Twelve area athletes earn all-SICL softball honors

In a year when the conference sent four teams to the state softball tournament, Colfax-Mingo and Lynnville-Sully were in the discussion for the South Iowa Cedar League title for most of the season.

The Tigerhawks and Hawks wound up tied for third and tied for the division title and the two teams placed 12 players on the all-SICL softball teams.

Leading the way were Colfax-Mingo senior Amy Russell and junior Ries Wilson and Lynnville-Sully senior Brenna Lanser.

Earning a spot on the second team were Colfax-Mingo sisters senior Alivia Haley and junior Rhiannon Haley and Tigerhawk sophomore Colbee Cunningham as well as Lynnville-Sully senior Haley James and sophomore Carson Fisk.

The four area honorable mention selections were Lynnville-Sully junior McKinley Conover and freshman Mallory Loftus and Colfax-Mingo sophomores Mackensie Brown and Delaney Underwood.

Sigourney and Belle Plaine tied for the conference champion at 13-3, while Colfax-Mingo and Lynnville-Sully were both 11-5. Colfax-Mingo, Sigourney, Belle Plaine and Montezuma all advanced to this year’s Class 1A state softball tournament last week.

Russell had one of the best seasons in Colfax-Mingo school history. Overall, she batted .535 with a 1A-best 17 home runs and 66 RBIs. She scored 45 runs, hit 16 doubles, walked 18 times and reached base 59 percent of the time.

In the SICL, Russell hit .482 with five home runs, 21 RBIs, 14 runs, five walks and had an OBP of .516. Russell, who made the team as an infielder, committed just one error as the Tigerhawks’ shortstop.

Wilson, who made the first team as an outfielder, hit .429 in the SICL with 25 runs, two home runs, 10 RBIs, four walks, nine doubles and an OBP of .471. She committed just two errors in center field.

Overall, Wilson hit .417 with 53 runs, 20 RBIs, four home runs, 11 walks, 15 doubles and 18 stolen bases. Her OBP was .465.

Lanser returned to the SICL first team after batting .388 in league games. She finished with 13 runs, 18 RBIs, two home runs, five walks and 12 stolen bases while getting on base 45 percent of the time.

Overall, Lanser batted .363 with 25 runs, 27 RBIs, four home runs, 15 stolen bases, eight walks, 10 doubles and an OBP of .404.

Rhiannon Haley was a second-team infielder, Cunningham landed on the second team as a pitcher and Alivia Haley earned a spot on the second team as a utility player.

Rhiannon Haley batted .382 in conference play. She hit six home runs, scored 16 runs, drove in 20 runs, hit three doubles and walked four times. Her OBP was .417.

Overall, Rhiannon Haley hit.422 with 10 home runs, 55 RBIs, 38 runs, 13 doubles and 10 walks. Her OBP was .472.

Alivia Haley played her best outside of the SICL. In the league, she batted .278 with a home run, 13 runs, 10 RBIs, four walks and five doubles. Her OBP was .365. Overall, Alivia Haley hit .397 with three home runs, 52 runs, 25 RBIs, 10 walks, 15 doubles and an OBP of .463.

Cunningham was the Tigerhawks’ No. 2 pitcher, but she still went 5-1 in SICL games. Her earned run average was 2.10 with 24 strikeouts and seven walks in 40 innings. Overall, Cunningham finished 9-8 with an ERA of 3.02. She struck out 50 and walked 45 in 111 1/3 innings pitched.

At the plate, Cunningham hit four home runs and had 28 RBIs on the season. She had three home runs and 13 RBIs in SICL games.

The Hawks’ second-teamers were Fisk in the infield and James in the outfield.

Fisk hit .393 in SICL play with 17 runs, 12 RBIs, 15 stolen bases, five doubles and two walks. Her OBP was .424. Overall, Fisk batted .337 with 26 runs, 17 RBIs, 19 steals, eight walks and seven doubles. Her OBP was .398.

James batted .286 in conference play with eight runs, two RBIs, two walks and an OBP of .318. She had just one error in the outfield. Overall, James hit .284 with 18 runs, six RBIs, six walks and an OBP of .346.

Brown started all but one game in left field this season for the Tigerhawks. In conference play, Brown hit .457 with 12 runs, 14 RBIs, 10 walks and five doubles. Her OBP was .561 and she committed just two errors in the outfield.

