Author: Slaten Swords

High School Baseball

Mt. Pleasant sent Keokuk home early with a five-inning 14-4 thrashing of the Chiefs. J.C. Sitar and Brayton Hutson continue to headline the Panther offense as the seniors both tabbed three RBIs in the win, including a double for Sitar.

Mt. Pleasant will travel to Burlington for a doubleheader at Community Field on Monday, June 30th, with game one at 5:30 pm. 

West Burlington gave #6 Mediapolis everything they had, tying the game at six in the bottom of the 5th inning but the Bulldogs collected their 21st victory last night with a 9-6 final. Ayden Figuereo clouted a home run for three RBIs for the Falcons.

#6 Mediapolis will look to spoil Wapello’s Senior/Hall of Fame night tonight with first pitch at 5:30 pm.

West Burlington will square off against Pekin tonight on the road at 5:30 pm.

Wapello lost to Pekin last night 14-0. 

Burlington Notre Dame pushed across four runs in the 7th inning to force extra innings against Hillcrest Academy only to explode for five runs in the top of the 8th inning to down the Ravens 10-5. 

Burlington Notre Dame will make the trip to Winfield-Mt. Union tonight at 5:30 pm. 

Winfield-Mt. Union dropped a close one to Highland last night, 3-2. Jaxton Jones claimed the lone RBI for the Wolves. 

After seven scoreless innings, Central Lee and New London finally put runs on the board as the Hawks came out on top 3-1 in the 8th inning. Bo Herdrich’s two-RBI double ended up being the winning play for Central Lee. Kye Reighard pitched the entire game for New London and fanned three, while Gavin Menke-Bailey produced the lone RBI. 

Central Lee will head to Waterloo Riverfront Stadium tomorrow, June 28th, for a tournament with their first opponent being Grand View Christian at 2 pm.

New London will look to get back in the win column tonight against Van Buren County at 7 pm at home.

Danville fell to Van Buren County last night 8-3. Izaak Loeffler and Isaiah Meek each knocked in two runs for the Warriors. 

Danville will enjoy their senior night on Monday at 7:30 pm when the Bears take on Wapello. 

Fairfield slugged Washington last night, defeating the Demons 15-1 as the offense tallied five extra-base hits. Jacob Crew led the team with a triple and five RBIs, while Luke Konczal clobbered a home run and tabbed three RBIs at the plate. The Trojans will compete in a doubleheader today at Dan Runkle Field in Dubuque against Denison-Schleswig. 

Postseason Baseball Brackets

The Iowa High School Athletic Association has released the postseason brackets for all four classes with first pitch scheduled for 5 pm on Saturday, July 5th, for Classes 1A and 2A. Here’s the matchups for our local teams.

In Class 1A Substate 5 District 10, Danville and Van Buren County will be heading off to Moravia for the Saturday doubleheader. The Bears will square off against Moravia at 7 pm, while Van Buren County will start off the night at 5 pm.

On the bottom half of the bracket, Burlington Notre Dame will venture to New London to face off against Keota at 5 pm, while New London will host the nightcap against Wapello at 7 pm.

Moving to Class 2A Substate 4 District 7, Mediapolis earned a bye and will host the winner between West Liberty and Camanche on July 8th at 7 pm.

Over in Class 2A Substate 5 District 9, West Burlington and Louisa-Muscatine will meet up in Wilton at 5 pm in the battle of the Falcons. Winfield-Mt. Union will take on the hosts at 7 pm, where the winner will advance to compete against Central Lee on July 8th at 5 pm at Chariton Middle School.

For Class 3A Substate 5, Washington will face off against Assumption on the road. In Substate 6, Mt. Pleasant will travel to play Fairfield for the fourth time this season, while Keokuk will take on Pella and Fort Madison will venture to Xavier with both games on the road. 

For Class 4A Substate 3, Burlington grabbed the #4-seed and will hit the road to compete against the #3-seed Muscatine.

Classes 3A and 4A will start postseason action on July 11th with first pitch at 7 pm. 

High School Softball

Mt. Pleasant started off the game strong, taking an 8 to 6 lead into the 4th inning. However, Keokuk’s Gracie Thompson shut down the Panther offense as the Chiefs put up seven unanswered runs to win 13-8. Saige Burchett nabbed three RBIs as she went 3 for 5 at the plate with a double in the losing effort.

Mt. Pleasant will travel to Holy Trinity Catholic tonight for a doubleheader as the Crusaders celebrate their senior night with game one at 5:30 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call for game one of the doubleheader with the pregame show at 5:15 pm.

Holy Trinity Catholic glided past Hillcrest Academy last night 10-1. 

Central Lee clobbered New London last night 17-3. 

New London will take on Van Buren County tonight at home at 7 pm.

Central Lee will make the trip to Iowa City West today for the Rick Doran Classic. 

Mediapolis out hit West Burlington/Notre Dame last night on their way to a 15-8 victory. Avery Crear and Avery Bandy each smoked a home run as Crear led the Bulldogs with three RBIs. Lyndsey Kelley hit her sixth home run of the season as she pushed across two runs for the Falcons.

Mediapolis will square off against Wapello tonight on the road at 7 pm for the Arrow’s senior night. 

Wapello defeated Pekin last night 7-5 as Macey Kuntz swatted a solo home run for the Arrows. 

West Burlington/Notre Dame will compete in the Eddie Jones Memorial Tournament at Washington tomorrow, June 28th, with game one at 12:30 pm against the Demons.

WACO fell to #2 Louisa-Muscatine last night 11-0. The Warriors will travel to Pekin tonight at 7 pm.

Columbus was shutout by Lone Tree last night 5-0. The Wildcats will face off against Louisa-Muscatine on Monday, June 30th, at 7 pm.

#9 Washington’s 15-2 thrashing of Fairfield last night secured the Demons their first outright Southeast Conference title since 2013. Lilly Bergren and Olivia Hollander each knocked home a run for the Trojans.

Fairfield will compete in the Clear Creak Amana Tournament today. 

Danville will host Central Lee on Tuesday, July 1st, for a senior night doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm.

High School Cross Country

The Mt. Pleasant Cross Country team’s summer runs are underway until their camp in mid-August. The runs are available to any 7th through 12th grader with paces and plans dependent on the level of experience. Coaches may not be present at every run as upperclassmen often lead the runs.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, the runs will begin at 6:30 am at the Old Threshers Museum Theatre. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the runs will begin at Saunders Park by the swimming pool at 7 pm. If you have any questions, then contact Coach Murray at 319-850-0867. 

