Lisbon-Alburnett highlights 1A softball openers

They met in a season-opener.And when Alburnett hosts Lisbon on Wednesday, it will be a season-ender for somebody.A pair of perennially strong small-school softball programs collide in a first-round Class 1A regional game. First pitch is 7 p.m. Wednesday at Alburnett.Alburnett (23-13) shared the Tri-Rivers Conference title with Springville while Lisbon (13-19) is having a rare down year."We had some ups and downs, and we lost a few games we shouldn't have," said Alburnett Coach Marv Porter. "But we're a little more experienced now, and I think we have our people in place."The Pirates posted a 7-5 win over the Lions when they met in May."They'll be competitive. You can't look by them," Porter said.It's not a tremendous year for 1A softball in the Gazette area, which has none of the 15 teams ranked by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union in the final ratings.The Alburnett-Lisbon first-round matchup is a good one, though. So is a tussle between Highland (18-9) and Springville (20-11).Class 2A regionals open Thursday while 3A and 4A tournaments begin Saturday.Regional finals are July 14 in each class, with the state tournament running July 19-23 at the Rogers Sports Complex, Fort Dodge.

CLASS 1A REGIONAL FIRST ROUND GAMES

(All games, 7 p.m.)

Region 3Latimer CAL at Northeast HamiltonRockford at Mason City NewmanColo-Nesco at North TamaGarwin GMG at MadridNorthwood-Kensett at North IowaCorwith CWL at Crystal Lake WCLTArmstrong-Ringsted at Algona GarriganNorth Sentral Kossuth, bye

Region 4Lansing Kee at Valley CommunityElkader Central at PostvilleCentral City at East BuchananWest Central at Don BoscoTripoli at RicevilleDunkerton vs. Janesville, 6 p.m., at AllisonCedar Falls NU High vs. Clarksville, 7:30 p.m., at AllisonNorth Butler, bye

Region 5Winfield-Mount Union at Lone TreeIowa Mennonite at WACOHighland at SpringvilleLisbon at AlburnettOlin at MidlandAndrew at Calamus-WheatlandBellevue Marquette at East CentralPreston, bye

Region 6New London at Fort Madison Holy TrinityHarmony at DanvilleEnglish Valleys at Tri-CountyKeota at North MahaskaGrandview Park Baptist at Des Moines ChristianMelcher-Dallas at Twin CedarsMontezuma at HLVLynnville-Sully, bye