The Keota Eagle softball team is set to step into the Area Game of the Week spotlight tonight when they hit the road to take on the HLV/Tri-County Warriors on the KCII3 Stream.

Keota wrapped up a 2-15 overall and 2-12 South Iowa Cedar League slate last season, and will be shooting for a higher mark this season. The 2025 edition of the Eagles will be filled with many fresh faces to the program, including a junior in Olivia Lyle, two freshmen and three eighth graders. In 2024, the Eagles scored 63 runs, held a .278 average, .270 OBP and .333 slug. Individually, Lexus Detweiler, Kennedy Jackson and Elyse Lyle all recorded the highest batting average and return this season. In the circle, opponents batted .481 against the Eagles. Jackson led the way, allowing 22 runs on 21 hits, a .477 opponent average, 18.14 ERA and 4.36 WHIP. Keota is replacing two senior captains in Cassandra Swantz and Emily Sheetz. Keota head coach Shawn Haifley tells KCII Sports that he is eager to see what his bunch will do in his first season at the helm.

“We had some open gyms in April and started practice here in May and they just kind of have a businesslike attitude towards them,” Haifley said. “I really see things coming together I think so far. We’re just ready to get the game going and get started!”

The home HLV/Tri-County Warriors finished runner-up to Class 1A state champion Sigourney in the SICL last season at 17-7 overall and 12-3 in conference play. The Warriors scored 235 runs on 238 hits, with a .348 average, .421 OBP and .461 slug. HLV-TC returns their top four in batting average from a season ago in seniors Ayla Hall, Lily Randall and Raegan Molyneux, as well as freshman Karley Moore. In the circle, the Warriors allowed 152 runs on 166 hits, a .257 opponent average, 4.41 ERA and 1.61 WHIP. Outside of graduated senior Hailey Jack, Molyneux got the most work, allowing 28 runs on 23 hits, a .371 opponent average, 12.38 ERA and 2.85 WHIP.

In the Varsity Bound era, HLV-TC leads the all-time series with the Eagles 22-2 dating back to 2008 and were victorious in the previous 15 meetings. The last Keota win in the series came in 2012.

You can hear tonight’s softball matchup between Keota and HLV/Tri-County streaming online at KCIIRadio.com on the KCII3 Stream and on the new KCII3 App, beginning with pregame coverage at 5, and first pitch between the Eagles and Warriors to follow at 5:30 from Victor.