The Washington Demons will take on a fellow state-ranked softball squad at the home of the Iowa Hawkeyes when they meet Central Lee at Bob Pearl Field in Iowa City this evening on KCII.

Washington’s sweep of a doubleheader at Mount Pleasant last time out raised their record to 19-6 and clinched at least a share of a Southeast Conference championship.

Junior shortstop Leighton Salazar is closing in on a number of single-season school records in another all-state-caliber campaign, leading the team with a .538 batting average, 49 total hits, 38 runs scored and 37 stolen bases.

Senior Ella Greiner is also tearing it up at the plate for the Demons, hitting .446 with 24 runs batted in and another 28 scored, while sophomore Colbie Greiner and seniors Alyvia Anderson and Bella Salazar are each batting .355 or better and have combined for 17 doubles, four home runs and 63 RBI.

But, while Washington is a step away from a third straight 20-win season, the 11th-ranked team in Class 3A is still looking for more. That includes a measure of redemption.

Last summer ended with a loss to Central Lee in the regional semifinals where the Demons saw a three-run lead at home disappear in the final inning. Head coach Ben Obermann tells KCII Sports that getting to where this team wants to go will come down to taking the right lessons from games like last year’s contest and tonight.

“Everything’s out in front of us,” Obermann says. “Our goals are still out in front of us. It just allows us to learn a little more about ourselves and, once we get to postseason play, what we need to hone in on a bit more.”

Washington faces a Central Lee team that is ranked 14th in Class 3A and, like the Demons, is a top-25 scoring and hitting offense in the state. Junior Kenna Sandoval is batting .475 with eight doubles, four homers, 22 runs batted in and 28 runs scored for a team that is 18-3.

While last year’s playoff loss looms large, the Demons had previously won three straight against the Hawks. You can catch all the action between Washington and Central Lee from the University of Iowa Softball Complex this evening on 106.1 FM and streaming on KCIIradio.com and the KCII1 app starting at 6:30.