Central Lee boys improve to 12-3

DONNELLSON – The Central Lee  baseball team improved to 12-3 on the year with a 15-5 six-inning win over West Burlington Tuesday night.
The Hawks put up six runs in the bottom half of the sixth with just one out and won it on a Blake Davis-double to center that scored Ward Fraise and Brett Cook to invoke the 10-run rule.
West Burlington put up five runs in the fourth inning to take a 5-2 lead, but the Hawks responded with three in the bottom half and four more in the fifth to tie things up, then take the lead.
Davis led the Hawks with a 2-for-5 night at the plate driving in four runs. Mason Sanders was 2 of 4, while Fraise, Kayden Calfee, Hunter Edlin, Chase Johnson, Brayden Wyrick, Cook, and Gage Van Ausdall all had hits against the Falcons.
Sanders picked up the win going 2 2/3, allowing five hits and just one run, while striking out two. Kellen Weber pitched three innings and struck out two. Bo Herdrich pitched an out and Edlin also threw in relief, giving up four runs, all earned on no hits, and a walk.
The Hawks are 5-3 in SEI Super Conference action and travel to Van Buren Wednesday night and to New London on Thursday.

Lady Hounds drop two to Trojans
FAIRFIELD – The Fort Madison softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader Monday night in Fairfield, 0-8, 4-12.
The Bloodhounds fall to 5-6 in Southeast Conference play and 7-9 overall on the season with the two losses.
Leah Helmick kept the Hounds at bay, tossing a no-hitter in the opener. She walked just two and struck out nine over five innings. Lucia Darnell took the loss for Fort Madison, scattering a dozen hits while striking out two and walking none. Five of the eight runs scored by Fairfield were earned.
The second game also went five-innings with Emma Snaadt taking the loss for the Lady Hounds. She went 4 1/3 allowing 12 runs, seven earned, while scattering 11 hits, and walking three. Ava Fuget and Brylie Lorence both had multi-hit games for Fort Madison. Lorence had a two-run double in the fifth to try to keep the eight-run rule out of play, but Fairfield countered with two in the bottom half to end the game.
Fort Madison hosts Danville Wednesday night at Baxter Sports Complex and then Burlington comes into town Thursday night.

Fairfield gets walk-off HBP to sweep Hounds
FAIRFIELD – The Fort Madison Bloodhounds dropped both games of a doubleheader Monday night, 0-11, 4-5.
The nightcap ended when the Trojans’ Luke Konczal was plunked with a full-count with the bases loaded to score the winning run in the bottom of the eighth.
Fort Madison held a 4-3 lead going into the bottom of the sixth inning when Fairfield scored the tying run on Dayson Workman's single to center.
Reece Huey, Tateum Schelich, and Hunter Cook all had two-hit nights for the Bloodhounds. Cook had an RBI as did Stefan Berlett and Michael Fuller. Schelich suffered the loss in relief allowing one run on three hits. He fanned two and walked four.
Huey started and went five innings giving up six hits and four runs while fanning five and walking two.
In the opener, the Trojans rolled, holding Fort Madison to just three hits in 4 ½ innings as the 10-run rule after five kicked in. Fuller suffered the loss going three innings and allowing five runs on seven hits. Aiden Mitchell walked five in relief and Corbin Van Niewall threw an inning allowing a hit and striking out one. Huey, Brody Cashman, and Cook had the hits for Fort Madison.
The Hounds host Muscatine (4-7, 4-17) Wednesday and then Burlington Thursday night.

Four-run 1st holds up for Crusaders
WEST POINT – The Holy Trinity Catholic Lady Crusaders scored four runs in the first inning Tuesday night and that was just enough for a 4-3 win over Van Buren County at South Park in West Point.
Kenna Gittings went 3-for-3 on the night with a run scored. Ava Holmes had the only other hit for the Crusaders. The Crusaders scored on two wild pitches, an error, and Holmes' steal of home for their runs, all in the first inning.
Sydney Jarvis allowed three runs in the second inning before settling in for the win. She went all seven innings allowing three runs, all earned on six hits while fanning nine and walking two. The sophomore went 0-2 at the plate, but is No. 2 in 1A in RBIs with 43. She’s third in the state in all classes.
HTC (14-7, 6-5 SEISC South) is off Wednesday and plays Hillcrest Academy Thursday at Mt. Mercy University in Cedar Rapids. They wrap up the week with a doubleheader Friday against Mt. Pleasant at South Park.

Hounds open post-season with CR Xavier
CEDAR RAPIDS - The Fort Madison baseball team will open post-season play July 11th at Cedar Rapids Xavier in Class 3A Substate 6 action.
Pairings were released Wednesday morning.
The winner will face the winner of Newton/Clear Creek-Amana on July 14. Also in the bracket is Pella vs. Keokuk and Fairfield vs. Mt. Pleasant.