IRWIN -- When IKM-Manning scored four runs in the top of the second inning - aided by a crafy bunting game and three Panorama errors - the Wolves appeared well on their way to victory in last Friday’s Class 2-A, Region 2 softball semifinal. Undaunted by the situation, however, a youthful Panthers team overtook the momentum an inning later and never looked back, plating eight runs in the third and fourth innings to knock off the 11th-rated Wol

 CORRECTIONVILLE -- A three-run third inning was all it took for Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton Friday night as the Spartan softball team knocked off 10th-ranked River Valley, 3-2, in a Class 1-A, Region 7 semifinal. Exira-EHK scored all three of its runs in the bottom of the third and staved off a sixth-inning rally by the Wolverines to qualify for its fourth regional final in five years. The 20-6 Spartans, still searching for their first state so

 GLENWOOD -- Following a regular season marred by injuries and inconsistency, the Harlan Community softball team refused to go down without a fight in its final game. Putting together perhaps their best all-around performance of the summer, the Cyclones scored first and battled back twice in Thursday’s Class 4-A regional quarterfinal, but ultimately came up about one hit short in a 7-5 loss at Glenwood. Senior Logan Schaben’s two-run homer cut

 IDA GROVE -- Facing one of the top pitchers in western Iowa, Anthony Cordes and the AHSTW baseball team never backed down. Cordes craftily matched OA-BCIG ace Ben Dotzler through five scoreless innings and the Vikings scratched out a run in the top of the sixth to take a 1-0 lead in Saturday night’s Class 2-A, District 16 quarterfinal. Unfortunately for AHSTW, the next three outs would be hard to come by as the host Falcons scored four times

 LE MARS -- The Harlan Community baseball team won a pair of high-scoring games at Le Mars Friday night, sweeping the Bulldogs 13-9 (in eight innings) and 11-7 in a varsity doubleheader. Ranked third in Class 3-A, the Cyclones improved to 23-4 overall with two regular-season games remaining.

 AVOCA -- The AHSTW softball team earned its first regional win since 2012 last Tuesday night, scoring six unanswered runs in the fourth and fifth innings to beat Southwest Valley, 9-5, in Class 2-A first-round action.

 EARLHAM -- The Earlham softball team hit three home runs and gradually pulled away from AHSTW over the last five innings Wednesday night, ending the Lady Vikes’ season, 17-4, in a Class 2-A, Region 8 quarterfinal. AHSTW scored all four of its runs in the bottom of the third, pulling within 6-4 as seniors Jayna Olesen and Taylor Madden both hit RBI singles and junior Haley Constable added a two-run double.

 IRWIN -- Led by a big night from the “Smash Sisters” combo of Abbey Youngren and Vanessa Freese, the IKM-Manning softball team took care of business in Wednesday’s postseason opener, beating Sioux Central 12-4 in a Class 2-A, Region 2 quarterfinal at Irwin. Youngren and Freese combined for seven hits and six RBI, including Youngren’s 12th home run of the year in the fifth inning and Freese’s sixth homer in the second. “The Smash Sisters got i

 KIMBALLTON -- Maggie Rasmussen pitched a one-hit shutout and Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton’s bats came alive in the late innings Wednesday night as the Spartans advanced in tournament softball action with a 10-0 Class 1-A regional quarterfinal win over CAM. One day after beating Adair-Casey 11-1 in first-round action, Exira-EHK (19-6) handled another conference rival for the third time this year to set up a Region 7 semifinal at 10th-ranked River