to the shortstop, giving the Hawks a key run but stranding three runners.
The pressure was on Cooklin, who walked the first batter, McAlister. Esdohr hit into a fielder’s choice which put him on first with one out, but Cooklin got Carstens to strike out for CRB’s second out and their chances fading. Esdohr advanced to second on a passed ball and Schwartz walked so CRB’s fortunes were improving, and then Cooklin hit Boeke with a pitch that loaded the bases.
Gage Reis came to the plate and got ahead of the count 1-0. He took a strike but then another ball had him up 2-1. Another ball made things tense for the Hawks but Reis hit a foul behind the bleachers to make it a full count, 3-2. Cooklin then got one right across the plate with Reis looking as the called strike ended the game, and EG was on its way to the district finals.
Cooklin had an amazing game, going 3-4 with an RBI and scoring 2 runs. On the mound, he threw 11 strikeouts, walked seven and held the Crusaders to just 3 hits. Carstens, Boeke and Reis allowed the Hawks 9 hits, walked 7 and struck out 6.
Dearborn had two singles and a RBI, Neese had a double and a RBI, and Lyons, Tom Beger and Dearborn each hit key singles.
EG heads to the final with an 18-11 record to face EHKE, champions of the Rolling Hills Conference. The Spartans blasted CAM (Anita), another RH member, 15-0 in 5 innings in the other district semifinal game in Adair. The win ran up EHKE’s season record to 26-0. CAM ended the year at 4-15.
CRB’s loss ended its season at 26-7.
The EG vs. EHKE winner (District 15) will face the winner of District 16 in the Substate 8 championship. Ar-We-Va (Westside) takes on Woodbury Central (Moville) tonight in Moville in the District 16 title game. Both teams are in the Western Valley Conference. Ar-We-Va (11-13) finished sixth in the Western Valley South (nine teams) at 7-9 and Woodbury Central (10-10) went 7-9 for fifth place in the Western Valley North (eight teams).
EYE ON GJ SAYS: EHKE is indeed a formidable opponent. There is no arguing with a 26-0 record and in conference play the Spartans dispensed 8 of their 12 opponents in games shortened by the 10-run rule.
But what EG brought to the diamond on Thursday night, they can bring again. EG is a defending state tournament qualifier and this same team has faced down the pressures of a championship district game and a championship substate game. EG is very familiar with the CR diamond too, having faced off there against the Crusaders every year since first joining the West Central in 1997 and in many years facing competition in the districts held at Coon Rapids.
EHKE’s pitching chores have been handled all season by three senior pitchers: Carson Smith (11-0), Travis Stevens (8-0) and Nolan Himmelberg (7-0). Himmelberg picked up his seventh win against CAM on Thursday, throwing a one-hitter. Smith got things moving for the offense, blasting a three-run homer in the top of the first. EHEK had 15 hits on the night.
Those are lofty marks, but EG shut down all three of CRB’s pitchers on Thursday who brought a collective 19-2 mark into the game. CRB and EG each play a tougher conference schedule—18 games against 1A and 2A teams while EHKE plays 12 games against 1A teams.
EG and EHKE both faced the same six teams—two in the Rolling Hills and four in the West Central. EHKE beat Earlham 4-3 and EG beat them 5-3. The Spartans downed Panorama 12-2 while EG split with the Panthers, winning 9-4 and losing 12-8. EHKE beat Guthrie Center 10-0; EG beat Guthrie 6-0 and 8-7. As noted, EG earlier lost two games to CRB but on Thursday rectified that in a big way in the semifinal matchup, 3-1. EHKE beat CRB 6-3 on June 9.
The Spartans clearly took it to the second- and third-place finishers in the Rolling Hills, thumping Iowa Christian 10-5 and 18-0 and drubbing GR 9-2 and 18-0. EG also faced those two teams in non-conference action, beating ICA 4-2 on its home field in Waukee and posting a 13-7 win over GR in Rippey in early June.
It looks like coach Dana Fink has the Hawks peaking at just the right time, as noted by their solid play against CRB. The Hawks weren’t sharp against winless Southeast Webster-Grand on Tuesday, as that game was deadlocked at 1-1 well into the later innings, but they came back strong and picked up one of their biggest wins over the Crusaders two nights later.
