No. 7 Demons get back to work

The best news the Washington Demons received all week came from a game in which they didn't even play.Actually, two games.Its Southeast Conference slate complete, Washington needed Mount Pleasant to beat league leader Fairfield once Monday to earn a share of its first SEC championship.Instead, Mount Pleasant won twice and the Demons won it outright."The kids were very excited," said Demons Coach Angie Shrader. "They were more excited the next day when they found out it was the first time we've ever won the conference."The celebration has ended for now; it's time to get back to work. Seventh-ranked Washington (29-8), which averages eight runs and 11 hits per game, hosts Davenport North (14-25) in a Class 4A regional semifinal at 7 p.m. Saturday."It doesn't matter who we play. We have to play our best game," Shrader said. "But I do think we play better when we don't know our opponent and expect certain things."Regional semifinals are Saturday in classes 4A and 5A. Winners advance to Tuesday's regional finals.The highest-ranked (and most tradition-rich) schools in the area are 4A No. 1 Clear Creek Amana and 5A No. 4 Cedar Rapids Jefferson, who have qualified for state 32 and 18 times, respectively.CCA won last year's 3A title and takes a 39-1 mark into Saturday's game with Benton Community (20-21). Jefferson (35-5) opens with Cedar Falls (12-26).The J-Hawks will be without leadoff hitter Rachel Sedlacek, who will be out of town at a wedding."I don't know how we'll handle that yet," said J-Hawks Coach Larry Niemeyer. "I don't want to move the entire lineup around."Niemeyer has missed nearly half of the J-Hawks' games due to two stays in the hospital. But the team managed to go 25-1 in the Mississippi Valley Conference."It's a veteran team, and they handled it well," Niemeyer said. "They know how we do things, how many ground balls to take every day. They're like robots."Jefferson is one of four Metro teams still playing. Like the J-Hawks, Linn-Mar and Cedar Rapids Prairie had first-round byes in 5A. Ditto Cedar Rapids Xavier in 4A.The Northeast Iowa Conference co-champions collide in a 4A battle -- Decorah (21-11) is at No. 13 Charles City (24-9). The Comets won two of three in the regular season.

SATURDAY'S SOFTBALL REGIONAL SEMIFINALS

CLASS 5A

(All games 7 p.m.)

Region 2Davenport Central (4-30) at Davenport West (29-10)Cedar Falls (12-26) at Cedar Rapids Jefferson (35-5)

Region 3Cedar Rapids Prairie (9-25) at Waterloo East (25-11)Dubuque Hempstead (23-18) at Iowa City West (33-6)

Region 4Dubuque Senior (33-6) at Linn-Mar (22-17)Bettendorf (28-9) at Pleasant Valley (30-6)

Region 5Iowa City High (20-18) at Burlington (25-12)Marshalltown (19-21) at Muscatine (34-5)

CLASS 4A

(All games 7 p.m.)

Region 2Waverly-Shell Rock (22-19) at West Delaware (28-10)Decorah (21-11) at Charles City (24-9)

Region 3Dubuque Wahlert (16-24) at Cedar Rapids Xavier (23-16)Benton Community (20-21) at Clear Creek Amana (39-1)

Region 4Maquoketa (14-19) at North Scott (24-16)Davenport North (14-25) at Washington (29-8)

Region 6Newton (17-9) at Vinton-Shellsburg (26-12)Boone (21-16) at Dallas Center-Grimes (30-5)