Your Prep Sports

For the second time in as many years as a varsity program Liberty High is in position to make a regional final.

Liberty High improved to 2-0 all time in postseason openers with a 3-1 win over Washington (22-15) on Thursday in a Class 4A, Region 5 quarterfinal in Washington.

The Lightning improved to 20-21 with the win and earned a spot with a familiar foe in the Region 5 semifinals.

Liberty High earned a regional semifinal rematch with No. 11 Cedar Rapids Xavier (24-16) in at 7 p.m. on Saturday in Cedar Rapids.

The Saints defeated Liberty High 1-0 in the regional semifinals last season but Liberty High swept Xavier in a doubleheader last month winning 8-4 and 11-10.

Liberty High scored single runs in the first fourth and seventh innings and got a complete game six-hitter from Kara Maiers to set up the semifinal rematch with Xavier.

Raquel Trolliet homered and scored two runs and Maiers struck out nine in the complete game as Liberty High advanced.

Trolliet gave the Lightning an early lead with a solo home run in the top of the first inning.

Washington pulled even with a run in the second but Liberty High answered in the fourth when Tiffany Jones singled and courtesy runner Blythe Geiman scored on an RBI double by Ashlyn Geasland.

Liberty High added an insurance run in the seventh when Trolliet drew a leadoff walk and scored on a two-out RBI single by Courtney Olson.

Miranda Jones and Mallory Jones each had two hits for Liberty High.

Maiers allowed six hits and walked four but allowed just one unearned run while improving her season record to 12-6.

Liberty High  100  100  1  –  3  10  2

Washington   010  000  0  –  1   6   0

W – Kara Maiers                    L – Molly Sparks

2B – ICL: Ashlyn Geasland, Miranda Jones. WAS: Kaitlyn Mitchell, Haylee Wilson

HR – ICL: Raquel Trolliet 

West High Falls to Davenport North

Davenport North defeated West High 3-1 on Thursday in a Class 5A, Region 7 quarterfinal in Iowa City.

The win sends Davenport North into the Region 7 semifinals on Saturday where it will face Ottumwa (31-6) at 7 p.m.

West High finished the season 15-26.

Marion Edges Clear Creek Amana

Marion held off Clear Creek Amana 3-2 in a Class 4A, Region 5 quarterfinal on Thursday in Marion.

Ainsley Schrock hit a two-run home run in the fourth but it wasn’t enough for Clear Creek Amana as the Clippers ended the season 12-22.

Marion improved to 22-17 with the win and will face top-seeded Independence (28-11) in the Region 5 semifinals on Saturday at 7 p.m.

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