Area Students on ISU Dean's List
SHAW, NUNEZ LAUDED FOR ACADEMIC EFFORT
Rebecca Shaw, Grand Junction, a chemical engineering major, and Yadira Perez Nunez, Rippey, a psychology major, were named to the dean's list at Iowa State University for the 2010 spring semester.
Students on the dean's list earned at least a 3.5 grade point average while carrying a minimum of 12 credit hours for the semester.
Rebecca Shaw, Grand Junction, a chemical engineering major, and Yadira Perez Nunez, Rippey, a psychology major, were named to the dean's list at Iowa State University for the 2010 spring semester.
Students on the dean's list earned at least a 3.5 grade point average while carrying a minimum of 12 credit hours for the semester.
New Arrival: Emmie Walker
BABY GIRL BORN TO PHIL WALKER, EBBAN CLAUSE
Emmie Marie Clause Walker, daughter of Philip Walker and Ebban Clause, was born June 24 in Geneva, Switzerland.
Grandparents are Reg and Mary Clause of Jefferson and Robert and Rosaleen Walker of Vaud, Switzerland. Great-grandparents are Roger and Dorothy Clause of Grand Junction.
Emmie Marie Clause Walker, daughter of Philip Walker and Ebban Clause, was born June 24 in Geneva, Switzerland.
Grandparents are Reg and Mary Clause of Jefferson and Robert and Rosaleen Walker of Vaud, Switzerland. Great-grandparents are Roger and Dorothy Clause of Grand Junction.
Grow Graduates from Simpson
DEGREES CONFERRED IN MAY 22 COMMENCEMENT
Kelly Grow of Rippey graduated from Simpson College in Indianola on May 22.
Other area students conferred degrees in commencement ceremonies at Simpson include Marcy Baker and Kristin Simpson, Jefferson; Mary Richards, Jamaica; and Amanda Esdohr, Jesse Reis and Courtney Davis, Coon Rapids.
Kelly Grow of Rippey graduated from Simpson College in Indianola on May 22.
Other area students conferred degrees in commencement ceremonies at Simpson include Marcy Baker and Kristin Simpson, Jefferson; Mary Richards, Jamaica; and Amanda Esdohr, Jesse Reis and Courtney Davis, Coon Rapids.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Hawkettes Fall to SWG in Regional
FIRST ROUND LOSS ENDS SEASON AT 6-15
Southeast Webster-Grand ended the Hawkettes’ softball season last Wednesday, July 7, with a 10-6 victory in the first round of regional action in Ogden.
SWG jumped out to 9-1 lead but EG came back with a big 5-run rally in the bottom of the sixth to move within three runs. But SWG added a run in the top of the 7th and EG came up empty in the bottom of the inning to end its season at 6-15.
It was the last appearance in an EG uniform for all-sport standout Malarie Gilley, who graduated in May along with teammate Heidi Kiner. Gilley closed out her EG career in fine style with a solo home run in the fourth inning. Gilley was the losing pitcher, giving up 12 hits and 5 walks while striking out three. Gilley’s homer was part of a 9-hit attack by the Hawkettes. Tia Lowe had a double and single and Emily Jacobsen had two singles.
SWG advanced to the quarterfinal round in Glidden on Friday to face Glidden-Ralston, a 2-1 winner over Ar-We-Va (Westside). GR was the only Rolling Hills Conference team to make it past the first round in regional action on Wednesday. Elk Horn-Kimballton/Exira, which rolled to the league title with a 10-0 mark and was 19-9 overall, was sidelined by AHST (Avoca), 9-5.
SWG rolled over the Wildcats 11-0 in five innings Friday, which put SWG in the semifinal round opposite Newell-Fonda, ranked second in the state. The Eagles put up a good fight but were eliminated 11-6. Newell-Fonda went on to claim the regional championship over No. 11 Alta, 6-5, advancing on the state tournament next week in Fort Dodge. Newell-Fonda was the runner-up last year to Earlham, the 2009 West Central Champion. Earlham was moved up to Class 2A this year and was eliminated 12-0 in the quarterfinal round by No. 10 Interstate 35 (Truro).
