As the high school softball playoffs roll on this evening, three Southeast Iowa Super Conference teams will be looking to move on to the regional semifinals.
That includes the Lone Tree Lions, who are in action in Class 1A Region 5 against Gilbertville Don Bosco after getting a first-round bye. Lone Tree has ascended to the number-fifteen ranking in the state in 1A after finishing the regular season with a 15-7 record and winning nine of their last 10 games.
Alex Dautremont leads a potent Lion lineup with a .426 batting average and has 14 runs batted in. Fellow senior Vivian Zaruba is hitting .412 with 27 runs scored and 24 stolen bases at the top of order, while eighth-grader Adi Parizek has a been a break-out star by batting .333 with three doubles, a home run and a team-high 17 RBI.
Five other players have played at least 20 games while hitting over .280 for Lone Tree, who takes on a Don Bosco team that is 19-13 but has won 14 of its last 20.
The Columbus Wildcats also start their playoff journey tonight in the regional quarterfinals as they host Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont in Class 2A Region 2. Columbus went 12-11 in the regular season, but they feature one of the most dynamic players in the state in Lily Coil.
The senior has posted a .537 average with 15 doubles, three triples, three home runs, 38 RBI and 31 runs scored on offense. But Coil has also been an excellent pitcher, winning seven games and allowing a 2.59 earned-run average while also collecting 70 strikeouts in just over 70 innings of work.
Junior Kennedy Woepking has also been a dual threat for the Wildcats, hitting .373 with eight doubles, four homers and 32 RBI with the bat and posting a 2.17 ERA and 56 strikeouts in nearly 68 innings in the circle.
Ellie Sanders adds a dynamic lead-off hitter to the Columbus lineup by batting .500, scoring 28 times and stealing 23 bases, while junior Daniela Diaz also swings a sweet stick, hitting .373 with four doubles, one home run and 32 runs scored. The Wildcats are facing an Eddyville squad that is 11-19.
Back in Class 1A, the Highland Huskies will be looking to build on a 8-0 victory over English Valleys in the first round in Region 4 Monday night as they travel to take on North Linn. Highland is now 14-9 and on a roll with five straight wins coming into this evening.
Senior Lilly Barre has been the primary power hitter for the Huskies with five homers and a team-high 24 runs batted in, while freshman Kamryn Fink is the table setter for the lineup with a .431 average, 29 runs scored and 32 steals.
Eighth-graders Kinzie Ruess, Adley Sweeting and Ella Schlabaugh are also each hitting above .300 while combining for nine doubles, 36 RBI and another 29 runs scored.
Eighth-grader Jillian Stranksy and her team-low 3.07 ERA have made her the top pitcher for Highland, who is up against a North Linn program that won the state championship two years ago but is 21-18 so far this season. First pitch of all playoff softball games tonight is set for 7 o’clock.