Lorence's grand slam lifts Lady Hounds

FORT MADISON – The Fort Madison Lady Hounds started the season with a split at home with Davis County.
Davis County won the opener 12-3 despite a 3-3 day from senior Brylie Lorence, fresh off her 2nd place finish at the IGHSAU State Track and Field 3A Shotput.
Lorence had a double in her three hits and four total bases to lead Fort Madison on offense.  Ava Fuget and Lucia Darnell had the other two hits in the opener.
Darnell took the loss for the Hounds going 4 2/3 striking out five and walking five. Jordyn Marshall pitched to one hitter in the fifth.
Davis County scored five runs in the first two innings. Fort Madison closed the gap to 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth, but the Mustangs blew the game open with seven runs in the top of the fifth.
The Lady Hounds took the nightcap 8-6 highlighted by a five-run fourth. Ava Taylor led off with a single to left before the Mustangs recorded the next two outs. Katelyn Sissel then singled to right moving Taylor to third. Fuget drew a walk to load the bases. Taylor would score on an error and then Lorence homered deep to center for the grand slam for a 7-5 lead. Both teams would score a run in the sixth, but Marshall would lock down the win in the seventh.
Marshall went all seven innings giving up eight hits while fanning five on six earned runs.
Lorence started her senior year on fire going 5-6 with 5 RBIs and two runs scored. She had three singles, a double, and the grand slam.
Fort Madison travels to Davenport Friday for a doubleheader with Dav. North.

Holy Trinity girls sweep Keokuk
KEOKUK – The Holy Trinity Catholic softball teams is off to a 3-0 start to begin the year.
The Crusaders opened the season on Tuesday with an 8-1 win over Danville. Then HTC swept Keokuk on the road Wednesday night 15-6, 15-4.
In the opener, HTC racked up 19 hits with Emily Ross, Elizabeth Griffin, Makayla Simpson, Cadyn Holmes, Kenna Gittings, and Sydney Jarvis all having multiple hit nights. Gittings got the win for HTC coming on in relief of Simpson.
HTC trailed 6-5 headed into the top of the fifth when they piled on seven runs highlighted by Gittings' double to right scoring Griffin and Holmes. Jarvis doubled with two outs to drive in another run for a 12-6 lead. They would add three more in the top of the seventh for the win.
Jarvis was 4-5 with three runs scored and three RBIs. Simpson was 3 of 5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Gittings went 2 for 2 at the plate with two RBIs and two runs scored.
in the nightcap, Jarvis got the win going all six innings and giving up four runs, two earned while striking out seven and walking three. She was also 3-3 at the plate with 3 RBIs. Alivia Holmes was 2 for 5 with 5 RBIs with a double and a triple. Morgan Krogmeier had a two-hit night with an RBI.
The Crusaders travel to Central Lee Thursday night for a SEI Super Conference game.

Bloodhound boys off to slow start
DAVENPORT – The Fort Madison Bloodhounds gave top-ranked Davenport Assumption a game Tuesday when senior Luke Hellige allowed just one run earned in four innings of work holding the Knights at bay in a 1-0 loss in the opener.  Fort Madison lost the second game of the doubleheader 15-0.
Hellige had a one out single in the fourth and Owen Huffman singled in the top half of the seventh for Fort Madison’s only hits in the game.
Davenport scored the only run of the game in the bottom of the first inning when Ben Yeggy scored on a sacrifice after doubling to open the game.
Stefan Berlett took the loss in the second game lasting 1 1/3 giving up six runs all earned on five hits and two walks. Rowan Benda, Hunter Cook, and Aiden Mitchell all had turns on the mound in the loss.
Fort Madison opened the season with a 12-3 loss to Mediapolis on May 20 and a 12-2 loss at Mt. Vernon Friday. Hellige was 1-4 with a double and an RBI in the season opener. Reece Huey also had an RBI in the loss. Hellige suffered the loss pitching two inningsallowing  one run unearned. Tateum Schelich went 1 1/3 giving up four hits and seven runs all earned with a strikeout and three walks. Jay Ellison went 1 2/3 allowing five hits, three runs while fanning one and walking one. Brody Cashman, Nolan Lamb, and Mitchell had the other hits for the Hounds.
Against Mt. Vernon, Fort Madison got on the board first, but Huey gave up five runs in the first two innings before giving way to Case Fraise who went the next 3 1/3 giving up six hits and five runs, four earned. Hellige and Schelich had the only hits for Fort Madison. Schelich had two RBIs.
Fort Madison travels to Davenport for a double header on Friday with Davenport North.

Lady Hawks get wins
DONNELLSON – Central Lee’s girls are off to a solid start going 2-0 on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Hawks got a season-opening win over Van Buren 9-1 and then knocked off Mt. Pleasant 9-5 Wednesday night. They take on Holy Trinity in a Lee County matchup Thursday night at Central Lee High School.
On Tuesday, Jalyn Hawk gave up just one run and struck out six against no walks. She scattered eight hits in the win. Kenna Sandoval went two for two with three runs including a home run. Hawk also homered to help the cause. Marie Young had two hits and four RBIs at the plate. Aubree Bunnell had three hits and a couple RBIs.
Against Mt. Pleasant, Elaina Barlow got the win going all seven innings giving up five runs, just one earned while fanning eight and walking four.
Carlee Pezley went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and two RBIs. Jaci Hawk had two hits and an RBI. Kamryn Cox had two hits and three RBIs from her nine-spot in the order. She also scored a run. Bunnell had two hits and two runs scored.
Mt. Pleasant held a 4-3 lead headed into the bottom of the fourth when the Hawks picked up four runs. The Hawks dialed up three straight singles with one out. After a groundout, Pezley singled scoring a run and Sandoval doubled to center scoring another. Van Buren scored in the fifth to make it a 7-5 game, but the Hawks would put up two insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth and Barlow would lock it up from there.
The Hawks play Holy Trinity Catholic Thursday night and travel to Centerville for a six-team tourney on Saturday.

Central Lee boys open with win
DONNELLSON – Bo Herdrich raced back from the IHSAA state golf meet where he shot a 2nd-day 80 to lead the Hawks, only to homer in his first at-bat for the Hawks' baseball team in a 12-9 win over Fairfield Wednesday night in Donnellson.
The first inning blast to left scored three runs to set the tone for the Hawks.
Central Lee would add a run in the third when Hunter Edlin singled scoring Herdrich who had singled with two outs for a 4-1 lead. Fairfield would plate two in the bottom half to make it 4-3 Central Lee.
But the Hawks broke the game open in the top of the fourth with four runs. They put up two more in the fifth and sixth for a 12-3 lead. Fairfield would rally with four in the bottom of the sixth and two in the bottom of the seventh, but Gage VanAusdall would button things up in the bottom of the seventh.
Blake Davis got the win going two innings striking out four and walking three, while allowing one run and one hit. Caedon Newton went 3 2/3 allowing eight hits and six runs, four earned while fanning four and walking one.
Herdrich had three hits on the night, 3 RBIs, and three runs scored. Ward Fraise, Davis, and Mason Sanders each had two-hit nights. The Hawks host Burlington Notre Dame on Thursday.