Woodward-Granger, winner of the West Central Conference, also advanced to state in 1A with a 2-0 win over Treynor that was called after 5 innings because of rain. Fourth-ranked Woodward-Granger (33-4) will face fifth-ranked Martensdale-St. Mary’s (27-6) on Monday. Like Newell-Fonda, MSt.M is also a repeater from last year’s tournament, finishing in third place.
EYE ON GJ SAYS: The folks who do the rankings at the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) really know their 1A softball! The eight teams that qualified for the state tournament were ranked 1 through 8 in the final softball poll released by the IGHSAU on July 1, a week before tourney action got underway on Wednesday, July 7. The eight teams, ranked in order, are: Akron-Westfield, Newell-Fonda, North Butler, Woodward-Granger, Martensdale-St. Mary’s, Preston, North Sentral Kossuth and Lynville-Sully. This made the first round matchups pretty simple as the teams are seeded 1 vs. 8, 4 vs. 5, 6 vs. 3, and 2 vs. 7.
Madrid and Van Meter were the only other West Central teams to make deep runs in the tourney. Van Meter advanced to the semifinal round in 1A before falling to Newman (Mason City). After disposing of Earlham, Interstate 35 went on to beat No. 13 Van Meter, 4-2, on the Bulldogs’ home diamond.
East Greene showed great improvement throughout this season, posting big wins over Des Moines Christian and sweeping both Coon Rapids-Bayard and West Central Valley, teams it had trouble with in past seasons. EG—smallest school in the West Central by far—finished in eighth place with a 5-13 record and was very close to tying Guthrie Center for seventh. EG had finished in the league cellar the last two seasons.
The Hawkettes will miss the fine contribution from Gilley and Kiner, but the showing of five eighth graders on the squad this year holds great promise for future EG softball success. The four returning juniors—Lowe, Molly Neese, Katlynn Gannon and Jasmine Kinney—and the five 8th graders—Jacobsen, Allie Stoline, Shelby Cooklin, Brooke Popp and Chelsie Wilkens—will serve as a very solid nucleus for next year’s move to the Rolling Hills.
The West Central was clearly the superior league as one team has advanced to the state tournament and two made it to the regional semifinal round while the RH was
1-5 in the opening round of the tournament, and with GR’s loss in the second round, the league went a dismal 2-6 in post season play against non-league foes. The five 1A teams in the West Central went 4-1 in the opening round, with only EG coming up with a loss. And two of the wins came over RH teams as WG rolled over Adair-Casey in three innings and CRB beat CAM (Anita). The 2A teams in the West Central went 1-2 and the other two league teams faced each other. Overall, the West Central’s tally against non-leagues foes in the post-season stands at 9-7 with WG guaranteed three more games at State.
In head-to-head competition during the regular and post-season combined, the West Central had the upper hand, winning 13 games to just two for Rolling Hills teams. And those wins were from EHKE, the league champion, over the bottom two teams in the West Central—CRB and West Central Valley (Stuart).
So look for East Greene to be very competitive in the Rolling Hills next year, which looks to be wide open as each team had some standout young players. EHKE dominated the league but loses four seniors off this year’s team. The other five teams all had losing seasons overall, and none of them reached the 10-win mark. EG just needs to develop a pitcher among its younger players and then move forward behind that pitcher in the years ahead. Hopefully, there might be some prospective pitchers off of this year’s junior high team who will be eligible to play varsity after completing the 8th grade next spring.
