Regional softball: AGWSR, Grundy Center advance

Published by editor on Thu, 07/16/2020 - 10:03am

AGWSR's Rachel Sicard pitches during Wednesday's game against BCLUW in Ackley. Sicard pitched a shutout in the Cougars' 2-0 win against the Comets. (Jake Ryder photo)

By:

Jake Ryder

regionalsports@midamericapub.com

Sicard shutout advances Cougars / Rachel Sicard struck out six in a two-hit shutout as AGWSR softball defeated BCLUW 2-0 in a regional quarterfinal in Ackley on Wednesday.

The Cougars (10-4) will play Janesville in Ackley on Friday, with the winner advancing to next Monday's regional final. BCLUW's season ends at 6-12.

Order prints/downloads of AGWSR vs. BCLUW softball photos on SmugMug

Sicard and Taylor Sperfslage struck back-to-back RBI doubles in the first inning for an early Cougars lead.

Spartans clip Hawks / The bottom of Grundy Center's order came through in a 5-3 win against South Hamilton on Wednesday.

The Spartans (7-8) advance to Friday's regional semifinal round and travel to third-ranked Ogden for a 7 p.m. start.

After the Hawks tied the game at 3-all in the top of the fifth, Lyndi Bowen put a ball in play that resulted in a South Hamilton error, scoring Lucy Lebo. Two batters later, Jacque Kuester was walked with the bases loaded to stretch the lead to 5-3.

Alli Beenken added an RBI double in the third and Kyah Luhring led off the game with a home run, her first of the season.

Pirate rally upends Wolverines / Hudson's seventh-inning rally forced extra innings at Dike-New Hartford, and the Pirates scored first in the eighth to eliminate the Wolverines, 5-4.

D-NH's season ends at 7-7. Hudson advances to face top-ranked North Linn in Troy Mills on Friday.

The Wolverines led 3-0 after three innings but Hudson tied the game in the fifth. D-NH went back on top in the bottom of the fifth and held steady until the Pirates' late rally.