Prospect League

It might have taken two days but the Burlington Bees swept the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp last night, dramatically winning 6-5 in game one and 11-10 in game two. Corey Boyette smashed two home runs and tallied four RBIs by the end of the night. The Bees are back at home tonight to take on the Quincy Doggy Paddlers with first pitch at 6:30 pm.

The Clinton LumberKings handled the Normal CornBelters last night 10-1. The LumberKings will host the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes tonight at 6:30 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1890 – Canadian boxer George Dixon becomes the first Black world champion when he stops English bantamweight champion Edwin “Nunc” Wallace in 18 rounds in London, England.

1894 – Annie Londonderry [Annie Kopchovsky] sets out from Boston to become the first woman to bicycle around the world; she completes the journey in September of 1895.

1999 – Tony Hawk is the first skateboarder to land a “900”, (a 2-½ revolution aerial spin), at the X Games in San Francisco, California.

High School Baseball

Lance Ludens had quite the night on the mound for #6 Mediapolis, as the senior tabbed his 200th career strikeout in a complete game, nine strikeout effort to beat Mt. Pleasant 13-4. The Panthers answered the call of offense in the first inning after a J.C. Sitar sac fly scored Payton Walker, who started his night with a double, and Grayson Lowery followed suit to tie the game at two. 

Nevertheless, Mediapolis would go on to collect 20-plus hits for the night as Kyler Crow knocked a triple and nabbed two RBIs to lead the team. Panther head coach Brent Broeker talked about the message delivered to his team after the game,

“Yeah, you know, we jumped out. They jumped out too on us. And we, you know, tied it up in the bottom of the first. And I thought, well, that we could play with these guys and then Ludens pretty much said, you know, for the next 5 innings, ‘I’m only allowing two more hits.’ So, he pretty much shut us down. You know the kid can throw it. So, you know, I thought our kids didn’t battle as we had in the past with decent pitching. But hopefully, you know, we learned some tonight about, you know, when you’re facing good teams. There’s really nothing to lose, might as well go out and have fun and swing the bat.”

Mt. Pleasant will look to bounce back tonight against Keokuk with first pitch at 7:30 pm at home. 

West Burlington will square off against #6 Mediapolis tonight at 5:30 pm at home.

Burlington Notre Dame split their matchups last night at Waterloo Riverfront Stadium, beating Kee 5-2 and losing to Roland-Story 3-1. The Nikes will square off against Hillcrest Academy tonight at 5:30 pm.

Central Lee clobbered Van Buren County last night 12-2. Blake Davis continued to slug the ball as he finished the night going 3 for 4 with a double, a home run, and an RBI, while not allowing a hit and striking out eight on the mound in three innings of work. 

New London will compete against Central Lee tonight at 7:30 pm at home.

Danville will look to keep the momentum rolling against Van Buren County tonight at 7 pm on the road. 

Winfield-Mt. Union will take on Highland tonight on the road at 5:30 pm.

Wapello will face off against Pekin tonight at 6 pm at home.

Fairfield will attempt to spoil Washington’s senior night tonight with first pitch at 5:30 pm.

Postseason Baseball Brackets

The Iowa High School Athletic Association has released the postseason brackets for all four classes with first pitch scheduled for 5 pm on Saturday, July 5th, for Classes 1A and 2A. Here’s the matchups for our local teams.

In Class 1A Substate 5 District 10, Danville and Van Buren County will be heading off to Moravia for the Saturday doubleheader. The Bears will square off against Moravia at 7 pm, while Van Buren County will start off the night at 5 pm.

On the bottom half of the bracket, Burlington Notre Dame will venture to New London to face off against Keota at 5 pm, while New London will host the nightcap against Wapello at 7 pm.

Moving to Class 2A Substate 4 District 7, Mediapolis earned a bye and will host the winner between West Liberty and Camanche on July 8th at 7 pm.

Over in Class 2A Substate 5 District 9, West Burlington and Louisa-Muscatine will meet up in Wilton at 5 pm in the battle of the Falcons. Winfield-Mt. Union will take on the hosts at 7 pm, where the winner will advance to compete against Central Lee on July 8th at 5 pm at Chariton Middle School.

For Class 3A Substate 5, Washington will face off against Assumption on the road. In Substate 6, Mt. Pleasant will travel to play Fairfield for the fourth time this season, while Keokuk will take on Pella and Fort Madison will venture to Xavier with both games on the road. 

For Class 4A Substate 3, Burlington grabbed the #4-seed and will hit the road to compete against the #3-seed Muscatine.

Classes 3A and 4A will start postseason action on July 11th with first pitch at 7 pm. 

High School Softball

In a ranked showdown at Bob Pearl Field in Iowa City, #11 Washington put up three runs in the top of the 7th inning to dispel feelings from last year’s postseason loss to #14 Central Lee, exiting with the 5-3 win over the Hawks.

#14 Central Lee will make the trip to New London tonight at 7 pm. 

West Burlington/Notre Dame split their doubleheader against Davenport North last night, losing game one 16-3 and taking game two 11-2. Paige Kramer had both RBIs in game one, while the Falcons destroyed the ball in game, mashing four home runs including two from Lyndsey Kelley, who tallied six RBIs. 

Mediapolis will square off against West Burlington/Notre Dame tonight at 7 pm on the road. 

Mt. Pleasant cut the lead in half in the 5th inning after pushing across two runs but it was not enough as the Panthers fell to Cardinal last night 7-3. Keagyn Coleman, Saige Burchett, and Linzy Striegel each smacked a double and collected an RBI for the Panthers. 

Mount Pleasant will face off against Keokuk tonight at home at 7 pm. Catch the game on KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, with the pregame show at 6:45 pm.

WACO had their matchup against Highland last night postponed to July 2nd. The Warriors will take on #2 Louisa-Muscatine tonight at 7 pm at home.

Danville lost to Fort Madison last night 17-2. Van Buren County will host Danville tonight at 7 pm.

Columbus will tangle with Lone Tree tonight at 7 pm.

Holy Trinity Catholic will travel to Hillcrest Academy at 7 pm tonight.

Wapello will square off against Pekin tonight at 6 pm at home.

Fairfield will make the trip to Washington tonight at 5:30 pm.

High School Cross Country

The Mt. Pleasant Cross Country team’s summer runs are underway until their camp in mid-August. The runs are available to any 7th through 12th grader with paces and plans dependent on the level of experience. Coaches may not be present at every run as upperclassmen often lead the runs.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, the runs will begin at 6:30 am at the Old Threshers Museum Theatre. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the runs will begin at Saunders Park by the swimming pool at 7 pm. If you have any questions, then contact Coach Murray at 319-850-0867. 