West Central and Rolling Hills Post-Season Results:
West Central
Thursday, July 15:
Class 1A Final Round
WG 2, Treynor 0 (ended after 5 innings, game ruled complete)
Mon., July 12:
Class 1A Semifinal Round
WG 4, Riverside (Oakland) 2
Newman (Mason City) 7, Madrid 1
Class 2A Semifinal Round
Interstate 35 4, VM 2
Fri., July 9:
Class 1A Regional Quarterfinal Round
Melcher-Dallas 9, DMC 8 (8)
Madrid 6, North Tama 4 (8)
WG 11, CRB 0
Class 2A Regional Quarterfinal Round
Interstate 35 (Truro) 12, Earlham 0
VM 8, Audubon 0
Thurs., July 8:
Class 2A Regional First Round
EAR 4, Nodaway Valley (Greenfield) 1
Audubon 17, GC 4
Interstate 35 (Truro) 12, WCV 0 (4)
VM 6, Panorama 0
Wed., July 7:
Class 1A Regional First Round
Southeast Webster-Grand 10, EG 6
CRB 3, CAM (Anita) 1
DMC 11, Grandview Park Baptist 1 (6)
Madrid 5, GMG (Garwin) 0
WG 12, Adair-Casey 0 (3)
Rolling Hills
Fri., July 9:
Class 1A Regionals, Quarterfinal Round
Southeast Webster-Grand 11, GR 0 (5)
Wed., July 7:
Class 1A Regionals, First Round
GR 2, Ar-We-Va 1
AHST (Avoca) 9, EHKE 5
Coon Rapids-Bayard 3, CAM 1
Corning 10, Orient-Macksburg 9
Riverside 10, Walnut 0 (5)
Woodward-Granger 12, Adair-Casey 0 (3)
Southeast Webster-Grand ended the Hawkettes’ softball season last Wednesday, July 7, with a 10-6 victory in the first round of regional action in Ogden.
SWG jumped out to 9-1 lead but EG came back with a big 5-run rally in the bottom of the sixth to move within three runs. But SWG added a run in the top of the 7th and EG came up empty in the bottom of the inning to end its season at 6-15.
It was the last appearance in an EG uniform for all-sport standout Malarie Gilley, who graduated in May along with teammate Heidi Kiner. Gilley closed out her EG career in fine style with a solo home run in the fourth inning. Gilley was the losing pitcher, giving up 12 hits and 5 walks while striking out three. Gilley’s homer was part of a 9-hit attack by the Hawkettes. Tia Lowe had a double and single and Emily Jacobsen had two singles.
SWG advanced to the quarterfinal round in Glidden on Friday to face Glidden-Ralston, a 2-1 winner over Ar-We-Va (Westside). GR was the only Rolling Hills Conference team to make it past the first round in regional action on Wednesday. Elk Horn-Kimballton/Exira, which rolled to the league title with a 10-0 mark and was 19-9 overall, was sidelined by AHST (Avoca), 9-5.
SWG rolled over the Wildcats 11-0 in five innings Friday, which put SWG in the semifinal round opposite Newell-Fonda, ranked second in the state. The Eagles put up a good fight but were eliminated 11-6. Newell-Fonda went on to claim the regional championship over No. 11 Alta, 6-5, advancing on the state tournament next week in Fort Dodge. Newell-Fonda was the runner-up last year to Earlham, the 2009 West Central Champion. Earlham was moved up to Class 2A this year and was eliminated 12-0 in the quarterfinal round by No. 10 Interstate 35 (Truro).
Woodward-Granger, winner of the West Central Conference, also advanced to state in 1A with a 2-0 win over Treynor that was called after 5 innings because of rain. Fourth-ranked Woodward-Granger (33-4) will face fifth-ranked Martensdale-St. Mary’s (27-6) on Monday. Like Newell-Fonda, MSt.M is also a repeater from last year’s tournament, finishing in third place.
EYE ON GJ SAYS: The folks who do the rankings at the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) really know their 1A softball! The eight teams that qualified for the state tournament were ranked 1 through 8 in the final softball poll released by the IGHSAU on July 1, a week before tourney action got underway on Wednesday, July 7. The eight teams, ranked in order, are: Akron-Westfield, Newell-Fonda, North Butler, Woodward-Granger, Martensdale-St. Mary’s, Preston, North Sentral Kossuth and Lynville-Sully. This made the first round matchups pretty simple as the teams are seeded 1 vs. 8, 4 vs. 5, 6 vs. 3, and 2 vs. 7.
Madrid and Van Meter were the only other West Central teams to make deep runs in the tourney. Van Meter advanced to the semifinal round in 1A before falling to Newman (Mason City). After disposing of Earlham, Interstate 35 went on to beat No. 13 Van Meter, 4-2, on the Bulldogs’ home diamond.
