Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The first pitch of the state softball tournament is less than a week away.

Before action gets underway next week at Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge the state fields must be set.

That process will be completed on Tuesday with regional final matchups scheduled to be played for the three largest classes in the state.

Every team that remains has the goal of reaching the state tournament that is scheduled for July 21-25 in Fort Dodge.

Here is a quick look at the Tuesday regional finals featuring teams from the Your Prep Sports area.

Class 4A, Region 6

No. 10 North Scott (28-11) at No. 7 Clear Creek Amana (31-8)

When: Tuesday, 7 p.m.

Where: Clear Creek Amana Athletic Complex

Top players: North Scott – Brinley Schroeder, Fr., .444 BA, 13 EBH, 20 RBI; Chevelle Kingsley, Sr., .325 BA, 5 HR, 31 RBI. Clear Creek Amana – Kyla Schulte, Jr., .465 BA, 9 HR, 49 RBI; Brenna Williams, .422 BA, 32 R, 28 RBI.

Top pitcher: North Scott – Chevelle Kingsley, Sr., 14-5, 2.42 ERA, 112 2/3 IP, 128 K. Clear Creek Amana – Elizabeth Timmerman, 14-5, 2.89 ERA, 106 2/3 IP, 84 K.

About the Lancers: A Class 4A semifinalist last season, North Scott is chasing its first consecutive state tournament appearances since 2019 and 2020.

The Lancers downed Central DeWitt 9-1 in the regional semifinals on Saturday and have won 10 of their last 11 games dating back to June 27.

Of the 11 losses for North Scott this season 10 have come against ranked competition including eight against top-10 ranked teams.

The Lancer offense is led by a pair of freshmen in first baseman Brinley Schroeder and catcher Laney Welge.

Schroeder is batting .444 with 32 runs scored and 20 RBI while Welge is hitting .400 with 30 RBI.

About the Clippers: Clear Creek Amana is seeking its first trip to the state tournament since 2021 after regional title game losses in 2022 and 2024.

The Clippers used a three-run sixth inning to erase a 7-5 deficit in an 8-7 win over Maquoketa in the Region 6 semifinals on Saturday.

Clear Creek Amana enters the regional title game riding a seven-game winning streak and is averaging 7.9 runs per game during that stretch.

Led by junior Kyla Schulte (.465) and eighth grader Turner Patrick (.429) seven Clippers are hitting .347 or better this season.

Six different Clear Creek Amana players have driven in at least 20 runs and seven Clipper starters have scored at least 20 runs.

What to watch: As is the case with most regional title games expect an extremely tight game between a pair of evenly matched, top-10 teams.

Clear Creek Amana has lost one-run games in each of its previous two regional title game appearances falling to Burlington 1-0 in 2022 and dropping a 4-3 contest at Western Dubuque last season.

That’s the past for the Clippers. This season Clear Creek Amana has been exceptional in close games going 5-0 in one-run games and 10-2 in games decided by two runs or fewer.

That matters in a game that could come down to the final at bat and Clear Creek Amana showed in its regional semifinal win over Maquoketa it can erase an early deficit.

Class 5A, Region 2

Liberty High (18-19) at No. 2 Linn-Mar (32-6)

When: Tuesday, 7 p.m.

Where: Linn-Mar Baseball/Softball Complex

Top players: Linn-Mar – Emily Koranda, Sr., .429 BA, 21 EBH, 6 HR, 34 RBI; Annie Cassidy, .336 BA, 3 HR, 27 RBI. Liberty High – Kelsey Kaut, .405 BA, 26 R, 14 RBI; Kennedy Conner, .394 BA, 8 2B, 16 RBI. Top pitcher: Linn-Mar – Emily Koranda, Sr., 16-3, .81 ERA, 121 1/3 IP, 190 K. Liberty High – Kaelyn Rickels, Sr., 7-6, 2.73 ERA, 113 IP, 80 K.

About the Lions: Linn-Mar has completed one of the biggest turnarounds in the state this season going from 19-20 a year ago to 32-6 this season.

Senior Emily Koranda has been key in the Lions resurgence this season after missing last season with an injury.

Koranda is 16-3 with a .81 ERA and 190 strikeouts in 121 1/3 innings pitched this season and also is hitting .429 with 21 extra-base hits, six home runs and 34 RBI.

Linn-Mar advanced to the regional title game with a 3-0 win over Davenport North in the semifinals on Saturday as Koranda struck out 16 in a one-hit shutout.

Sophomore Mallory Palmer is hitting .351 and junior Karsyn Michael is hitting .344 with two home runs and 15 RBI for the Lions.

About the Lightning: Liberty High returns to the regional title game for the fourth consecutive season and seventh time in eight years seeking its first breakthrough to the state tournament.

