IRWIN -- During a week in which they outscored five other opponents 89-10 over the course of seven wins, the IKM-Manning softball team may have gained the most confidence from an 8-4 loss to Logan-Magnolia Thursday night. Sixteen days after losing to the Panthers 10-2 in Logan, the 12th-ranked Wolves stayed within striking distance of Class 2-A’s No.

 KIMBALLTON -- A three-run third inning keyed Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton’s 4-1 softball win over Adair-Casey on Thursday as part of the Spartans’ three-game win streak to end the week. They also beat Woodbine on Wednesday and C-A-M on Thursday. Maggie Rasmussen pitched a five-hitter against the Bombers, walking one and striking out eight.

 SHENANDOAH -- An eight-run fifth inning carried the Harlan Community baseball team to victory Thursday as the third-ranked Cyclones improved to 12-3 inside the Hawkeye Ten Conference with a 12-7 win at Shenandoah. Josh Cheek, Nick Tarney and Ryan Doran drove in three runs each for HCHS and Tarney belted his first home run of the year to go with a double and three runs scored. HCHS led 11-1 after five and a half innings before the Mustangs (6-

 HARLAN -- With all six of its hits confined to the fourth and fifth innings, Harlan Community found other ways to score during Monday night’s 12-3 baseball win over Denison-Schleswig. The Cyclones drew nine walks, were hit-by-pitch four times and stole 12 bases in a game that featured a 30-minute lightning delay prior to the fifth. Brett Sears (4-0) battled through four innings on the mound to earn the win, allowing five hits and three runs.

 COUNCIL BLUFFS -- Lewis Central senior Caleb Shudak picked up his second win of the year over Harlan Community Tuesday night as the Titans beat the Cyclones 5-2 to sweep the season series. Shudak (4-1) pitched hitless ball through four innings and took a shutout into the sixth before HCHS was able to plate a pair of runs.

 HARLAN -- Sioux City East was in a giving mood at Jim Goeser Field Wednesday night, and Harlan Community took full advantage. Aided by six Black Raider errors in the first two innings, HCHS grabbed an early 7-0 lead and added six runs on six hits in the fourth to post a 13-2 five-inning baseball win in non-conference action. It was just the second game outside the Hawkeye Ten all year for the 3rd-ranked (3-A) Cyclones, who also routed Sioux C

 COUNCIL BLUFFS -- The Harlan Community softball team saw its Hawkeye Ten record fall to 5-8 earlier this week following a pair of five-inning conference losses to Denison-Schleswig and Lewis Central. HCHS (8-14 overall) lost a home game vs. the Monarchs, 15-4, on Monday before dropping a 12-2 decision at LC Tuesday night.

 NEOLA -- The hits and runs just kept on piling up Tuesday night for the AHSTW softball team. Tied 1-1 after an inning, the Lady Vikes would score three or four runs in each frame the rest of the way, totaling 24 hits in a 21-8 road win over Tri-Center. The Trojans scored seven runs during the third and fourth innings to cut the margin to 8-5 and 11-8, but the Lady Vikes scored 10 unanswered the rest of the way.

 NEOLA -- In a back-and-forth Western Iowa Conference baseball game Tuesday night, Tri-Center answered every AHSTW challenge to post a 10-7 home win over the Vikings. After AHSTW took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second, T-C scored three runs in the bottom half of the inning. When the Vikings scored three in the fourth, the Trojans responded with three in the fourth and two in the fifth.