UNDERWOOD -- Abbey Youngren smacked her fifth home run of the year and Peyton Gross pitched a five-hit shutout Friday night as the IKM-Manning softball team completed a season sweep of Underwood, 7-0, for its fourth consecutive win. Youngren’s three-run bomb in the top of the first was all the offensive support that Gross (11-4) would need as she struck out 10 and walked two in her five-hitter. The Wolves improved to 11-5 overall and 9-2 in t

 UNDERWOOD -- IKM-Manning’s rally fell one run short at Underwood Friday night as the Eagles held off the Wolves 3-2 in Western Iowa Conference baseball action. Underwood scored one run in each of the first three innings (all unearned) and was able to win behind the five-hit pitching of Alec Leaders (3 walks, 3 strikeouts). IKM-M scored single runs in the fifth and sixth but was unable to get the game tied.

 VAIL -- The Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton softball team improved to 7-2 in Rolling Valley Conference play last week with wins of 9-1 over Coon Rapids-Bayard on Wednesday (at Kimballton) and 11-1 in five innings at Ar-We-Va on Friday night. Maggie Rasmussen pitched a seven-inning four-hitter against the Crusaders, allowing one unearned run, walking zero and striking out five. The Spartan scored five runs in the sixth to blow the game open.

CARROLL -- On a night when Harlan Community matched a season high by striking out eight times, it was a swing-and-a-miss that set the stage for the winning run to score on some savvy base running by Dillon Sears. With HCHS and Kuemper Catholic tied 4-4 in the top of the seventh on Tuesday, Sears ignited the go-ahead rally with a one-out double to right-center field.

 HARLAN -- The Harlan Community softball team had Class 2-A’s third-ranked team on the ropes Wednesday night but was unable to land the knockout blow at H.

 HARLAN -- The Harlan Community baseball and softball teams will be sponsoring their annual Green Out Night on Monday, June 20, when the Cyclones host Denison-Schleswig at J.J. Jensen Park. JV-Varsity doubleheaders will get underway at 5:30 p.m. Green Out is an opportunity for the HCHS baseball and softball teams to support the ongoing battle against cancer.

 ELK HORN -- If you told Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton baseball coach Tony Petersen that his team would hold Coon Rapids-Bayard to just two hits on Wednesday, he would have liked his chances. But two singles were enough on this night as the Crusaders took advantage of seven walks, two hit batsmen and a crucial error and wild pitch in the sixth inning to knock the Spartans out of first place in the Rolling Valley Conference with a 3-1 road victory.

 ELK HORN -- Monday’s Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton baseball game vs. Adair-Casey was suspended by rain at the halfway mark with the Spartans leading 5-1 after three and a half innings. The game will be resumed at Adair-Casey as part of a doubleheader on June 30.

 COUNCIL BLUFFS -- The Harlan Community baseball team held off a seventh-inning rally by St. Albert Monday night to beat the Falcons 4-2 in Hawkeye Ten Conference action. Cyclone senior Brett Croghan (3-1) took a shutout to the seventh inning and pitched a complete game for the win, allowing six hits and two earned runs, walking none, hitting one batter and striking out seven to outduel Brandon Williams.