The softball season came to a close last week, and the last order of business was to find out the All-State Teams for all five classes.

Starting in Class 1A, Moravia’s Autumn McDanel received First Team honors. McDanel was Moravia’s top hitter and ace pitcher her senior season, leading the team in almost every major category. Pitching was where she’ll leave the biggest hole, as she pitched all but 7 innings for the Mohawks this season with a small 0.65 ERA and 345 strikeouts in 184 innings.

On the Second Team in Class 1A, Lynnville-Sully’s Kasiah Ehresman and Montezuma’s Kate Maschmann were both honored. They just finished their senior campaigns. On the Third Team, the Sigourney pair of junior Kendall Streigle and sophomore Autum Barthelman were honored. They were joined by BGM senior Amber Hall, Cardinal senior Lindsey Davis, and Lynnville-Sully junior Brenna Lanser.

In Class 1A, the Honorable Mention list is lengthy, and includes several more area players. Cardinal senior Lexi Fullenkamp, Twin Cedars’ senior Bailey Dunkin and junior Madison DeWitt, North Mahaska’s senior Carly Ehret and junior Katie Koehler, Melcher-Dallas sophomore Andee Clark, Sigourney sophomore Leah Carter, and BGM sophomore Lyla Kriegel were all listed among the Honorable Mentions.

In Class 2A, there were no area First Teamers. On the Second Team, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont junior Haegen Boyer was honored. On the Third Team, Pella Christian junior Elizabeth Van Manen, and Pleasantville sophomore Andie Sowers were honored.

On the Honorable Mention list, EBF’s junior Claire Jager was named, along with Pekin senior Sloan Reighard. Those two were joined by the Pleasantville pair of senior Avari Heinz-Pence and sophomore Corinne Thomas.

For the Class 3A First Team, Mid-Prairie got a pair of players named in seniors Amber Kral and Alex Rath. Despite a tough season record-wise for the Golden Hawks, offensively, Kral and Rath carried the load. Rath led the way with a .509 batting average with 22 RBI and was 34 of 35 stealing bases. She also scored a team high 41 runs. Kral was the power bat, with a .463 average, 7 home runs, and 50 RBI. She only struck out five times in 108 at bats in 2016.

Centerville’s Lexi Riggell had a great junior campaign and was rewarded by being named Second Team All-State in Class 3A. She is joined by Third Teamers Hannah Isley (sophomore) and Alex Beard (8^th grader) from Albia, Jayci Vos (junior) of PCM, and Bailea Yahnke (freshman) of Davis County.

Class 4A was where the listening area had the biggest impact as seven area players were named to the First Team. That group is led by a trio of Indians from State Champion Oskaloosa.

Junior Alexis Groet was named the captain of the All-Tournament Team in Fort Dodge, and that capped an unbelievable year for the right-handed pitcher. Groet would finish her fourth consecutive All-State season with a 19-2 record, a 1.29 ERA, and 239 strikeouts in 146 innings. Her battery mate this year was junior catcher Alexis Westercamp. Westercamp took a leap this season with her efficiency at the plate, hitting a team-high .424 with 6 home runs and 38 knocked in. She also trimmed her strikeout totals way down from previous seasons while being a mainstay in the heart of the Osky order. Senior Kylee Silliman rounded out the Osky First Teamers. She hit .416 at the top of the Osky lineup with 2 homers and 26 RBI. She only struck out 6 times, and was a very reliable #2 pitcher with an unblemished 10-0 record and a stellar 1.03 ERA.

Joining the Oskaloosa players on the First Team are fellow Little Hawkeye Conference players Sydney Jenkins of Newton and Sara Tallman of Pella. Jenkins wrapped up her career with a .451 batting average and a .561 on-base percentage. She drew 22 walks while striking out only 9 times and was 28 for 28 in stolen bases. She also hit two homers. For Tallman, she reappears on the All-State team after another great season. She hit .514 with a .571 on-base percentage. She hit one homer and drove in 10 runs. Her speed was a big part of her success, as she was 16 for 19 in steals and manned centerfield at a high level for the Lady Dutch.