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees had their matchup against the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp last night postponed due to weather. Game one will be resumed tonight at 6 pm as part of a doubleheader at Community Field in Burlington. Game two of last night’s doubleheader will be moved to July 30th. 

The Clinton LumberKings had their matchup against the Quincy Doggy Paddlers postponed last night to July 9th. The LumberKings will host the Normal CornBelters tonight at 6:30 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1970 – Frank Robinson hits two grand slams as the Baltimore Orioles beat the Washington Senators 12-2. He is just the third major leaguer to accomplish the feat.

1994 – Kirby Puckett passed Rod Carew with his 2,088th hit as the Twin’s top hit leader.

2021 – Largest-ever pile up in the Tour de France caused by a spectator with a sign during Stage 1.

High School Baseball

Jaden Bauer pitched a gem last night for Danville, allowing only two hits in a complete game 6-0 shutout of New London to collect their first win of the season. Bauer added a double and an RBI at the plate for the Bears. 

Danville will look to keep the momentum rolling against Van Buren County tomorrow, June 26th, at 7 pm on the road. 

New London will compete against Central Lee tomorrow at 7:30 pm at home.

Burlington Notre Dame shutout Van Buren County last night 5-0. Aiden McEntee and Isaiah Meek each finished 2 for 4 at the plate for the Warriors.

Burlington Notre Dame will make the trip to Waterloo Riverfront Stadium today for a tournament.  

Van Buren County will host Central Lee tonight at 7:30 pm.

Central Lee and West Burlington entered the 5th inning snared at five before the Hawks flew away with the game, winning 15-5. The offensive onslaught was led by Blake Davis as he slapped a double and totaled four RBIs in the winning effort. Sawyer Guihan was the only Falcon to tab two hits on the night and he added an RBI. 

West Burlington will square off against #6 Mediapolis tomorrow at 5:30 pm at home.

Winfield-Mt. Union fell to Hillcrest Academy last night 4-0. The Wolves will take on Highland tomorrow on the road at 5:30 pm.

Mt. Pleasant will host #6 Mediapolis tonight at 7 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 6:45 pm.

Wapello will face off against Pekin tomorrow at 7 pm at home.

Fairfield will attempt to spoil Washington’s senior night tomorrow with first pitch at 7:30 pm.

Postseason Baseball Brackets

The Iowa High School Athletic Association released the Class 1A and Class 2A postseason brackets with first pitch scheduled for 5 pm on Saturday, July 5th. Here’s the matchups for our local teams.

In Class 1A Substate 5 District 10, Danville and Van Buren County will be heading off to Moravia for the Saturday doubleheader. The Bears will square off against Moravia at 7 pm, while Van Buren County will start off the night at 5 pm.

On the bottom half of the bracket, Burlington Notre Dame will venture to New London to face off against Keota at 5 pm, while New London will host the nightcap against Wapello at 7 pm.

Moving to Class 2A Substate 4 District 7, Mediapolis earned a bye and will host the winner between West Liberty and Camanche on July 8th at 7 pm.

Over in Class 2A Substate 5 District 9, West Burlington and Louisa-Muscatine will meet up in Wilton at 5 pm in the battle of the Falcons. Winfield-Mt. Union will take on the hosts at 7 pm, where the winner will advance to compete against Central Lee on July 8th at 5 pm at Chariton Middle School.

The Class 3A and Class 4A brackets will be released this week. 

High School Softball

Holy Trinity Catholic snuck past Van Buren County last night 4-3. 

Van Buren County will host Danville tomorrow, June 26th, at 7 pm.

Holy Trinity Catholic will travel to Hillcrest Academy at 7 pm tomorrow.

Columbus and Hillcrest Academy poured in 21 runs last night and it was the Ravens who came out on top 11-10. Kennedy Woepking slugged a home run and knocked in four runs for the Wildcats. 

New London will make the trip to Columbus tonight at 7 pm.

Wapello was unable to keep up with #2 Louisa-Muscatine last night, losing 9-4. The Arrows will square off against Pekin tomorrow at 7 pm at home.

Fairfield flattened Cardinal last night 9-1 as Lilly Bergren hit a home run and brought home three runs in the winning effort. The Trojans will make the trip to Washington tomorrow at 7 pm.

Mediapolis handled Pekin 9-1 last night. Kenna Jankowski clobbered two doubles and tabbed two RBIs for the Bulldogs. Mediapolis will square off against West Burlington/Notre Dame tomorrow at 7 pm on the road. 

#14 Central Lee wrapped up their third straight Southeast Iowa Super Conference South Division title last night in a 9-1 victory over West Burlington/Notre Dame. Kenna Sandoval hit a two-run shot to break the game open in the third inning. 

#14 Central Lee continues their daunting week with a home game against #11 Washington tonight at 7 pm.

West Burlington/Notre Dame will play two tonight at home against Davenport North with game one at 5 pm.

Mt. Pleasant will attempt to get back in the win column tonight at home against Cardinal with first pitch at 7 pm.

WACO will travel to Highland tonight at 6 pm for a make-up game.

Danville will contend with Fort Madison tonight at 5:30 pm at home.

High School Cross Country

The Mt. Pleasant Cross Country team’s summer runs are underway until their camp in mid-August. The runs are available to any 7th through 12th grader with paces and plans dependent on the level of experience. Coaches may not be present at every run as upperclassmen often lead the runs.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, the runs will begin at 6:30 am at the Old Threshers Museum Theatre. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the runs will begin at Saunders Park by the swimming pool at 7 pm. If you have any questions, then contact Coach Murray at 319-850-0867. 

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees had their doubleheader against the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp postponed last night. The game will resume today with the game tied at 3 in the top of the 6th inning, then the two will play another contest at 7:05 pm on the road. The second game of their doubleheader was moved to Sunday, July 13th.

A four-run 5th inning was all the Clinton LumberKings needed last night as they took down the Quincy Doggy Paddlers 5-1. Jamie Rasmussen led the team with three RBIs. The LumberKings will look for the sweep of the Doggy Paddlers tonight at home at 6:30 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1903 – Boston Beaneater Wiley Piatt is the only 20th-century pitcher to lose two complete games in one day, falling to Pittsburgh 1-0 and 5-3. 

1976 – Texas Ranger Toby Harrah became the only shortstop not to handle a fielding chance in a doubleheader.

2021 – Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola ties Tom Seaver’s 51-year old MLB record of 10 consecutive strikeouts, in 2-1 loss to the Mets in New York.