East Greene showed great improvement throughout this season, posting big wins over Des Moines Christian and sweeping both Coon Rapids-Bayard and West Central Valley, teams it had trouble with in past seasons. EG—smallest school in the West Central by far—finished in eighth place with a 5-13 record and was very close to tying Guthrie Center for seventh. EG had finished in the league cellar the last two seasons.
The Hawkettes will miss the fine contribution from Gilley and Kiner, but the showing of five eighth graders on the squad this year holds great promise for future EG softball success. The four returning juniors—Lowe, Molly Neese, Katlynn Gannon and Jasmine Kinney—and the five 8th graders—Jacobsen, Allie Stoline, Shelby Cooklin, Brooke Popp and Chelsie Wilkens—will serve as a very solid nucleus for next year’s move to the Rolling Hills.
The West Central was clearly the superior league as one team has advanced to the state tournament and two made it to the regional semifinal round while the RH was
1-5 in the opening round of the tournament, and with GR’s loss in the second round, the league went a dismal 2-6 in post season play against non-league foes. The five 1A teams in the West Central went 4-1 in the opening round, with only EG coming up with a loss. And two of the wins came over RH teams as WG rolled over Adair-Casey in three innings and CRB beat CAM (Anita). The 2A teams in the West Central went 1-2 and the other two league teams faced each other. Overall, the West Central’s tally against non-leagues foes in the post-season stands at 9-7 with WG guaranteed three more games at State.
In head-to-head competition during the regular and post-season combined, the West Central had the upper hand, winning 13 games to just two for Rolling Hills teams. And those wins were from EHKE, the league champion, over the bottom two teams in the West Central—CRB and West Central Valley (Stuart).
So look for East Greene to be very competitive in the Rolling Hills next year, which looks to be wide open as each team had some standout young players. EHKE dominated the league but loses four seniors off this year’s team. The other five teams all had losing seasons overall, and none of them reached the 10-win mark. EG just needs to develop a pitcher among its younger players and then move forward behind that pitcher in the years ahead. Hopefully, there might be some prospective pitchers off of this year’s junior high team who will be eligible to play varsity after completing the 8th grade next spring.
West Central and Rolling Hills Post-Season Results:
West Central
Thursday, July 15:
Class 1A Final Round
WG 2, Treynor 0 (ended after 5 innings, game ruled complete)
Mon., July 12:
Class 1A Semifinal Round
WG 4, Riverside (Oakland) 2
Newman (Mason City) 7, Madrid 1
Class 2A Semifinal Round
Interstate 35 4, VM 2
Fri., July 9:
Class 1A Regional Quarterfinal Round
Melcher-Dallas 9, DMC 8 (8)
Madrid 6, North Tama 4 (8)
WG 11, CRB 0
Class 2A Regional Quarterfinal Round
Interstate 35 (Truro) 12, Earlham 0
VM 8, Audubon 0
Thurs., July 8:
Class 2A Regional First Round
EAR 4, Nodaway Valley (Greenfield) 1
Audubon 17, GC 4
Interstate 35 (Truro) 12, WCV 0 (4)
VM 6, Panorama 0
Wed., July 7:
Class 1A Regional First Round
Southeast Webster-Grand 10, EG 6
CRB 3, CAM (Anita) 1
DMC 11, Grandview Park Baptist 1 (6)
Madrid 5, GMG (Garwin) 0
WG 12, Adair-Casey 0 (3)
Rolling Hills
Fri., July 9:
Class 1A Regionals, Quarterfinal Round
Southeast Webster-Grand 11, GR 0 (5)
Wed., July 7:
Class 1A Regionals, First Round
GR 2, Ar-We-Va 1
AHST (Avoca) 9, EHKE 5
Coon Rapids-Bayard 3, CAM 1
Corning 10, Orient-Macksburg 9
Riverside 10, Walnut 0 (5)
Woodward-Granger 12, Adair-Casey 0 (3)
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
EG Wins District Opener
HAWKS DOWN SWG; CRB IS UP NEXT
East Greene upended Southeast Webster-Grand 4-1 in Coon Rapids last night in district tourney first-round action. The Hawks advance to the semifinal round where they will face Coon Rapids-Bayard in Coon Rapids at 7 p.m. Thursday.
