Sims headlines trio of Cardinals on all-LHC softball squad

The Little Hawkeye Conference sent three softball teams to the state tournament and one of them won the Class 4A championship.

Junior Mack Sims batted .442 in one of the strongest conferences in the state and ranked in the top 10 in four statistical categories while leading the Cardinals in even more than that.

Another strong season for Sims netted her first team all-conference recognition recently.

The teams were released to the public after Pella won its first softball state championship on Thursday.

All-conference recognition is based on statistics inside conference play only.

Joining Sims on the all-LHC team were senior Chloe Swank and sophomore Leileigh Hammons, who both were honorable mention selections.

Sims, who started all 18 conference games, ranked third in the conference with an on-base percentage of .571. Her four home runs and seven steals both tied for 10th in the league.

She was walked a league-most 13 times and was in the top 10 in least number of strikeouts this summer.

Sims also led Newton with 19 hits, 17 runs, seven RBIs, 32 total bases and one double.

She committed one error in 55 chances, which ranked sixth in the conference. Her fielding percentage was .982.

Swank batted .212 and had an OBP of .255. She led the Cardinals with 12 RBIs and added 11 hits, five runs, one homer, two walks and 14 total bases and she was hit by one pitch.

Swank, who started all 18 conference games, posted a fielding percentage of .939. She struck out only once in 52 at-bats, which tied for third in the league.

Hammons batted .300 and her OBP was .344. She finished with nine hits, three runs, three home runs, five RBIs, two walks and 18 total bases as a hitter.

As the Cardinals’ top pitcher, Hammons collected two wins, struck out 24 and tossed a league-most 67 1/3 innings.

Hammons, who started 11 of the 15 games she appeared in, also committed only one error in 21 chances and had a fielding percentage of .952.

Little Hawkeye Conference

Softball

Final Standings

Team Conference Overall

Norwalk 16-2 34-8

DCG 16-2 33-9

Indianola 11-7 21-15

Pella 8-9 25-12

Oskaloosa 5-12 15-21

Pella Christian 4-14 13-17

Newton 2-16 8-21

All-Conference

First Team

Pitchers: *Carly Brewer, sr., Norwalk; Tessa Jones, so., DCG.

Catcher: *Addison Lyddon, jr., DCG.

Infielders: *Sam Gripp, so., Indianola; *Jenah Gray, so., DCG; Bailey Birmingham, sr., Norwalk; Katie Scheckel, jr., Pella.

Outfielders: Mack Sims, jr., Newton; *Nyah Hilbert, sr., Norwalk; Dana Blake, sr., Indianola.

Utility: Kale Montag, jr., DCG; Emma Eekhoff, sr., Pella; Lex Guyer, so., Indianola.

* unanimous selections

Second Team

Pitchers: Leah Crick, so., Norwalk; Ashley Schultz, jr., Indianola.

Catcher: Faith Kacmarynski, sr., Pella Christian.

Infielders: Genevieve York, so., DCG; Sully Downey, sr., Indianola; Haylee Parker, so., Oskaloosa; Sophia Bauman, sr., DCG.

Outfielders: Tessa Gripp, jr., Indianola; Maddie Guillon, sr., Norwalk; Abbie Abens, so., DCG.

Utility: Delaney Felters, jr., DCG; Hadley Michael, so., Norwalk; Riley Parks, so., Pella.

Honorable Mention

Chloe Swank, sr., Newton; Leileigh Hammons, so., Newton; Ava Tichy, sr., Indianola; Bria Boell, so., Indianola; Avery Parks, so., Pella; Saige DeJong, sr., Pella; Jenna Morrison, sr., DCG; Halie Karnatz, sr., Norwalk; Addie Fisher, sr., Norwalk; Jillian Parks, fr., Oskaloosa; Cadence Grubb, so., Oskaloosa; Chloe Snyder, so., Pella Christian; Brynn Roozeboom, jr., Pella Christian.