Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Into the Class 2A State Softball Championship

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Rick Watts

The Rockets of EBF have been on a long journey this season. They have been ranked in the top ten in Class 2A all season long, and as high as #2. But as the season wore on, they slipped and were passed by teams that the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union deemed hotter or more deserving.

Well, when postseason play got started, the Rockets made no bones about it: they were one of the best teams in the state. The have the chance to prove that they are the BEST team in the state in Class 2A, as they will play for a championship on Friday.

It was relentless pressure put on by the EBF offense against a great pitcher for #2 Interstate 35. Carlyn Stanley entered as a prized recruit for Indian Hills Community College and has been dominant all year. But EBF would only be retired in order in the fourth inning, and would at least put two on base in four innings.

Unfortunately, it was nearly impossible to score a run, as Stanley and her defense would continuously get out of jams. Stanley would strike out 12 Rocket batters in the game, but would also walk six.

The big hit finally came when Randie Richmond launched a two-run bomb over the left field wall to give the Rockets a 2-0 lead. Richmond was also dominant in the circle, allowing just one hit in the first six innings and two hits in the 7th.

It was precarious, but the Rockets were able to ride their junior right-hander to the win. Richmond would finish with a complete game three-hitter with no walks and four strikeouts, throwing only 71 pitches in the game. That’s compared to the 147 that Stanley had to throw for I-35.

EBF advances to their second state championship game in school history in softball, with the other coming in 2014. They will face #5 Iowa City Regina, who is making their third straight trip to the state title game in Class 2A, winning the championship in 2015.

The first pitch is scheduled for 4:53 PM on Buena Vista University Diamond at Rogers Sports Complex. You can hear the action starting around 4:35 on 104.9 FM KBOE, kboeradio.com, and the KBOE mobile app.

EBF Upsets Columbus Catholic in 2A State Softball Quarters

Posted on July 18, 2017 by Rick Watts

Connor Swim, Announcer

Even though rankings on paper suggested that the #6 ranked Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Rockets were the underdogs to the extremely young #3 Columbus Catholic Sailors, a wildly different story played out in the Class 2A Softball Quarterfinal matchup at the Rogers Sports Complex on Day One of the State Softball Tournament in Fort Dodge.

Ignore every statistic, ignore the rankings, and ignore the predictions. None of it matters here in state tournament play. The story for the Rockets played out in a way that no one watching except for the Rocket faithful and athletes expected. EBF entered the state tournament red hot, winning all regional playoff games convincingly and highlighted by a strong 4-1 win over #4 ranked Pella Christian in the Region 6 Final. The Rockets have made their money behind talented junior pitcher Randie Richmond. backed by an athletic and stout defense, as well as an explosive offense highlighted by senior shortstop Haegen Boyer and senior catcher Claire Jager.

Columbus Catholic had a dream season entering the state playoffs. The Sailors reached State for the first time in school history on the back of a school record 34 win season. The young team, fielding all underclassmen except for a lone senior and junior, has a healthy balance of solid hitting and pesky pitching. Sophomore Kayla Sproul pitched 32 of the Sailors’s 39 games this year and throws a lot of off speed that compliments her fastball. They carried a lot of moment into tournament play.

Early in the game, it became apparent which team let the moment get to their heads and what team was playing with the fire and confidence needed to succeed in the state tournament. EBF started out the game strong, not plating any runs, but knocking on the door and putting runners in scoring position every inning. In contrast, Columbus Catholic only recorded 5 hits in the entire game, 3 of which came in the 7th inning. EBF pitcher Randie Richmond was in complete control and her confidence was mirrored by her team. Still, with all of the hits and runners stranded on base by EBF, the Rockets seemed to have trouble plating runs. They took a 1-0 lead in the 3rd thanks to a triple turned Little League Home Run by senior Taryn Swartz. Swartz laced a ball into the outfield and ran into 3rd base standing up. The throw from the cutoff man flew over the head of the 3rd baseman and Swartz never stopped running and took home. This error painted a picture of the game as a whole. EBF played with confidence and did not make mistakes. Columbus Catholic showed their youth and inexperience and played a much messier game than their counterparts. This allowed EBF to appear in complete control of the game, even with just an 1-0 lead.

Finally, in the 7th inning, the score reflected the story of the game. After two singles and a walk in the top of the 7th, Haegen Boyer blew the game open with a huge double, pushing the score to 3-0. The Rockets did not quit there, with Claire Jager hitting a 2 RBI single and Darian Johnson ripping a 2 RBI double to add to the EBF lead in the top of the 7th.

The Sailors found a little bit of life in the bottom of the 7th, scoring 2 quick runs. EBF Head Coach Tony Fenton made a trip to the mound, calmed his players, and the defense closed out the game in decisive fashion.