The last pair of players on the First Team from the area are Knoxville senior Carrie Chambers and Fairfield junior Kaylee Watson. Chambers was in the same mold as Jenkins and Tallman, with a high average (.423) and high on-base percentage (.477). She also was a thief on the basepaths, stealing 21 bases on 23 attempts. Watson was a power bat for Fairfield, who finished 3^rd in the state in Class 4A at the state tournament. She hit .410 with 7 home runs and 39 driven in.

Along with the players honored, Oskaloosa Head Coach Jay Harms was named the Class 4A Coach of the Year, wrapping up an unforgettable season for the long tenured manager.

On the Second Team, Osky’s Aubrey Miller was named after coming on strong in the second half of the season. She’s joined by Fairfield leadoff hitter Kenady Waugh. Both players just finished their junior seasons. Knoxville’s Ricki Hall was the only area player named to the Third Team.

In Class 5A, there were no area players on the First Team, with Ottumwa’s Ellie Hammack (senior) named to the Second Team and Kacy Nickerson (8^th grader) named to the Third Team.

There are no Honorable Mention lists for Class 3A, 4A, or 5A.

Every softball season is memorable for so many reasons, but with 43 players named to All-State Teams and one named Coach of the Year, it’s safe to say it will be hard for anyone to forget the 2016 softball campaign.

Oskaloosa’s State Softball Championship will be rooted in lore forever for many reasons.

Partially, the championship itself will be remembered for the thrilling 6-5 walkoff win the Indians pulled off after entering the 7^th inning down two runs to Carlisle.

Some of the history will, of course, be saddled with this being Osky’s first ever softball championship.

But perhaps most of all, the title run will be defined by the overall effort and consistency from the entire Osky lineup.

All nine spots in Head Coach Jay Harms’s lineup had at least two hits in three games in Fort Dodge, and every single batter drove in at least one run.

Oskaloosa was not as clean as they have been at points this season defensively, but they survived through those errors thanks in large part to the timely play being made and the pitching of one phenomenal All-Stater.

While the team as a whole can feel like they had done their part, four Indians received the honor of being named to the Class 4A All-Tournament Team, which was comprised of 11 players from the four teams who made it to the semifinal round.

For Oskaloosa, it all starts and ends with the right arm of Alexis Groet. A player who has been on All-State lists since her 8^th grade season, Groet showed why in her trio of games.

She went 3-0, dominating with a 1.33 ERA against the state’s best teams. Mowing down batters with 32 strikeouts and only 7 walks, there were few sustained threats against the junior all season, and especially in Fort Dodge. The one time she stumbled (in the 7^th inning against Carlisle in the title game), her offense picked her up as she had so many times before.

From the offense, Aubrey Miller had the most complete tournament. Miller hit a solo home run against Perry in the quarterfinals to get Osky off to a great start and she kept hitting until the end, doubling in a run in that fateful 7^th inning in the championship game.

Miller would go 6 for 10 at the plate with two doubles, the homer, two RBI, and two runs scored. Those offensive stats were in addition to Miller’s work at second base.

Helping Miller in the middle of the order was slugger Alexis Westercamp. Westercamp had a big quarterfinal game against Perry in the quarters, going 2 for 3 with what proved to be the game-deciding RBI with a third inning single. Her offensive totals for the tournament included going 3 for 8 with a double, those 2 RBI, and 2 walks drawn. She was also a steady hand behind home plate as Groet’s catcher.

The most surprising honoree for the Indians on the All-Tournament Team was freshman Ashley Kindley.

Kindley was the only 8^th grader on the team in 2015, and eventually won the designated player spot that was an open battle most of the season. Kindley’s bat was hot whenever she was in the lineup, and she proved to be an important piece to the Oskaloosa puzzle.

The frosh had a huge game in the semifinals against Fairfield, going 2 for 2 with 3 RBI and a run scored. Kindley would finish the tourney having gone 2 for 5 at the plate with 4 runs driven in, a run, and 2 walks drawn. Kindley batted as the DP for pitcher Alexis Groet in all three games.

These four players show the diversity of this Indian ball club, but Coach Harms and the girls can truly say that it was a full team effort to accomplish their dream of winning a state championship.