High School Baseball

Burlington Notre Dame smacked New London last night 13-2. Gavin Menke-Bailey tallied the lone two RBIs for the Tigers, while Memphis Watson sprinted around the bases for a triple. 

New London will compete against Danville at Community Field tonight at 7:30 pm.

Van Buren County will take on Burlington Notre Dame tonight at 5:30 pm on the road. 

Danville hung in against BGM last night but came up short, falling 2-0. 

Mt. Pleasant has now won five of their last six games after pummeling Washington last night in their doubleheader, 14-4 in game one and 13-3 in game two. Zach Newton and Grayson Lowery collected the wins on the mound for the Panthers. 

Mt. Pleasant will host #6 Mediapolis tomorrow, June 25th, at 7 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 6:45 pm.

Wapello was whacked by Winfield-Mt. Union last night 12-0. Riley Kaalberg led the offensive effort with a double, a home run, and three RBIs, while Kason Dopler threw a one-hitter and tallied eight strikeouts in four innings of work. Wyatt Marlette picked up the lone hit.

Wapello will face off against Pekin on Thursday, June 26th, at 7 pm at home.

Winfield-Mt. Union will travel to Hillcrest Academy tomorrow at 5:30 pm.

Fairfield took care of business in game one of their doubleheader against Fort Madison last night, winning 11-0, but needed extras to put the Bloodhounds away in game two, taking it 5-4. Aiden Westercamp finished the night with a pair of doubles and four RBIs for the Trojans. Fairfield will attempt to spoil Washington’s senior night on Thursday with first pitch at 7:30 pm.

Central Lee will host West Burlington tonight at 5:30 pm.

#6 Mediapolis will take on Pekin at home at 7:30 pm tonight.

Postseason Baseball Brackets

The Iowa High School Athletic Association released the Class 1A and Class 2A postseason brackets with first pitch scheduled for 5 pm on Saturday, July 5th. Here’s the matchups for our local teams.

In Class 1A Substate 5 District 10, Danville and Van Buren County will be heading off to Moravia for the Saturday doubleheader. The Bears will square off against Moravia at 7 pm, while Van Buren County will start off the night at 5 pm.

On the bottom half of the bracket, Burlington Notre Dame will venture to New London to face off against Keota at 5 pm, while New London will host the nightcap against Wapello at 7 pm.

Moving to Class 2A Substate 4 District 7, Mediapolis earned a bye and will host the winner between West Liberty and Camanche on July 8th at 7 pm.

Over in Class 2A Substate 5 District 9, West Burlington and Louisa-Muscatine will meet up in Wilton at 5 pm in the battle of the Falcons. Winfield-Mt. Union will take on the hosts at 7 pm, where the winner will advance to compete against Central Lee on July 8th at 5 pm at Chariton Middle School.

The Class 3A and Class 4A brackets will be released this week. 

High School Softball

Mt. Pleasant was swept by #11 Washington last night at home, losing 19-5 in game one and 8-0 in game two. Parker Coleman pushed across two runs in the first contest. The Panthers will attempt to get back in the win column tomorrow, June 25th, at home against Cardinal with first pitch at 7 pm.

Fairfield escaped with a pair of conference victories last night, shutting out Fort Madison in game one 8-0 and handling the Bloodhounds in game two 12-4. Leah Helmick did it all, collecting two doubles, a home run, six RBIs, and nine strikeouts from the circle for a no-hit performance. The Trojans will host Cardinal tonight at 7:30 pm.

#14 Central Lee ran away with the 11-3 victory over Mediapolis last night after scoring seven unanswered runs. Avery Crear slapped a double for two RBIs in the losing effort. 

Mediapolis will take on Pekin tonight at 7 pm at home.

#14 Central Lee will look to cement their 1st-place lead in the Southeast Iowa Super Conference South Division tonight against West Burlington/Notre Dame at home with gametime at 7 pm.

WACO lost both games of their doubleheader to Lone Tree last night, 22-4 in game one and 12-1 in game two. The Warriors will travel to Highland tomorrow at 6 pm for a make-up game.

West Burlington/Notre Dame nearly squandered their three-run lead in the top of the 7th inning, but still managed to come out on top over Van Buren County 8-7. Lyndsey Kelley clobbered two doubles with four RBIs in the winning effort. 

Van Buren County will travel to Holy Trinity Catholic tonight at 7:30 pm.

Columbus will face off against Hillcrest Academy at 7 pm tonight on the road. 

Wapello will hit the road to take on #2 Louisa-Muscatine tonight at 7 pm. 

New London will make the trip to Columbus tomorrow at 7 pm.

Danville will contend with Fort Madison tomorrow at 5:30 pm at home.

High School Cross Country

The Mt. Pleasant Cross Country team’s summer runs are underway until their camp in mid-August. The runs are available to any 7th through 12th grader with paces and plans dependent on the level of experience. Coaches may not be present at every run as upperclassmen often lead the runs.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, the runs will begin at 6:30 am at the Old Threshers Museum Theatre. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the runs will begin at Saunders Park by the swimming pool at 7 pm. If you have any questions, then contact Coach Murray at 319-850-0867. 

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees will travel to the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp for a doubleheader rematch tonight with game one at 4:35 pm.

The Clinton LumberKings will host the Quincy Doggy Paddlers tonight at 6:30 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1922 – NFL club Chicago Staleys renamed itself the Chicago Bears by team founder, owner and head coach George Halas.

2010 – In the longest match in tennis history, John Isner defeats Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon after 11 hours and 5 minutes of play over 3 days.

2017 – World record for highest altitude football match ever played at 18,799ft on Mount Kilimanjaro by Volcano FC and Glacier FC; the game was put on to raise awareness and highlight the inequality between male and female sports.

Prep Baseball- Hard to believe that the 2025 Iowa high school baseball regular season for Classes 1A and 2A will be closing up shop as the fireworks blast off for the 4^th of July. But the holiday weekend will start off the first round of postseason play around the state, so let’s take a look at our local matchups.

Class 1A

Substate 5 will have our attention, specifically District 10, when action gets underway on July 5^th at 5 pm. Moravia enters as the top seed for District 10, hoping to finally knock the doors down to a state tournament berth that has been denied routinely by the likes of New London and Burlington Notre Dame over the last several years.

The Mohawks are surprisingly great for such a young team, touting just three upperclassmen in the starting lineup. Blake Helmick is the senior captain for the team with a batting average north of 0.350 and an ERA south of 2.30. Yet, their entire pitching staff, full of sophomores and freshmen, sports a 1.98 ERA for the season.