The Hawks had 9 hits in picking up the win, moving their season record to 17-11. SWG ended the year at 0-25.
CRB beat Glidden-Ralston 13-4 in the second half of a twin bill in Coon Rapids last night. CRB broke open a tight 3-2 game with six runs in the fourth inning. The Crusaders added four more runs in the sixth to secure the win. Tyler Boeke got the win for CRB, moving his record to 8-0 with Gage Reis pitching the last inning in relief.
CRB, co-champs of the West Central Conference, improved to 24-7. GR bowed out at 10-10.
In the other side of the District 12 bracket, Elk Horn-Kimballton/Exira, the No. 4 ranked team in Class 1A, moved its season mark to 26-0 with a 9-0 win over Adair-Casey, which made it to the state tournament last year. EHKE’s Carson Smith struck out 17 Bomber batters and gave up just 3 hits in the shutout win, which moved his season record to 11-0. It was the Spartans fourth win this season over AC, which ended the year 8-16. AC finished fifth in the seven-team Rolling Hills Conference with a 4-8 record.
EHKE will be going for its third win against CAM (Anita) in its semifinal matchup in Adair tomorrow night. The Spartans downed CAM 14-5 and 14-3 in Rolling Hills action, the second win coming last Friday in Anita. CAM finished in sixth place in the league at 3-9. The Cougars received a bye in the first round. They head into the EHKE game with a 4-14 overall season mark.
EYE ON GJ SAYS: It was last year in the semifinal round at Coon Rapids that AC soundly beat the Crusaders 8-3 to move on the district and substate championship games, where they downed Walnut 9-1 and AHST (Avoca) 6-4. CRB was hosting the first round, semifinal and final games in the district, and hosting the substate game, so with a glossy 24-6 record and having just been edged out for the league title in the West Central (tying with Earlham at 13-5 for runner-up spot with Des Moines Christian and Panorama winning the title at just one game ahead, 14-4), the Crusaders looked to be the solid favorite, although AC was 17-4 heading into that game and had finished second in the RH to Iowa Christian.
Hopefully, the Hawks can pull the same “home diamond surprise” on CRB this year. CRB has already downed the Hawks twice in their run to the league co-championship. The first win was in Coon Rapids on June 29, 5-2, with the Hawks’ Tyler Cooklin taking the loss on the mound, despite giving up just one hit and striking out 10 batters. The Hawks were hampered by Cooklin walking 8 batters and the defense committing 5 errors. Freshman Reed Ostrander and seniors Nathan Beyerink and Jessie Priest shared mound duties in the 17-6 pounding suffered by EG at home last Friday, which was ended by the 10-rule after six innings. Ostrander pitched four innings and Priest and Beyerink, primarily outfielders, pitched an inning each in relief. Combined, they gave up 10 hits, 11 walks and hit 4 batters while striking out 3.
The Hawks did rack up 7 hits in the game against CRB hurler Boeke and the defense showed improvement from June 29 game with just 2 errors. Boeke struck out 8 Hawks but walked 8, yet his teammates played error-free ball to back him up.
Hopefully the Hawks can catch the Crusaders looking past EG—a team they’ve beaten twice—to unbeaten and highly-ranked EHKE, which looks to be the likely opponent in the district final. Perhaps the earlier victories over EG and the home field advantage on Thursday and again on Saturday in the final will give them a slight bit of over-confidence.
The Hawks will need to reach deep and remember they moved on in the semifinal round last year with a win over Madrid that propelled them to wins in the final over GMG (Garwin) in Ames and then Grandview Park Baptist (Des Moines) in the substate game in Ankeny. That team started the tourney trail at 10-14 while this year’s squad racked up a higher finish in a tougher West Central as GR (3-15 in the league last year) was replaced by Woodward-Granger, the 2009 champion of Heart of Iowa-Small Conference that racked up a 20-9 overall record. WG beat EG by just one run in each of the two Hawks vs. Hawks showdowns this year in the conference. And this year’s team entered the post-season with 16 wins against 11 losses and moved up from seventh to fifth in a more competitive West Central.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