The previous three regional title game losses have all come on the road against Muscatine so the Lightning get a change of scenery on Tuesday.

Liberty High advanced to the title game with a 4-2 road win over No. 14 Des Moines Roosevelt in the regional semifinal on Saturday.

Senior Kaelyn Rickels and freshman Ellie Tague combined to allow just five hits and one run in seven innings in the semifinal win against Des Moines Roosevelt.

Look for some combination of those two against a Linn-Mar team that ranks 16^th in 5A with a team batting average of .313.

Junior lead off hitter Kelsey Kaut is the catalyst for the Lightning offense batting .405 with 26 runs and 14 RBI while senior Kennedy Conner is batting .394 with 16 RBI and junior Ava Tague is hitting .308 with a team-high 27 RBI.

What to watch: Can the Lightning get to Koranda enough to put pressure on Linn-Mar?

Linn-Mar won two games against Liberty High this season in a doubleheader played on separate days due to rain.

Koranda threw just 83 pitches in a two-hit shutout in the first game, a 5-0 Linn-Mar win in which the senior right-hander struck out six.

A key for Liberty High in the third meeting on Tuesday will be the top of its order.

Kaut and junior Kinley Jones combined for three hits in the top two spots of the order in the semifinal win over Des Moines Roosevelt.

If Liberty High is to scratch out runs against one of the stingiest pitchers in the state on Tuesday look for Kaut, Jones, Tauge and Conner to be in the middle of the production.

Class 5A, Region 8

No. 12 City High (23-14) at No. 7 Cedar Falls (29-9)

When: Tuesday, 7 p.m.

Where: Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex in Cedar Falls

Top players: Cedar Falls – Sydney Runyan, Sr., .367 BA, 10 HR, 48 RBI; Amanda Finck, Jr., .491 BA, 10 HR, 49 RBI. City High – Lianna Hull, Sr., .456 BA, 42 R, 11 RBI; Molly Carlson, Jr., .447 BA, 25 EBH, 10 HR, 46 RBI.

Top pitcher: Cedar Falls – Sydney Runyan, Sr., 14-5, 2.72 ERA, 126 1/3 IP, 62 K. City High – Lance Grulke-Mangrich, Sr., 11-8, 3.62 ERA, 131 1/3 IP, 41 K.

About the Tigers Cedar Falls enters the regional title game among the hottest teams in Class 5A, winners of 11 of their last 13 contests.

The recent hot streak for Cedar Falls dates back to June 25 and includes wins over Class 4A top-ranked Cedar Rapids Xavier and Class 5A second-ranked Linn-Mar.

Top-seeded Cedar Falls advanced to the Region 8 title game with a 3-0 win over Dubuque Senior in the semifinals on Saturday and has allowed a total of five runs in its previous six games.

These teams know each other well having played a doubleheader less than a month ago in Iowa City.

Cedar Falls scored four unanswered runs in the final two innings to win the opener 5-4 and broke a 3-3 tie with four runs in the top of the seventh inning in a 7-5 win in the nightcap.

Senior pitcher Sydney Runyan is the leader for the Tigers.

Runyan is 14-5 with a 2.72 ERA in a team-high 126 1/3 innings and is also hitting .367 with 18 extra-base hits, 10 home runs and 48 RBI.

About the Little Hawks: It has already been an impressive turnaround season for City High which will now try to come full circle with its first trip to state since 2021.

After the 2021 state tournament appearance City High had three consecutive sub .500 seasons including a 14-23 year last summer but has reversed that record this season.

Senior shortstop Lianna Hull (.456 batting average) and junior catcher Molly Carlson (.447) lead a dangerous Little Hawk lineup that features six players hitting .328 or better.

Senior pitcher Lance Grulke-Mangrich (11-8, 3.62) has had her best season dropping her ERA but nearly half a point from last season.

City High has won four of its last five games after earning a 5-4 win over Dubuque Hempstead on a game-winning single by freshman Vivienne Heller in the regional semifinals.

What to watch: Expect some fireworks in this matchup between two Mississippi Valley Conference rivals that both bash the ball and know each other well.

Cedar Falls swept City High in a doubleheader less than a month ago winning 5-4 and 7-5 in Iowa City on June 23.

These are two of the better offensive teams in Class 5A with both ranking in the top 10 in team batting average, runs and home runs.

The longball certainly could be a factor in who comes out on top.

City High ranks sixth in 5A with 33 home runs this season while Cedar Falls is eighth in 5A with 28 homers.

Senior Sydney Runyan and junior Amanda Finck have accounted for 20 of those Tiger homer runs with 10 each while City High has eight different players with a homer led by freshman Iyana Merino with 12 and junior Molly Carlson with 10.

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