You can catch the EBF girls in action in the Class 2A Semifinals on Thursday, July 20th, at 5:00 pm, and as always you can listen to the game live on 104.9 FM KBOE, kboeradio.com, and the KBOE mobile app, with the pregame show beginning around 4:45.

No Coast Network Announces Broadcast Lineup for State Softball Tournament

Posted on July 14, 2017 by Rick Watts

State softball is on deck and five area teams will be playing for state titles in four different classes.

All the action on the No Coast Network begins Monday morning around 10:45 on 104.9 FM KBOE, kboeradio.com, and the KBOE mobile app. In Class 1A, #8 Montezuma will face #1 Kee in the first game on Buena Vista University Diamond at the Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge. Monte enters at 19-12 while Kee is 35-2.

Following that contest on the same field at around 3 PM will be #7 Sigourney vs. #2 Akron-Westfield. That game will also be broadcast on 104.9 FM KBOE, kboeradio.com, and the KBOE mobile app. Sigourney is 22-11 entering the tourney and Akron-Westfield is 35-2.

Not too long after that will be the Class 2A quarterfinal between #6 Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont and #3 Waterloo Columbus Catholic. First pitch is on Diamond 2 around 5:30 PM Monday evening. The Rockets will be playing on 104.9 FM KBOE, kboeradio.com, and the KBOE mobile app just before the first pitch. If the Sigourney game is still going on prior to first pitch, the game will begin on 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN, radiokmzn.com, and the KMZN mobile app. EBF enters at 30-8, with Columbus Catholic entering at 34-5.

Tuesday morning, #7 Albia takes the field in the Class 3A bracket. The Lady Dees are playing #2 Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley. First pitch is at 11 AM on Buena Vista University Diamond. You can check for regular updates on 104.9 FM KBOE throughout the game, as well as the KBOE 104.9 FM Facebook page. Albia goes into the tournament at 28-8, and Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley enters at 32-2.

Finally, Oskaloosa will round out our first round games Tuesday afternoon at 3 PM in the Class 4A quarterfinals. The #4 Indians play #5 Mount Pleasant on Buena Vista University Diamond, and that game can be heard on both 104.9 FM KBOE and 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN. It will also be streamed on both kboeradio.com and radiokmzn.com. Osky goes into the tournament at 29-12 and Mount Pleasant enters at 31-10.

You can follow all of the state tournament action by liking our Facebook pages, KBOE 104.9 FM and KMZN. You can also follow us on Twitter: @KBOERadio and @KMZNRadio.

Montezuma, Sigourney, EBF, Albia All Qualify for State Softball Tournament

Posted on July 11, 2017 by Rick Watts

The softball regional finals did not disappoint in our listening area on Monday night as four games produced four area teams qualifying for state.

In a game heard on 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN, radiokmzn.com, and the KMZN mobile app, the Montezuma Bravettes took on Fort Dodge St. Edmond in a most improbable matchup. After three quick, scoreless innings, Monte would plate three runs in both the fourth and fifth innings and another run in the sixth. A solo home run would be all the Gaels could match in that span. Eventually, Monte would get the final out and win by a score of 7-1. Bravette pitcher Hanna Jones would only surrender one run on three hits in the game.

Montezuma will be the #8 seed in Class 1A and will face #1 seed Kee in the quarterfinals on Monday at 11 AM.

On 104.9 FM KBOE, kboeradio.com, and the KBOE mobile app, the Sigourney Savages looked to upset #3 Martensdale-St. Marys on the road. The Savages would score two runs early, but Martensdale-St. Marys would battle back and tie the game. Sigourney would hang tough and walk-it-off in the bottom of the 7^th to advance to state with the upset.

Sigourney will be the #7 seed and will face #2 seed and perennial powerhouse Akron-Westfield Monday at 3 PM.

Joining Montezuma and Sigourney at state are Colfax-Mingo and Belle Plaine, who found ways to win their respective regions as well. That means that four of the eight teams in the Class 1A state tournament bracket are out of the South Iowa Cedar League, a conference that had zero teams ranked in the top ten heading into the postseason.

In Class 2A Region 6, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont travelled to Pella Christian High School to face the #4 team in the state and picked up a 4-1 win to get back to state for the first time since 2014. They’ll be the #6 seed in Class 2A and face #3 seed Waterloo Columbus Catholic on Monday at 5:30 PM.

In Class 3A Region 7, Albia went on the road to face Solon and got a big upset win, 11-3. The Lady Dees have shown the ability to play with anyone and they’ll get a chance as the #7 seed in the Class 3A bracket. They’ll play #2 seed Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley in the quarters on Tuesday at 11 AM.

