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

Central City softball coach Dave Johnson talks with his players during a fifth-inning rally against Lansing Kee on Wednesday. The Wildcats host Calamus-Wheatland in a Class 1A regional semifinal Friday. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

The Springville Orioles are surviving life on the edge.

After holding off a five-win BGM squad by a single run in the first round of the Class 1A regional tournament, the Orioles experienced another nail-biter Thursday, edging Belle Plaine, 5-4, in nine innings.

All wins count the same at this point, though, and Springville marches on to face No. 3 Lisbon in a regional semifinal Friday at Bob Bunting Field.

The Orioles and the Lions are two of six Tri-Rivers Conference teams still standing. Central City and Calamus-Wheatland square off in a 1A battle at Central City, while No. 1 North Linn hosts Don Bosco. Fresh off a minor upset win over Waterloo Columbus, Alburnett travels to No. 4 Iowa City Regina in a 2A encounter.

Here are five of the area’s best matchups Friday:

Alburnett (18-16) at Iowa City Regina (19-11)

Class 2A Region 6

How do you pull a surprise on the road? One way is to jump on the opponent before its gets its first crack at the bat. That’s what Alburnett did at Waterloo Columbus on Wednesday, scoring nine times in the first inning and advancing, 9-5. The Pirates will try to renew that magic Friday, and the degree of difficulty rises a bit against the fourth-rated Regals. Other than senior pitcher Hailey Carolan, this is a young Alburnett outfit. Sophomore Gralynn Martin is the top hitter at .402 and 34 runs. Regina is a traditional 2A heavyweight with three state titles since 2011. Four starters are back from last year’s fifth-place team, led by junior Courtney Kessler (.390, 24 runs, 18 RBIs).

Springville (22-13) at Lisbon (33-4)

Class 1A Region 6

As noted above, Springville has had a wild postseason ride, and there are still two games — two very difficult games — between the Orioles and a trip to Fort Dodge. Springville did gain a regular-season split with third-ranked Lisbon in the regular season, but the Lions have caught fire since then, winning 14 of 16 games and allowing just four runs in a current seven-game win streak (including a 10-0 rout of Montezuma on Wednesday). Junior shortstop Peyton Robinson (.504) is the 1A leader in runs scored, with 56, and junior Ryleigh Allgood (24-2, 0.57 ERA) is one of the state’s top small-school pitchers. Springville counters with the speed of Ashlynne Zaruba and Nia Howard, who have combined for nearly 70 stolen bases.

Don Bosco (15-7) at North Linn (30-8)

Class 1A Region 7

Last year’s 2A state champion, top-rated North Linn finished its regional quarterfinal with a flourish, scoring eight times in the bottom of the fifth inning to vanquish East Buchanan, 11-1, in five innings. The Lynx are loaded at the top of the lineup, with Skylar Benesh (.342), Jill Smith (.402), Jenna Lemley (.421) and Ellie Flanagan (.436) combining for 24 home runs. Flanagan (19-6, 1.58 ERA) will handle the pitching duties. Don Bosco edged Turkey Valley, 3-2, in the regional quarterfinals, breaking a four-game losing streak. The Dons have a young star in freshman Kennedi McGarvey, who has belted seven home runs and driven in 34 runs.

Calamus-Wheatland (17-16) at Central City (33-7)

Class 1A Region 7

Central City was able to get past Lansing Kee, 6-2, in the regional quarterfinals thanks to a five-run fifth inning. The bottom of the order — Cami Ellis, Avery Wise and Bella Damm — set the table with a walk, a single and a walk, then the top of the order drove in the runs. The Wildcats have three wins over Cal-Wheat this season by scores of 4-0, 6-0 and 9-2. Senior Sara Reid carries a 27-5 pitching record and a .452 batting average with 44 runs. Cal-Wheat topped Edgewood-Colesburg, 3-2, Wednesday, its 15th win in the last 22 games. Sophomore Emily Boeckmann is the Warriors’ big bat at .432 and five home runs.

Highland (21-8) at Twin Cedars (24-3)

Class 1A Region 8

Highland enters on a hot streak: 10 wins in the last 11 games, and the only setback in that stretch came against Davenport Assumption. The Huskies downed English Valleys, 5-1, in the regional quarterfinals thanks to a combined two-hitter by Grace Batcheller and Jessica Kraus and a solo home run by Sarah Burton, her sixth of the year. Burton, a sophomore, is hitting .474 with 46 runs and 37 stolen bases. The undefeated champion of the Bluegrass Conference, No. 7 Twin Cedars is hitting .427 as a team and averages more than nine runs per game.