In their first matchup, the Danville Bears, who are still searching for their first win of the season, will make the pilgrimage to Moravia to play at 7 pm. The Bears have struggled all over the diamond this year with a team batting average of 0.181, a team ERA of 7.09, and 4.3 errors per game.

The bright spots of the squad are Jaden Bauer, who leads the team with a 0.382 batting average with a triple, a home run, and seven RBIs, and Alex Holtkamp, who is slugging 0.520 with five RBIs and slinging a 3.63 ERA on the mound with 31 strikeouts.

Danville Player to Watch: Alex Holtkamp (0.360 batting average with one home run and five RBIs)

Moravia Player to Watch: Declan DeJong (0.490 batting average with three home runs and 19 RBIs)

The night will begin with a different matchup and a new team in the Class 1A ranks, Pekin versus Van Buren County at 5 pm with the Warriors acting as the home team in Moravia. The pair of contralateral Southeast Iowa Super Conference foes typically meet up once a year with the two having traded the last four matchups.

The Warriors handled the Panthers after an offensive explosion in the 2^nd inning made it a 7 to 2 lead, eventually leading to a 14-3 thrashing. Three Panther errors helped six unearned runs score as Aiden McEntee was the only Warrior to finish with multiple RBIs (two) and Izaak Loeffler was the only one to tab an extra-base hit.

Since 2009, the two have met up 14 times with six of the games being decided by 10 runs or more and, aptly, the two have an even 3-3 record in those games. The Panthers do have the advantage in close games with a 3-1 record in games decided by two runs or less.

The winners of Moravia versus Danville and Van Buren County versus Pekin will play on July 8^th at 7 pm.

Van Buren County Player to Watch: Izaak Loeffler (0.426 batting average with 10 RBIs)

Pekin Player to Watch: Henry Adam (0.472 batting average with one home run and eight RBIs with a 0.91 ERA and 44 strikeouts)

On the bottom half of the District 10 bracket, New London will get the host the Saturday night doubleheader with Burlington Notre Dame and Keota starting off the night at 5 pm. The Nikes and Eagles have not played one another since July 5^th of 2022, where Notre Dame handled business and won 11-1 in the second round of postseason play.

A couple of players from that previous matchup still linger on their respective teams, including Notre Dame’s Landry Haberichter, who finished 3 for 3 with a double and three RBIs in their previous matchup.

Both teams are incredibly young with Keota starting four underclassmen and only two seniors on a consistent basis. Notre Dame has seven 8^th graders on the roster with one starting in Garrison Reid, who is batting 0.263 for the year. Still, this team has a roster with state tournament experience.

Notre Dame Player to Watch: Eli Oleson (0.413 batting average with three home runs and 25 RBIs)

Keota Player to Watch: Blake Baker (0.488 batting average with 16 RBIs)

The nightcap will pit New London against Wapello at 7 pm in front of the Tiger fateful. New London has owned this series since 2008 against their SEISC-North counterpart, collecting an 11-3 record during this span.

In fact, New London has won the past seven games against Wapello, outscoring them 44 to 1 in the last four showdowns, including a 10-0 no-hitter performance by Own Nehring on the mound in five innings of work. Tate Welcher knocked home three runs as he slapped a triple in the contest.

Wapello’s lone win of the season involved a walk-off 5-4 win over Lone Tree and a Herculean effort by Wyatt Marlette on the mound, going seven innings and striking out seven. Wapello has scored five runs in one other game and just 18 total runs on the season.

New London has had a flair for the dramatics with nine of their 17 games being decided by two runs or less, including a stretch of six games in a row. Most importantly, they are 6-3 in such games. Clutch is an awfully hard thing to teach a team.

The winner between Notre Dame and Keota and New London and Wapello will face off on July 8^th at 7 pm.

KILJ will most likely be covering both games of the July 5^th doubleheader in New London.

New London Player to Watch: Memphis Watson (0.527 batting average with 17 RBIs and a 3.26 ERA)

Wapello Player to Watch: Wyatt Marlette (five RBIs and a 5.47 ERA)

Looking at the other matchups in Substate 5, Sigourney possesses the top seed of the grouping as they look to supplement their first state tournament appearance last year with their second consecutive state berth this year. Consequently, they earned a bye.

Sigourney will play the winner of Montezuma and Lone Tree. On the bottom half of the bracket, Highland will host the contests with Hillcrest Academy starting the night at 5 pm followed by the Huskies taking on English Valleys at 7 pm.

Class 2A

Jumping up to Class 2A Substate 4, #6 Mediapolis grabbed the top-seed and a first-round bye, accelerating their postseason journey to the District 7 semifinals. The Bulldogs will also get to enjoy home-field advantage when the winner of West Liberty versus Camanche comes to town at 7 pm on July 8^th.

Mediapolis has been considered a powerhouse for Southeast Iowa having lost one game this season. A team that was a win away from state a year ago is hitting better and pitching better poses a lot of confidence. Their most impressive win of the year was a 4-3 scraper against Class 1A’s #10 Don Bosco in late May.

However, if we were to fast forward to a possible Substate championship meet up for Mediapolis, they would have to get past #10 Beckman Catholic, their only loss of the season and an ugly loss at that in a 13-3 shellacking.

Still, all nine of the Bulldog starts has tallied double-digit RBIs and Lance Ludens is having quite the swan song for the Bulldogs with a 0.500 average at the plate and a 1.79 ERA on the mound. Another player to watch would be junior Kyler Crow, as he touts a 1.09 ERA and 42 strikeouts in his 32 innings on the mound.

Other matchups: Durant versus Tipton. The winner will play Northeast at 5 pm on July 8^th in Mediapolis. In District 8, Clayton Ridge will take on Waukon with the winner advancing to Beckman Catholic, while Marquette Catholic will await the winner between MFL MarMac and Postville.

Substate 5

District 9 will house three of our local squads, although there will no guarantee that any of them meet.

On July 5^th, Wilton High School will get to host the two matchups with a battle of the Falcons leading off the night with West Burlington competing against Louisa-Muscatine and getting to act as the home team.

The pair played early in the season where small ball got West Burlington their win with 10 singles leading to 7-5 win. Brock Thuleen went 3 for 4 with an RBI in the win but it has been Garret Bence who was able to hit home the run with three RBIs in the contest. Louisa-Muscatine tried the same thing but managed only seven singles.