Overall, Brown hit .351 with 28 runs, 27 RBIs, 25 walks, 13 doubles and an OBP of .482.

Underwood committed just one error in conference play as the Tigerhawks’ primary second basemen. She scored 10 runs, had eight RBIs, three walks and an OBP of .345. Overall, Underwood batted .242 with 17 runs, 17 RBIs, three doubles and seven walks. Her OBP was .300.

Conover batted .327 in conference play with five runs, 12 RBIs, three doubles, two walks and an OBP of .340. Overall, Conover hit .370 with seven runs, 22 RBIs, three walks, five doubles and an OBP of .381.

Loftus, who shared duties in the circle for the Hawks, batted .320 in conference play with eight runs, six RBIs, four walks, eight stolen bases and two doubles. Her OBP was .370. Overall, Loftus hit .378, 12 runs, 13 RBIs, four doubles, five walks and an OBP of .411.

In the circle, Loftus went 8-2 in her 10 conference starts. She had one save and an ERA of 4.00. She was 13-6 in her 19 starts this season.

South Iowa Cedar League

Final Conference Standings

Sigourney 13-3

Belle Plaine 13-3

Colfax-Mingo 11-5

Lynnville-Sully 11-5

North Mahaska 10-6

HLV 9-7

Montezuma 8-8

Tri-County 8-8

BGM 7-9

English Valleys 3-13

Iowa Valley 3-13

Keota 0-16

All-Conference

First Team

Pitchers — Katlyn Little, senior, Tri-County; Emma Cheney, junior, HLV; Kendall Streigle, senior, Sigourney.

Catchers — Kelsea Shaull, senior, HLV; Cassidy Watts, junior, Montezuma.

Infielders — Amy Russell, senior, Colfax-Mingo; Brenna Lanser, senior, Lynnville-Sully; Autumn Barthelman, junior, Sigourney; Audrey Grove, junior, English Valleys; Mallory Klinker, junior, North Mahaska.

Outfielders — Ries Wilson, junior, Colfax-Mingo; Jensen Kelderman, senior, North Mahaska; Aimee Hochstetler, senior, BGM; Katy Ward, senior, Belle Plaine.

Utility — Hanna Jones, junior, Montezuma; Grace Parrott, junior, Belle Plaine.

Second Team

Pitchers — Colbee Cunningham, sophomore, Colfax-Mingo; Kelsey Lint, sophomore, BGM; Emma Deucore, sophomore, North Mahaska; Katie Cubbage, sophomore, Belle Plaine.

Catchers — Leah Carter, junior, Sigourney; Paige Laymen, freshman, North Mahaska.

Infielders — Carson Fisk, sophomore, Lynnville-Sully; Rhiannon Haley, junior, Colfax-Mingo; Shelby Helm, junior, Montezuma; Paige Smithhart, senior, Tri-County; Summer Barthelman, sophomore, Sigourney.

Outfielders — Haley James, senior, Lynnville-Sully; Katie Koehler, senior, North Mahaska; Brooke Waechter, junior, Sigourney; Cherisse Ward, junior, Iowa Valley; Makenna Carl, junior, Montezuma.

Utility — Alivia Haley, senior, Colfax-Mingo; Hayley Pinkerton, junior, North Mahaska.

Honorable Mention

Colfax-Mingo — Mackensie Brown, sophomore; Delaney Underwood, sophomore.

Lynnville-Sully — McKinley Conover, junior; Mallory Loftus, freshman.

Belle Plaine — Shaylee Dodd, sophomore; Amanda Cook, junior.

Sigourney — Madi Schauf, junior; Megan Stuhr, freshman.

North Mahaska — Tessa Fuller, junior; Olivia Boender, senior.

HLV — Haley Coats, sophomore; Kayla Jack, eighth-grader.

Montezuma — Olivia Moretz, sophomore; Maddie McKeag, freshman.

Tri-County — Michaela Lundy, senior; Reace Thomas, eighth-grader.

BGM — Lyla Kriegel, junior; Kaylee Lint, sophomore.

English Valleys — Karyssa Westfall, freshman; Lexie Miller, junior.

Iowa Valley — Mariah Fillenworth, senior; Caleigh Smith, junior.