Oskaloosa’s quartet was joined on the All-Tournament Team with Carlisle’s Alyvia Dubois, Alyssa Brown, and Gabby Schnathorst, along with Fairfield’s Kenady Waugh and Alli Deao and Boone’s Breanna Hunter and Lauren Calkins.

You can see the final play of all of Osky’s games at Fort Dodge on our Facebook page, Mahaska Zone Network. You can also hear full audio from all three of the wins on our website, radiokmzn.com.

Oskaloosa will have the rare opportunity to win a state championship when the softball team faces #1 Carlisle Friday afternoon. The matchup will be difficult, but there are ways that Osky can pull off the upset.

The old saying is “same story different day.” However if the story continued the same as the previous day Osky Indians would advance to the state championship game. (Spoiler Alert) They Would! With Groet taking the circle once again, the Indians girls had to feel confident that her right arm could take them anywhere. And she was just as good on this day.

Wednesday night was a busy night for many area summer sports teams, and the Mahaska Zone Network listening area had teams representing all four boys classes looking to get to the State Baseball Tournament at Principal Park in Des Moines.

The Oskaloosa Indians won a wild Class 3A District 11 Final, 10-6, by defeating Williamsburg at home on Monday night.

The game was back-and-forth throughout, with the momentum swinging to both teams in big ways.

Oskaloosa scored three runs in the top of the second to take a 3-1 lead following RBI hits by Tucker Nunnikhoven, Rian Yates, and Joe Sterner at the bottom of the Indian order. Osky was the visiting team despite hosting the game at the Lacey Recreation Complex due to Williamsburg having the higher seed at the end of the season. The game was at Lacey due to standing water on the infield of the high school diamond.

In the bottom of the 3^rd inning, Oskaloosa Head Coach Clint Gingerich lifted starter Rian Yates to bring in Bennett Spry in relief. That inning was rough for Yates and Spry, as a batter reached on an error, five Raider batters drew walks, and five runs scored on just one hit in the inning.

After the tough sequence, Oskaloosa found themselves behind 6-3 with all the momentum in the Raider dugout.

That all changed in the 4^th, however, as the Indians came right back. Again, Nunnikhoven and Yates came through with RBI hits to tie the game at 6, and Spry drove in the run that would put the Indians up for good on a single up the middle.

Osky would plate three runs in the 7^th on a double by Ethan Arnold.

While the Indians built their lead, Nick Harrington and Joe Sterner would combine for four and a third innings of relief. Harrington would allow two hits and one walk while striking out three in one and a third innings, while Sterner would pitch the final two and two thirds innings. The senior would allow no hits while striking out five and only allowing three walks.

The win puts Osky’s record at 24-10 on the season and they advance to the Substate 6 Final in Class 3A where they will face their archrival Pella. Winner of that contest will advance to the State Baseball Tournament at Principal Park in Des Moines.

That game is Wednesday at 7 PM. You can hear the action on 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN, the KMZN mobile app, and radiokmzn.com with the pregame starting at 6:45 PM.

The CIML-Metro has named their all-conference teams for the 2016 softball season, and Ottumwa is well represented after a very good campaign.

On the first team, 8^th grader Kacy Nickerson, who was 15-4 as the Bulldogs’ pitcher and batted .370 in her first varsity season, was a unanimous choice for the First Team. She was one of only three athletes in the conference selected unanimously, along with Indianola sophomore pitcher Sidney Sickels and Des Moines Hoover junior catcher Madisen Blackford.

Also on the First Team was senior infielder Ellie Hammack for Ottumwa, along with junior outfielder/catcher Madi Wiley.

On the Second Team, Ottumwa had a quartet of players honored. Senior shortstop Kaleigh Schreiner was listed on the infield, while sophomore pitcher Dakota Garrison was honored. Juniors Alexis Nelson (outfield) and Kaylee Glasgow (infield) were also named to the Second Team All-Metro.

The Bulldogs also had three players listed among the honorable mentions. Seniors Kelsey Peyton and Georgia Garrett were honored alongside freshman Morgan Greiner for outstanding 2016 seasons.