If we are to use history, it favors West Burlington with a 7-3 record in their last 10 matchups. Both teams have a penchant to give up runs (7.6 for Louisa-Muscatine and 5.6 for West Burlington) but the Green and White Falcons possess 7.7 runs per game, three runs more than Louisa-Muscatine.

The winner will advance to contend with Chariton on July 8^th at 7 pm.

West Burlington Player to Watch: Brock Thuleen (0.548 batting average, two home runs and 14 RBIs)

Louisa-Muscatine Player to Watch: Owen Klocksiem (3.10 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 29.1 innings pitched)

The other matchup in Wilton pits the hosts against Winfield-Mt. Union, who co-ops with Columbus, at 7 pm. The Beavers and Wolves have not met before, so a quick glance at Wilton’s schedule reveals a 1-1 record against the SEI Super Conference, blasting Wapello 16-0 and getting trounced by Mediapolis 13-0.

Compare that to Winfield-Mt. Union this year and the Wolves handled Wapello 11-2 and loss handily to Mediapolis 11-1. Despite entering with a record below 0.500, the Wolves are much better than that suggests.

This season has been an unlucky one more than anything with six of their games being decided by three runs or less and (un)amazingly the Wolves are 0-6 in such games this season. If they even split those contests, then a 6-7, at the time of writing, record appears healthier and more akin to the truth.

The winner will travel to Chariton to take on Central Lee, who earned a bye, at 5 pm.

Winfield-Mt. Union Player to Watch: Riley Kaalberg (0.450 batting average, two home runs, and 12 RBIs along with a 4.04 ERA)

Wilton Player to Watch: Ben Garvin (0.432 batting average with 10 RBIs and an 0.88 ERA)

Over in District 10: Albia and Central Decatur will play with the winner to face off against Interstate 35. Cardinal will await the winner between Davis County and Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont.

Up Next

Class 3A and Class 4A postseason brackets will be released some time this week by the Iowa High School Athletic Association.

High School Baseball

Van Buren County attempted to pull off the upset against #6 Martensdale-St. Mary’s at the Mohawk Classic over the weekend, scoring four runs in the bottom of the 7th inning but falling short 7-6. Leo Jirak tabbed three RBIs for the Warriors. 

Van Buren County will take on Burlington Notre Dame tomorrow, June 24th, at 5:30 pm on the road. 

Burlington Notre Dame participated in the “Terry Curtis Classic” over the weekend in Williamsburg and walked away empty-handed, losing 17-4 to Central DeWitt and falling in an extra innings nail-biter to the Raiders 14-13. 

Burlington Notre Dame will travel to New London at 7 pm tonight. 

Mt. Pleasant will host Washington tonight for a doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm.

Wapello will face off against Winfield-Mt. Union at home tonight at 5:30 pm.

Fairfield will face off against Fort Madison tonight for a doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm.

Danville will square off against BGM on the road tonight at 5:30 pm.

Central Lee will host West Burlington tomorrow at 5:30 pm.

#6 Mediapolis will take on Pekin at home at 7:30 pm tomorrow.

New London will compete against Danville at Community Field tomorrow at 7:30 pm.

Postseason Baseball Brackets

The Iowa High School Athletic Association released the Class 1A and Class 2A postseason brackets with first pitch scheduled for 5 pm on Saturday, July 5th. Here’s the matchups for our local teams.

In Class 1A Substate 5 District 10, Danville and Van Buren County will be heading off to Moravia for the Saturday doubleheader. The Bears will square off against Moravia at 7 pm, while Van Buren County will start off the night at 5 pm.

On the bottom half of the bracket, Burlington Notre Dame will venture to New London to face off against Keota at 5 pm, while New London will host the nightcap against Wapello at 7 pm.

Moving to Class 2A Substate 4 District 7, Mediapolis earned a bye and will host the winner between West Liberty and Camanche on July 8th at 7 pm.

Over in Class 2A Substate 5 District 9, West Burlington and Louisa-Muscatine will meet up in Wilton at 5 pm in the battle of the Falcons. Winfield-Mt. Union will take on the hosts at 7 pm, where the winner will advance to compete against Central Lee on July 8th at 5 pm at Chariton Middle School.

The Class 3A and Class 4A brackets will be released this week.

High School Softball

Columbus collected a pair of victories at the Cardinal Tournament over the weekend, defeating the hosts 8-5 and dismantling Keokuk 14-1. The Wildcats had to rally past the Comets with the help of Kennedy Woepking and Daniela Diaz each knocking in two runs. 

Ellie Sanders clobbered a double with five RBIs against the Chiefs as Lily Coil was a home run away from the cycle as she collected three RBIs in the winning effort. 

Columbus will face off against Hillcrest Academy at 7 pm tomorrow, June 24th, on the road. 

Wapello hosted a tournament over the weekend with Mt. Pleasant in attendance and the Arrows swept their competition. Wapello shutout the Panthers 10-0 as Mila Jordan allowed only three hits and struck out one from the circle. Jordan also swatted a home run and tabbed three RBIs in the all-around effort. 

The Arrows followed that up with a 7-4 victory over Wilton as Jordan slapped a pair of doubles with an RBI. 

Mt. Pleasant competed with Camanche but still fell short, 6-4. Saige Burchett logged two hits, including a double, over the weekend. 

Mt. Pleasant will host Washington tonight for a doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm.

Wapello will hit the road to take on #2 Louisa-Muscatine tomorrow at 7 pm. 

Fairfield traveled to Oskaloosa for a Classic over the weekend and split their matchups, defeating West Liberty 6-5 and losing 8-2 to Van Meter. Leah Helmick finished the weekend with four hits and three RBIs along with a win in the circle, tossing five strikeouts. The Trojans will take on Fort Madison tonight at home in a doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm.

Danville fell to Central City over the weekend 9-1. The Bears will compete against New London at home tonight at 7 pm.

Mediapolis will make-up their game against #14 Central Lee tonight at 7 pm. 

WACO will face off against Lone Tree tonight in a doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm.

West Burlington/Notre Dame will hit the road to take on Central Lee tomorrow at 7 pm.

Van Buren County will travel to Holy Trinity Catholic tomorrow at 7:30 pm.

High School Cross Country

The Mt. Pleasant Cross Country team’s summer runs are underway until their camp in mid-August. The runs are available to any 7th through 12th grader with paces and plans dependent on the level of experience. Coaches may not be present at every run as upperclassmen often lead the runs.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, the runs will begin at 6:30 am at the Old Threshers Museum Theatre. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the runs will begin at Saunders Park by the swimming pool at 7 pm. If you have any questions, then contact Coach Murray at 319-850-0867. 

