Friday’s best: 5 area Iowa high school softball regional games to watch

In Edgewood-Colesburg and Highland, you’ve got a couple of teams capable of a prolonged postseason run.

There are a few quality matchups, that look dead-even on paper.

After a six-week sprint of a regular season, the softball postseason is upon us. Here are five of Friday’s best area 2A and 1A first-round games:

MFL MarMac (9-23) at Clayton Ridge (8-21)

Class 2A Region 6

These Upper Iowa Conference rivals split a pair of close regular-season games recently. MFL MarMac scored five runs in the fifth inning of a 6-5 victory June 21, then Clayton Ridge blanked the Bulldogs, 2-0, three days later. MFL MarMac eighth-grader Emeilia Wikner led the Upper Iowa Conference in batting average at .475.

Iowa Valley (10-13) at HLV (10-8)

Class 1A Region 5

HLV reached double digits for wins in a season for the first time since 2017. The Warriors topped Iowa Valley, 8-5, in the teams’ lone regular-season meeting June 7, thanks to a seven-run outburst in the bottom of the sixth inning. Ema Roberts is hitting .418 and has scored 18 runs for HLV. Maddie Ray (.411) leads Iowa Valley’s attack.

Montezuma (12-12) at North Mahaska (12-12)

Class 1A Region 5

Montezuma will try to avenge two conference losses; North Mahaska won by verdicts of 14-2 (May 22) and 7-1 (June 16) on its way to a third-place finish in the South Iowa Cedar League. The Bravettes have won three of their last four games, closing regular-season action with a 3-1 win over Tri-County on Tuesday. Freshman Chloe Snook (.383) has scored 17 runs and knocked in 15.

Starmont (4-20) at Edgewood-Colesburg (25-14)

Class 1A Region 7

Ed-Co is one of four 1A teams statewide in action Friday that have accumulated 20 or more wins, and the Vikings’ 25 victories are the program’s most in nine years. Freshman pitcher Rachel Eglseder has fashioned a 13-7 record with 159 strikeouts. Audrie Helmrichs (.382, 10 doubles) is one of the top junior athletes in the area. The Vikings swept Starmont, 12-0 and 9-4, Wednesday.

Lone Tree (10-15) at Highland (17-10)

Class 1A Region 8

The runner-up of the Southeast Iowa Superconference North Division, Highland earned 11-0 and 10-0 regular-season wins over its border rival. The Huskies are aggressive on the basepaths, averaging nearly 5 stolen bases per game. Sarah Burton and Lilly Barre have swiped 29 and 27, respectively. Sophomore Vivian Zaruba (.403, 37 runs) leads Lone Tree’s offense.

Friday’s complete area schedule

CLASS 2A REGIONAL FIRST ROUND

(All games, 7 p.m.)

Region 5

Belmond-Klemme (10-13) at Aplington-Parkersburg (3-18)

Grundy Center (7-20) at Hudson (17-16)

Region 6

MFL MarMac (9-23) at Clayton Ridge (8-21)

Postville (0-18) at Denver (10-21)

Region 7

Pekin (0-19) at Tipton (0-20)

Pella Christian (10-27) at Eddyville EBF (15-16)

Region 8

Bellevue (4-16) at Dyersville Beckman (8-18)

Danville (1-17) at Durant (10-22)

CLASS 1A REGIONAL FIRST ROUND

(All games, 7 p.m.)

Region 5

Montezuma (12-12) at North Mahaska (12-12)

Belle Plaine (3-17) at BGM (13-10)

Iowa Valley (10-13) at HLV (10-8)

Baxter (1-19) at Lynnville-Sully (8-17)

Garwin GMG (11-13) at Colo-Nesco (9-14)

Region 7

Elkader Central (7-16) at Turkey Valley (12-18)

Starmont (4-20) at Edgewood-Colesburg (25-14)

West Central (5-23) at Lansing Kee (15-17)

North Cedar (8-23) at Springville (13-21)

Midland (3-32) at Maquoketa Valley (14-13)

Region 8

New London (2-22) at Fort Madison Holy Trinity (10-11)

Winfield-Mount Union (4-15) at Wapello (20-9)

Lone Tree (10-15) at Highland (17-10)

Keota (0-16) at Moravia (11-21)

Hillcrest Academy (7-16) at Tri-County (10-9)

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com