Today we’re starting our KCII Top 10 Countdown of the biggest stories in area high school sports for the 2024-2025 academic year. At number 10 is the Keota Eagles having one of their best softball seasons of the 21st century.

After years of struggles on the diamond, including just a combined 10 wins since 2015, a young team helped Keota break through this summer, going 9-7 in the South Iowa Cedar League and finishing 11-9 overall.

The Eagles would host their first playoff game since at least 2007 and cruise past Moulton-Udell for a 12-0 win. The only thing that would get in their way was defending state champion Sigourney, and even then, Keota pushed the rival Savages to the brink in the Class 1A regional quarterfinals before losing a 1-0 pitcher’s duel in extra innings.

Starting pitcher Jessalyn Aller was one of the biggest reasons for the Eagles’ turnaround. The eighth-grader had a 3.19 earned-run average and racked up a whopping 146 strikeouts in 123 innings of work.

Aller was also Keota’s top hitter, finishing the season with a .370 batting average, seven doubles, four triples, three home runs, 23 runs batted in and 18 runs scored on her way to second-team all-conference honors.

Freshman Elyse Lyle was also a force at the plate for the Eagles with a .339 average, six doubles, three homers, 23 runs scored and 16 stolen bases to also nab a second-team selection.

Freshman Cameron Haifley and Lainey Swanson, the team’s lone senior, were named honorable mention all-conference and each scored double-digit runs for the first Keota softball team to have a winning season in over 20 years.

Keep listening to KCII and check online at KCIIradio.com as the countdown continues tomorrow of the Top 10 Area High Sports Stories of 2024-2025.