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees had a jam-packed weekend with two doubleheaders, getting swept by the Clinton LumberKings and splitting showdowns with the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp. 

The Bees surrendered a two-run lead in game one of their doubleheader against the LumberKings, losing 4-3, before getting whacked 11-1. Caleb Seibers gave the hometown crowd a show yesterday, clouting two home runs and tabbing five RBIs as the Bees took game one 7-4 and lost game two 9-6. 

The Bees will travel to the Pistol Shrimp for a doubleheader rematch tomorrow, June 24th, with game one at 4:35 pm.

The LumberKings were unable to follow up their swatting of the Bees, falling 14-4 to the Normal CornBelters yesterday. Blake Timmons reeled in two RBIs in the loss. Clinton will host the Quincy Doggy Paddlers tomorrow at 6:30 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1972 – Bernice Gera becomes first female umpire in MLB history, Geneva Senators and Auburn Twins in Geneva, New York.

1972 – President Richard Nixon signed the Education Amendments of 1972 into law. Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in college sports.

2008 – Félix Hernández of the Seattle Mariners hits a grand slam against the New York Mets, the first pitcher to do so since Steve Dunning in 1971.

High School Baseball

Fairfield collected a pair of tight wins against Central DeWitt last night, 9-7 in game one and 9-8 in game two. The Trojans will face off against Fort Madison on Monday, June 23rd, for a doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm.

Wapello lost to Lone Tree last night 12-2. Kinnick Richenberger finished the night 3 for 3 with an RBI in the losing effort. 

Wapello will face off against Winfield-Mt. Union at home on Monday at 5:30 pm.

Central Lee struck first but #6 Mediapolis escaped with the 5-3 victory over the Hawks. Bo Herdrich swatted a double for two RBIs in the losing effort. 

Central Lee will host West Burlington on Tuesday, June 24th, at 5:30 pm.

#6 Mediapolis will take on Pekin at home at 7:30 pm on Tuesday.

Burlington Notre Dame had their matchup against New London postponed with a make-up date to be announced at a later time. The Nikes will make the trip to Williamsburg for the “Terry Curtis Classic” today.

New London will compete against Danville at Community Field on Tuesday at 7:30 pm.

West Burlington got back in the win column with an 8-3 victory over Danville last night. Brock Thuleen slugged a pair of doubles for an RBI for the Falcons. 

Danville will square off against BGM on the road on Monday at 5:30 pm.

Van Buren County will participate in the Mohawk Classic in Moravia today. 

Mt. Pleasant will host Washington on Monday for a doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm.

Postseason Baseball Brackets

The Iowa High School Athletic Association released the Class 1A and Class 2A postseason brackets with first pitch scheduled for 5 pm on Saturday, July 5th. Here’s the matchups for our local teams.

In Class 1A Substate 5 District 10, Danville and Van Buren County will be heading off to Moravia for the Saturday doubleheader. The Bears will square off against Moravia at 7 pm, while Van Buren County will start off the night at 5 pm.

On the bottom half of the bracket, Burlington Notre Dame will venture to New London to face off against Keota at 5 pm, while New London will host the nightcap against Wapello at 7 pm.

Moving to Class 2A Substate 4 District 7, Mediapolis earned a bye and will host the winner between West Liberty and Camanche on July 8th at 7 pm.

Over in Class 2A Substate 5 District 9, West Burlington and Louisa-Muscatine will meet up in Wilton at 5 pm in the battle of the Falcons. Winfield-Mt. Union will take on the hosts at 7 pm, where the winner will advance to compete against Central Lee on July 8th at 5 pm at Chariton Middle School.

The Class 3A and Class 4A brackets will be released next week. 

High School Softball

Mediapolis had their matchup last night against #14 Central Lee postponed to Monday, June 23rd, with first pitch at 7 pm.

Holy Trinity Catholic and New London postponed their game to July 2nd.

New London will make the trip to Danville on Monday with gametime at 7 pm. 

Fairfield defeated Pekin last night 5-1 behind Laney Norris’ complete game, one strikeout effort from the circle. The Trojans will travel to Oskaloosa today as they host a Classic. 

West Burlington/Notre Dame handled Danville last night 14-2. Tannisyn Christofferson clocked a home run for three RBIs in the winning effort. 

Danville will participate in the Central City Tournament today.

West Burlington/Notre Dame will hit the road to take on Central Lee on Tuesday, June 24th, at 7 pm.

Columbus lost to Highland last night 5-3. Lily Coil tallied a double and an RBI for the Wildcats. Columbus will compete in the Cardinal Tournament today. 

Wapello fell to Lone Tree last night 3-0. The Arrows will host a tournament today with Mt. Pleasant participating. 

WACO will face off against Lone Tree on Monday in a doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm.

Van Buren County will travel to Holy Trinity Catholic on Tuesday at 7:30 pm.

High School Cross Country

The Mt. Pleasant Cross Country team’s summer runs are underway until their camp in mid-August. The runs are available to any 7th through 12th grader with paces and plans dependent on the level of experience. Coaches may not be present at every run as upperclassmen often lead the runs.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, the runs will begin at 6:30 am at the Old Threshers Museum Theatre. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the runs will begin at Saunders Park by the swimming pool at 7 pm. If you have any questions, then contact Coach Murray at 319-850-0867. 

Southeastern Community College

The Blackhawks brought home their fourth consecutive Gold Glove award as Michael Farina was named the 2025 NJCAA Division II Gold Glove recipient. Farina recorded a fielding percentage of 0.963, which helped SCC set a new national record with a 0.979 fielding percentage. The Blackhawk was also named First Team All-American as he produced 64 putouts and 146 assists at 3rd base. 

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees and Clinton LumberKings had their matchup postponed last night. The game will be made up today in a doubleheader with game one at 3 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1970 – FIFA World Cup Final, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City: Brazil and Pelé become first team and player to win World Cup three times, beating Italy, 4-1 in front of 107,412.

1994 – Tennis superstar Steffi Graf becomes the first defending champion to lose in the first round of a major tournament (Wimbledon to Lorrie McNeal).

1997 –  The Women’s National Basketball Association begins as the New York Liberty beats the Los Angeles Sparks.

High School Baseball

Mt. Pleasant’s trip to Fairfield ended in heartbreak after Dayson Workman crushed a walk-off solo home run to beat the Panthers last night 10-9. J.C. Sitar was electric at the plate for Mt. Pleasant, going 3 for 4 with a double and three RBIs. Aiden Westercamp finished the night with two RBIs for the Trojans. 

