Iowa high school softball 2024 regional finals: A look at Monday’s area 2A and 1A games

They’ve been close before, and they’ve been denied.

The girls from Edgewood-Colesburg reached the regional-final level in volleyball last fall, then again in basketball last winter. Both times, they were beaten by teams that, frankly, were simply better.

The Vikings have another shot Monday night, and this time it’s a legitimate shot.

No. 12 Ed-Co (28-10) tries again for a state tournament breakthrough against No. 9 North Linn (29-13) in a Class 1A softball regional final. First pitch is 7 p.m. at Troy Mills.

“We feel good about it,” Ed-Co Coach Taylor Huber said. “We’re 1-1 against them, and the big thing is, the girls know that they can beat them.”

Regional finals are statewide Monday in Class 1A and Class 2A, and three matchups feature area teams. Also in 1A, No. 6 Sigourney (22-7) hosts Wapello (20-13). And in 2A, Lisbon (26-12) welcomes Osage (23-9).

Winners advance to the state tournament next week at the Rogers Sports Complex, Fort Dodge.

Lisbon is in pursuit of its seventh consecutive state trip; North Linn is after its sixth in a row. The Lynx captured 2A state titles in 2019 and 2021, a 1A crown last year.

So there’s some mystique there that Ed-Co must overcome Monday.

“They’ve been there,” Huber said. “They’re probably not going to be as nervous as we are.”

Beating North Linn means slowing the top of the order; senior Skylar Benesh and junior Mackenzie Bridgewater have combined for 107 runs, 76 RBIs and 96 stolen bases.

“We contained them pretty well in our doubleheader (June 10),” Huber said. “(Catcher) Audrie (Helmrichs) has a cannon, and I think that deters a lot of people from running.”

Lisbon is back to this point despite losing six seniors from last year’s team. The Lions also have a new coach in Abbey Shultz, who succeeded Bob Bunting.

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“Everybody thought this was going to be a whole different team, and we wanted to prove them wrong,” senior Addi Petersen said.

Led by senior pitcher Carly Goodwin (20-2, 0.31 ERA, 309 strikeouts), Sigourney is favored to reach its third state tournament in four years.

Monday’s Class 2A Iowa high school softball regional finals (all 7 p.m.)

Osage (23-9) at No. 8 Lisbon (26-12)

Lisbon’s postseason trail of unfamiliarity continues, and the returns have been all positive so far. The Lions handled Denver (7-0) and Jesup (12-1) in their first two regional games, scoring 11 runs after the third inning of their regional semifinal. Osage has a 144-mile trek ahead of it. The Green Devils toppled No. 14 Wapsie Valley, 4-3, on Friday. Six Lisbon batters are hitting between .330 and .374, five between 20 and 25 RBIs. Eighth-grade pitcher Kyla Kahl is 20-7. Speaking of eighth-graders, Osage’s Olivia Chapman is hitting .506 with six home runs and 42 RBIs.

State

Treynor (16-11) at No. 1 Van Meter (39-1)

No. 11 Durant (22-15) at No. 3 Northeast (26-7)

Mapleton MVAOCOU (20-11) at No. 5 Audubon (26-4)

Ogden (16-18) at No. 6 East Marshall (31-4)

Marcus MMCRU (11-14) at No. 9 West Monona (32-7)

Pleasantville (19-14) at No. 13 Eddyville EBF (21-13)

Hudson (26-9) at West Fork (18-7)

Monday’s Class 1A regional finals (all 7 p.m.)

Wapello (20-13) at No. 6 Sigourney (22-7)

Sigourney has eliminated Wapello in each of the last two regional tournaments. Led by Goodwin, a UNI recruit, Sigourney is allowing just 1.7 runs per game and has posted 16 shutouts. The Savages needed a seventh-inning run to get past Highland, 2-1, in the regional semifinals. Wapello has allowed just seven runs in its current eight-game win streak, capped by a 6-0 regional-semifinal win over HLV. Like Goodwin, Wapello senior Ada Boysen (19-8, 1.55 ERA) is a strikeout generator, with 303 Ks. Runs will be scarce, clean defense will be paramount.

No. 12 Edgewood-Colesburg (28-10) at No. 9 North Linn (29-13)

When these teams squared off June 10, North Linn won the first game, 2-1, then Ed-Co rebounded with a 5-4 nightcap win that ended a 12-game losing streak to its Tri-Rivers Conference rival. As noted above, Benesh (UNI signee) and Bridgewater are the key characters for the Lynx. Benesh has recorded 29 extra-base hits, and has been walked 30 times. In Rachel Eglseder (18-5, 1.48 ERA, 235 K’s), Ed-Co probably has the edge in the circle. Helmrichs is hitting .484 with 35 RBIs. Ed-Co made three straight state trips between 2001 and 2003, placing second in 2002.

State

No. 15 Griswold (26-4) at No. 1 Martensdale-St. Marys (27-6)

Twin Cedars (15-11) at No. 2 Wayne (23-4)

No. 8 Newell-Fonda (27-6) at No. 3 Remsen St. Mary’s (22-0)

Saint Ansgar (22-9) at No. 4 Fort Dodge St. Edmond (24-5)

No. 11 Earlham (25-12) at No. 5 Collins-Maxwell (26-3)

No. 13 Clarksville (21-9) at No. 7 Southeast Warren (22-2)

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com