Ottumwa finished second in the Metro this season with an 18-5 mark in conference play. They had a 30-8 record overall. Indianola won the conference with a 20-2 record within the conference, and currently have a 32-9 record. They play Urbandale in the state quarterfinals Monday afternoon as a slight underdog.

Indianola departs the Metro after this season to join the already-loaded Little Hawkeye Conference, who had six of their seven teams ranked at one point this season and all seven hosted at least their first postseason game this season. With that move occurring, Ottumwa will be looking to once again dominate with a young core under legendary head coach Frank Huston.

The Class 1A District 12 Semifinals were very interesting, but the team with the better record won both contests, as heard on 104.9 FM KBOE.

In the first battle, North Mahaska’s season came to a close as Moravia got a 9-4 win. Opportunistic hitting, aggressive baserunning, and a phenomenal complete game from sophomore Tucker Babbit were the difference for the Mohawks, as they are now 25-5 and two wins away from the state tournament in Des Moines.

Moravia will face BGM, who defeated Cardinal in a 10-0 run-rule decision in five innings. BGM got a four-hit complete game from senior Kaiden Fiebelkorn, who allowed just one hit after the first inning. BGM is receiving votes in Class 1A, and their diverse and powerful offense in support of their ace pitcher showed that their prowess should not be ignored.

North Mahaska’s season ends at 16-12, while Cardinal’s ends at 10-16.

Moravia will have to travel to Brooklyn to face 22-7 BGM on Saturday night in the Class 1A District 12 Championship Game. First pitch will be at 7 PM. The winner of that contest will face either #2 Don Bosco or North Tama in the Class 1A Substate 6 Final in Marshalltown on Tuesday, July 19^th.

The South Central Conference coaches have determined their all-conference teams for 2016 softball, and the list involves several area players.

On the first team, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont’s Haegen Boyer and Randie Richmond are among six unanimous selections. Boyer was EBF’s best run producing bat and one of the best shortstops in the area defensively. Richmond was the ace for the Rockets in the circle and also performed well offensively in the middle of the order for Head Coach Tony Fenton.

Albia’s Hannah Isley was also a unanimous selection, as the junior helped lead Albia to the regional finals in Class 3A. Centerville’s Lex Riggall and the Clarke duo of Vanessa Bakley and Sydney Richmond were also unanimous first-teamers.

The most interesting part of that six player group is the fact that all of them will return next season. All are juniors except for Richmond, who is a sophomore.

Joining them on the first team are Knoxville senior Carrie Chambers, EBF junior Claire Jager, Albia 8^th grader Alex Beard, and Davis County freshman Bailea Yahnke.

On the second team, the coaches selected EBF’s Teri Lane and Reina Taylor, Clarke’s Sidney Marker and Amanda Kindred, Albia’s Jena Lawrence and Lisa Etcher, Centerville’s Taylor Jewett and Abby Sweet, Knoxville’s Ricki Hall and Emily Wallace, and Chariton’s Sarah Fuhs.

Finally, the lengthy honorable mention list has players from all seven SCC schools.

EBF’s Taryn Swartz, Payton Hynick, and Lexi Taylor were honored, along with Clarke’s Audrey Kindred. Albia’s duo of Kennedy Schroeder and Makenna Ross were listed, along with the Centerville trio of Libby Sebolt, Alyssa McElvain, and Makayla Bauer. Knoxville’s Anna Sanderson and Addy Findley were on the list, as well as four Davis County Mustangs: Shelby Clark, Connor Wilfawn, Shelby Motykowski, and Whitney Madden. Chariton’s Jessica Wiederholt, Micaela Folkers, Carly Arnold, and Maria Blong round out the honorable mention list.

The South Central Conference was won outright by EBF at 10-2, with Clarke finishing 9-3 in second. Albia was in third with a 7-5 record while Centerville and Knoxville both finished with a 5-7 conference mark. Davis County finished 4-8, and Chariton brought up the rear with a 2-10 record in the SCC.

EBF doesn’t lose anyone from their lineup heading into 2017, and Albia and Davis County have young cores that could catapult them to the top of the conference.

With this conference getting stronger by the year, it will be intriguing to see how the cards fall in 2017, but unfortunately, no SCC team will be playing for a state title in Fort Dodge this season.