Mt. Pleasant will host Washington on Monday, June 23rd, for a doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm.

Fairfield will travel to Central DeWitt tonight with game one of their doubleheader scheduled for 5 pm.

Winfield-Mt. Union lost to Louisa-Muscatine last night 6-5 in the bottom of the 7th. Riley Kaalberg clapped a double for an RBI for the Wolves. 

Winfield-Mt. Union will contend with Pekin tonight at home with first pitch at 5:30 pm.

Central Lee’s 10-run 6th inning led to an early finish against Highland last night as the Hawks won 14-4. Bo Herdrich clouted a home run and tallied three RBIs in the winning effort. 

Central Lee will compete against #6 Mediapolis tonight on the road with first pitch at 7:30 pm.

#6 Mediapolis crushed Danville last night in a sweep, winning game one 9-1 and game two 17-0. Connor Hulett tallied the lone RBI for the Bears.

Burlington Notre Dame escaped with a 5-3 victory last night against West Burlington last night. Silas Lotzow, Levi Fletcher-Bates, and Garret Bence each collected an RBI for the Falcons.

Burlington Notre Dame versus New London has been postponed due to wet field conditions.

West Burlington will host Danville tonight at 5:30 pm.

New London battled back by scoring two runs in the 7th to tie Van Buren County, then poured on four runs in the 8th inning to defeat the Warriors 14-10. Memphis Watson clubbed two doubles for a team-leading four RBIs in the winning effort. Will Cocherell finished the night 4 for 5 with three RBIs for the Warriors. 

Van Buren County will face off against Louisa-Muscatine tonight at home at 5:30 pm. 

Wapello fell to Hillcrest Academy last night 17-0. Wapello will hit the road to compete against Lone Tree tonight at 5:30 pm. 

Postseason Baseball Brackets

The Iowa High School Athletic Association released the Class 1A and Class 2A postseason brackets with first pitch scheduled for 5 pm on Saturday, July 5th. Here’s the matchups for our local teams.

In Class 1A Substate 5 District 10, Danville and Van Buren County will be heading off to Moravia for the Saturday doubleheader. The Bears will square off against Moravia at 7 pm, while Van Buren County will start off the night at 5 pm.

On the bottom half of the bracket, Burlington Notre Dame will venture to New London to face off against Keota at 5 pm, while New London will host the nightcap against Wapello at 7 pm.

Moving to Class 2A Substate 4 District 7, Mediapolis earned a bye and will host the winner between West Liberty and Camanche on July 8th at 7 pm.

Over in Class 2A Substate 5 District 9, West Burlington and Louisa-Muscatine will meet up in Wilton at 5 pm in the battle of the Falcons. Winfield-Mt. Union will take on the hosts at 7 pm, where the winner will advance to compete against Central Lee on July 8th at 5 pm at Chariton Middle School.

The Class 3A and Class 4A brackets will be released next week. 

High School Softball

Mediapolis split their doubleheader with Danville last night, shutting out the Bears in game one 8-0 but losing on a walk-off in the 8th inning of game two in a 13-12 final. Avery Crear finished the night with two home runs and four RBIs for the Bulldogs. 

Danville will square off with West Burlington/Notre Dame tonight at 7 pm on the road. 

Mediapolis will face off against #14 Central Lee tonight at 7 pm at home. 

#14 Central Lee battled back to beat Highland last night 12-5 to enjoy their senior night. 

Holy Trinity Catholic lost game one of their doubleheader against West Burlington/Notre Dame in walk-off fashion 9-8, but shook off the bad feeling and handled the Falcons in game two with a 10-2 win. Lyndsey Kelley and Madelyn Thomas each clocked a home run and collected two RBIs in game one.

Holy Trinity Catholic and New London had their matchup scheduled for tonight postponed. 

Van Buren County’s Callie Kracht led the way with a double and two RBIs in an 11-3 victory over New London last night. 

Van Buren County versus Louisa-Muscatine has been canceled for tonight due to field conditions.

Mt. Pleasant dropped their contest to Fairfield last night 10-1. Chaley Cook tabbed the lone RBI for the Panthers. Olivia Hollander slugged a double for two RBIs in the winning effort. 

Fairfield will take on Pekin tonight at 7:30 pm at home. 

Columbus pounded WACO last night 19-2. Iris Garza, Lily Coil, Kennedy Woepking, and Jacqueline Farrier each tallied three RBIs for the Wildcats. 

WACO will travel to Hillcrest Academy tonight at 7 pm. 

Columbus will tangle with Highland tonight at 7 pm at home.

Wapello will host a tournament tomorrow, June 21st, with Mt. Pleasant participating. 

High School Softball Rankings

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union updated their rankings yesterday and one of our local teams climbed up a spot in the rankings for Class 3A.

Washington remained in the rankings but was knocked back two spots to #11 in the top 15. A loss to West Delaware at the Jesup Tournament was their only blemish of the last week. Six players on the team are batting over 0.300 and have tallied double-digit RBIs for the season.

Central Lee’s 5-1 loss to Cardinal at the Fairfield Invitational did not impact the Hawks, in fact, they moved up one spot to #14 in this week’s rankings. Their pitching has been the star for the year with a team ERA of 2.15 as Jalyn Hawk, Elaina Barlow, and Hayden Rule have each tallied at least 23 strikeouts from the circle this season.

High School Cross Country

The Mt. Pleasant Cross Country team’s summer runs are underway until their camp in mid-August. The runs are available to any 7th through 12th grader with paces and plans dependent on the level of experience. Coaches may not be present at every run as upperclassmen often lead the runs.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, the runs will begin at 6:30 am at the Old Threshers Museum Theatre. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the runs will begin at Saunders Park by the swimming pool at 7 pm. If you have any questions, then contact Coach Murray at 319-850-0867. 

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees woke up the offense last night with 17 hits in a 10-5 win over the Quincy Doggy Paddlers. Corey Boyette did the heavy lifting with a three-run homer to give the Bees a lead they never surrendered as he finished the night with four RBIs. 

The Clinton LumberKings let victory slip through their grasp last night, allowing the Normal CornBelters to score five runs in the top of the 9th inning to lose 8-7. 

The LumberKings will host the Bees tonight at 6:30 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1949 – Tennis star Gussie Moran shocks Wimbledon by wearing a short dress “to look good” and “move more freely on the court.”

1968 – Jim Hines becomes the first person to run 100 meters in under 10 seconds.

2018 – FIFA World Cup: Cristiano Renaldo heads a goal against Morocco to become the all-time leading European goalscorer (85) in international competition.