State berths on the line in 4A, 5A

Barb Lynn is numb to the shock value of postseason upsets.

'You know this time of the year, big surprises are going to be the norm,” said Lynn, who has coached softball for quite some time and is in her first year as head coach at Clear Creek Amana.

'There have been a lot of upsets along the way, but if you've been in it long enough, you're really not that surprised.”

Lynn's Clippers and the Washington Demons combined for some significant bracket-busting in Saturday's Class 4A regional semifinals. CCA (21-17) ousted No. 5 Cedar Rapids Xavier while Washington (16-21) dusted No. 7 Davenport Assumption.

So instead of a top-10 regional final, it's two unranked teams battling for a spot at the state tournament next week at the Rogers Sports Complex near Fort Dodge.

Regional finals are scheduled for 4A and 5A throughout the state, including the CCA-Washington matchup at Xavier.

Some of the matchups are set, some won't be until Monday night's regional semis conclude - several of them were postponed or suspended Saturday.

In other locked-in matchups, No. 6 Cedar Rapids Jefferson (33-6) hosts Dubuque Senior (19-22) and Cedar Rapids Kennedy (27-13) travels to No. 3 Southeast Polk (27-9) in 5A.

No. 3 Solon (36-2) hosts No. 12 North Scott (24-11) in Class 4A.

Nobody in Iowa matches the winning tradition that Clear Creek Amana has built. The Clippers have reached the state tournament on 33 occasions.

'There's so much history here,” said Lynn, the Clippers third coach in three seasons. 'The community, the kids, the parents, the administration, they're so supportive. There are five moms that played in the state tournament.”

Jefferson Coach Brian Erbe was left less than stunned when Senior put a jolt into the regional bracket with a triumph over No. 9 Linn-Mar on Saturday.

'I wasn't really surprised because I know how tough (Senior pitcher A.J.) Medinger can be,” Erbe said. 'The last three times we've played them, she has shut us out twice.”

In preparation for a potential meeting with Medinger and the Rams, Erbe scheduled a late-season game with West Delaware last week.

'We wanted to prepare for that quickness, so it was good to see (West Delaware pitcher) Hannah Cole,” Erbe said. 'She's a very similar pitcher, and I hope that proves helpful.”

Kennedy has won two tight regional games and is on the cusp of its first state tournament since 1999.

The Cougars rallied past Waterloo East, 2-1, in the first round, then edged Cedar Rapids Washington, 2-0, in a rain-shortened regional semifinal. Tianna Drahn's two-run single in the top of the fifth was the difference, shortly before a brief, heavy rain cut the game short.

'Now we need one more,” Cougars Coach Dan Gratz said.

TUESDAY'S SOFTBALL REGIONAL FINALS

No. 6 CEDAR RAPIDS JEFFERSON (33-6) vs. DUBUQUE SENIOR (19-22), Class 5A Region 3

Time and site: 7 p.m., at Jefferson (Larry Niemeyer Field)

Notable: Jefferson wears the MVC Mississippi Division crown, but faces a Senior club that ousted No. 9 Linn-Mar, 2-0, in Saturday's regional semifinal and also earned a split against the J-Hawks on June 12. Jefferson possesses arguably its best, most balanced hitting lineup in quite some time, with nine players batting .300 or better. Maddie Hansen leads the way at .466 with 14 doubles, seven home runs and 46 RBIs. The likely pitching matchup should be a dandy: Jefferson's Alyssa Olson (16-5, 0.76 ERA, 164 strikeouts) against Senior's A.J. Medinger (14-11, 2.21, 174 K's). Jefferson was fifth, Senior seventh at last year's state tournament.

CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY (27-13) vs. No. 3 SOUTHEAST POLK (27-9), Class 5A Region 6

Time and site: 7 p.m., at Pleasant Hill

Notable: Kennedy's turnaround season has been extended by a pair of dramatic postseason victories. The Cougars rallied to beat Waterloo East, 2-1, in Round 1, then tripped Cedar Rapids Washington, 2-0, in the semifinals when Tianna Drahn laced a two-run, two-out single in the top of the fifth, then the game was cut short by rain. Drahn is hitting .478 at the top of the order, with Ashley Hamilton at .468 with a state-best 11 triples. Southeast Polk has won its last seven games, six by shutout, and has a veteran pitching staff led by senior Hannah Parker (16-3, 1.28 ERA). The Rams' hitting is balanced, led by Cassady Knudsen (.397).

No. 10 WEST DELAWARE (29-7) vs. No. 15 WAVERLY-SHELL ROCK (31-8), Class 4A Region 2

Time and site: 7 p.m., at Manchester

Notable: West Delaware advanced to the regional final with a 7-1 victory over Western Dubuque, avenging one of just two losses in the last 15 games for the Hawks. West Delaware has three starters hitting above .400 (senior Reeann McCarty and juniors Emily Thole and Haley Morrison), while sophomore Bridget Hoffman is tied for the team lead in home runs and is the leader in RBIs. Of West Delaware's 29 wins, 26 have come on the arm of senior Hannah Cole, who has struck out 280 batters in 215 innings and has an earned run average of 1.20. Waverly-Shell Rock blanked Charles City, 2-0, in Saturday's semifinal and seeks its second straight state tournament berth.

No. 3 SOLON (36-2) vs. No. 12 NORTH SCOTT (24-11), Class 4A Region 3

Time and site: 7 p.m., at Solon

Notable: Solon is looking to get back to state and make amends after a somewhat disappointing sixth-place finish in 2013. It's been another tremendous summer for the Spartans, who present challenges up and down the order, as well as in the pitching circle. Six regulars are hitting .400 or better, ignited by leadoff hitter Mallory Madsen (.485) and followed by Taylor Nearad (.556) and Ali Herdliska (.467) who have driven in 110 runs between them. Emily Ira (20-1, 0.37 ERA) is likely to get the call in the circle. North Scott is a member of the Mississippi Athletic Conference, a strong, predominantly 5A league. Lauren Van Blaricom is hitting .406 with 40 RBIs for the Lancers.

CLEAR CREEK AMANA (21-17) vs. WASHINGTON, Iowa (16-21), Class 4A Region 4

Time and site: 7 p.m., at Cedar Rapids Xavier (Bob Erusha Field)

Notable: Anybody forecast this matchup for a regional final? Neither did we. Both teams pulled off big upsets in the regional semifinals, with CCA tripping No. 5 Cedar Rapids Xavier, 2-0, and Washington taking down No. 7 Davenport Assumption, 6-2. The Demons are pursuing the state tournament for the third straight year. However, they were hit hard by graduation and have rebuilt. Ashley Rausch is hitting .345 with a team-high 29 RBIs and is 13-9 as a pitcher. CCA was 5-9 at one point this season, but has come on strong with seven straight wins. Lexi Kinnaird is 17-7 with a 1.12 ERA and 177 strikeouts while Molly Villhauer is hitting .410 with 36 RBIs. The Clippers are seeking to run their state-best state-tournament appearance total to 34.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@sourcemedia.net