Tonight, the Class 4A and 5A Regional Finals will be decided. Among them is the Class 4A Region 5 Final between the Oskaloosa Indians and the Burlington Greyhounds tonight at 7 PM. You can hear that contest live on 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN, radiokmzn.com, and the KMZN mobile app starting at 6:45 PM.

Also, the Ottumwa Bulldogs will be on the road to face top-ranked Waukee in the Class 5A Region 1 Final. That game is at 7 PM as well.

You can check out a full schedule for the State Softball Tournament for all of our listening area when we announce it by the end of this week for both KBOE and KMZN. Keep updated by checking out the websites, kboeradio.com and radiokmzn.com.

Softball Regional Finals To Be Decided Monday and Tuesday Nights

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Rick Watts

Over the next two days, 40 schools will punch their ticket to the Iowa High School Softball State Tournament at Harlan Rogers Park in Fort Dodge. In the No Coast Network listening area, there are seven who are looking to do just that.

On Monday night, Class 1A, 2A, and 3A will all be looking to raise a banner.

Class 1A Region 3 is one of the most incredible matchups in the state, as Montezuma (18-12) will host Fort Dodge St. Edmond (12-17). Monte finished the season strong but still had to win a play-in game against Tri-County, which they barely survived in walkoff fashion last Monday, 4-3. Then, the Bravettes came from behind to walkoff again on Wednesday, this time against North Mahaska, 2-1 in 10 innings. They made things a little easier on themselves last Friday, exploding late to defeat Lynnville-Sully on the road, 10-4.

Now, they’ll play one of the unlikeliest of regional finalists in Fort Dodge St. Edmond. The Gaels started their run last Monday by beating Coon Rapids-Bayard, 3-2, in a game at Harlan Rogers Park. The big upset occurred last Wednesday, as they defeated #5 Newell-Fonda, 8-6, in Fonda. They kept up the momentum on Friday, waltzing past Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton, 9-2.

These two will do battle on 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN, radiokmzn.com, and the KMZN mobile app, beginning at 6:45 PM for the 7 PM first pitch in Montezuma.

In Class 1A Region 7, Sigourney (21-11) has to go on the road to face #3 Martensdale-St. Marys to get to state. The Savages have held serve throughout in the bottom half of the bracket, getting a 7-1 win over Winfield-Mount Union on Wednesday and a 6-5 win over New London on Friday, both at home.

Martensdale-St. Marys (32-3) dominated in their first game against Southeast Warren, 12-0, but faced a stiff test against Wayne before surviving, 4-3.

That game can be heard on 104.9 FM KBOE, kboeradio.com, and the KBOE mobile app at 6:45 PM for the 7 PM first pitch in Martensdale.

In Class 2A Region 6, two area teams will duke it out for one trip to state. #4 Pella Christian (32-5) will host #9 Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (29-8) in Pella. These two teams haven’t seen each other yet this year, but have a great rivalry in other sports.

EBF has been ranked as high as #2 this season and seemed destined to comfortably sit at the top of their region, but after some confusion with the IGHSAU, regions needed shuffled and a white-hot Pella Christian was added to the Rockets’ bracket. After both teams strolled through the first two rounds, they now find themselves needing one win to make it to Fort Dodge. First pitch in Pella is at 7 PM.

Region 7 in Class 3A features #9 Albia (27-8) travelling to face #6 Solon (30-12). Albia has a ton of youth and has shown great growth all season long. Solon has been there and done that, qualifying for state on a near-yearly basis. These two will lock horns in Solon at 7 PM.

On Tuesday night, just two area teams will be looking to advance to state.

Class 4A Region 5 sees the defending state champion and fifth-ranked Oskaloosa Indians (28-12) hosting #7 Burlington (22-17). Osky breezed past Washington in the semifinals to get to this point, hosting another regional final. They’ll face Burlington, a perennially ranked team in Class 5A who dropped down to 4A this year. The Greyhounds had to sweat it out in the semis, needing extras to down North Scott at home on Saturday, 3-1.

That game can be heard live from the Oskaloosa Softball Field at 6:45 PM on 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN, radiokmzn.com, and the KMZN mobile app. First pitch Tuesday night is at 7 PM.

Finally, the Ottumwa Bulldogs (26-14) will look to keep up a strong tradition under Head Coach Frank Huston and get back to state. The #11 Bulldogs will face top-ranked Waukee (37-3-1) on the road Tuesday night. Both teams won by double-digits in their first postseason game and it will be sure to be a heavyweight fight in Waukee on Tuesday night, with the first pitch at 7 PM.

Be sure to stay locked in on KBOE and KMZN on the air and on the web for all the latest scores and updates throughout the postseason.

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