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

Let the Metro postseason parade begin in earnest.

Five Metro softball squads will be in action as the regional tournament hits the semifinal stage Saturday in classes 5A, 4A and 3A.

In the lone all-Metro shootout, Cedar Rapids Prairie (22-18) travels to face No. 9 Linn-Mar (23-11) in a 5A game. Also in 5A, No. 15 Cedar Rapids Jefferson (21-16) welcomes Ottumwa (17-14), and Cedar Rapids Kennedy (19-19) plays at No. 12 Iowa City Liberty (22-13).

Seventh-ranked Cedar Rapids Xavier (27-12) hosts DeWitt Central (9-24) in 4A.

Winners will play for state-tournament berths Tuesday.

Here are five of Saturday’s best matchups involving area teams:

Ottumwa (17-14) at No. 15 Cedar Rapids Jefferson (21-16)

Class 5A Region 5

These traditionally strong programs square off for the first time since 2017. Battle-tested Jefferson has not lost to an unranked opponent since June 6. The J-Hawks have four hitters at .350 or better, and none of them are seniors. That quartet includes junior Olivia Young (.353, 3 HR), who also is likely to get the call in the circle. She is 13-9 with a 2.22 ERA. Ottumwa enters the postseason with nine losses in its last 11 games. Ella Allar (.438) has three homers and 33 RBIs for the Bulldogs. The winner is likely to face No. 4 Southeast Polk (28-9) in a regional final.

Cedar Rapids Prairie (22-18) at No. 9 Linn-Mar (23-11)

Class 5A Region 6

This duo, along with No. 6 Pleasant Valley (28-9) and No. 13 Dubuque Senior (25-14), comprise the deepest 5A regional, and any of the four (all of which are in the top 15 in the Bound power rankings) could weave their way to Fort Dodge. Linn-Mar shared the MVC Valley Division title with Dubuque Hempstead, but the Lions suffered a 4-2 loss to Prairie on June 28. Expect this one to go down to the wire; each of the last 13 meetings between these teams were decided by three runs or less. Linn-Mar’s Emily Koranda is hitting .453 with 17 doubles and owns a 13-5 pitching ledger.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy (19-19) at No. 12 Iowa City Liberty (22-13)

Class 5A Region 7

Liberty swept Kennedy in a June 22 doubleheader by verdicts of 2-1 and 4-3, winning both games with seventh-inning doubles by Haley Schroeder (Game 1) and Kelsey Kaut (Game 2). Those wins were part of a closing rush that had produced 10 wins in the last 13 games. A freshman, Kaut leads a pack of four .400-plus hitters at .442. Schroeder is at .421 with six home runs. A link to Kennedy’s 2020 state-championship team, senior Addy Alber leads the Cougars in most statistical categories, including batting average (.390), runs (33), RBIs (28) and home runs (six). No. 7 Muscatine (29-5) is the likely regional-final foe for the winner.

No. 14 Clear Creek Amana (19-16) at No. 11 North Scott (24-11)

Class 4A Region 7

The Clippers must deal with North Scott’s Maddy McDermott in multiple realms. The senior has 12 home runs to her credit and is hitting .454, and has compiled a 12-5 pitching mark. CCA lost its top two pitchers from last year, but an effective offensive attack (5.6 runs per game) makes the Clippers dangerous. Freshman Kyla Schulte is hitting .390 and leads her team in home runs (eight) and runs (26). A regional-final trip to No. 7 Cedar Rapids Xavier (27-12) is the most likely reward for the winner; the Saints are heavily favored against DeWitt Central (9-24).

No. 15 Sumner-Fredericksburg (26-6) at No. 6 Benton Community (26-14)

Class 3A Region 6

A shuffle in the final 3A rankings has caused a shift in the Region 6 bracket; the road to Fort Dodge now runs through Van Horne. But the Bobcats probably will need to beat two ranked opponents to get there, with No. 7 Mount Vernon looming on the other side of the draw. Benton caught its groove in early June and has won 21 of its last 26 games. The Bobcats dig the long ball, leading 3A with 39 of them, including 20 by junior catcher Ana Glawe, who is hitting .539 with 70 RBIs. Sumner-Fredericksburg is the champion of the NICL East Division and has allowed five runs in its current eight-game win streak.

Saturday’s complete area schedule

CLASS 5A REGIONAL SEMIFINALS

(All games, 7 p.m.)

Region 5

West Des Moines Dowling (12-27) at No. 4 Southeast Polk (28-9)

Ottumwa (17-14) at No. 15 Cedar Rapids Jefferson (21-16)

Region 6

Cedar Rapids Prairie (22-18) at No. 9 Linn-Mar (23-11)

No. 13 Dubuque Senior (25-14) at No. 6 Pleasant Valley (28-9)

Region 7

Iowa City High (11-24) at No. 7 Muscatine (29-5)

Cedar Rapids Kennedy (19-19) at No. 12 Iowa City Liberty (22-13)

CLASS 4A REGIONAL SEMIFINALS

(All games, 7 p.m.)

Region 7

DeWitt Central (9-24) at No. 7 Cedar Rapids Xavier (27-12)

No. 14 Clear Creek Amana (19-16) at No. 11 North Scott (24-11)

Region 8

Decorah (18-15) at No. 8 Western Dubuque (27-9)

Independence (19-22) at No. 13 Maquoketa (25-9)

CLASS 3A REGIONAL SEMIFINALS

(All games, 7 p.m.)

Region 5

Hampton-Dumont/CAL (8-16) at No. 1 Williamsburg (31-9)

Clear Lake (12-13) at Grinnell (21-13)

Region 6

Center Point-Urbana (19-17) at No. 7 Mount Vernon (26-10)

No. 15 Sumner-Fredericksburg (26-6) at No. 6 Benton Community (26-14)

Region 7

Waukon (16-14) at No. 3 Dubuque Wahlert (29-8)

Monticello (19-14) at No. 11 Solon (23-13)

Region 8

No. 14 Washington (24-12) at No. 2 Davenport Assumption (30-6)

West Burlington (22-11) at West Liberty (20-11)

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com