Top stars, best performances in Iowa high school softball last week
By Barry Poe
Here are some stars from the past week's high school softball games across Iowa.
If you know of a top performance we should include, please include them in the comments section below.
Ellie Flanagan, North Linn
The junior registered her 17th pitching win of the season and had a single and double at the plate in Class 1A top-ranked North Linn’s final regular season win, 9-2 over Center Point-Urbana on Thursday.
Abby Pate, Central Springs
The Class 2A top-ranked Panthers closed the regular season at 28-1 with their 14th straight win, 12-0 over Osage on Thursday. Pate, a junior, was 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.
Cameran Smith, ADM
The sophomore pitched a one-hit shutout, striking out 10 in a 2-0 win over Earlham on Friday for the Tigers, ranked No. 1 in Class 4A.
Ella Smithson, Johnston
Sophomore first baseman was 4-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs in 13-1 win over Waukee on Wednesday.
Bridget Stover, Winterset
Senior catcher hit a grand slam home run as the 31-4 Huskies rolled to a 14-1 win over Gilbert on Thursday.
Tory Bennett, Fort Dodge
Senior had two hits and drove in four runs for the defending Class 5A state champions in a 12-0 victory over Earlham on Friday.
Maura Chalupa, Muscatine
Junior dialed a two-hit shutout as Muskies blanked top-ranked Waukee Northwest 3-0 on Saturday in the Iowa City West tournament.
Kaylee Bunn, Linn-Mar
Sophomore collected two hits and drove in four of her team’s runs in 7-6 win over Iowa City Liberty on Thursday.
Ryleigh Algood, Lisbon
The 12th-ranked Lions ended the regular season at 32-4 with a 3-0 win over Anamosa on Wednesday. Algood, a junior, struck out 12 and allowed only four hits.
Grace Bailey, Twin Cedars
Senior was 4-for-4 at the plate with a homer and three RBIs in 8-6 win over Pella Christian to end the regular season Saturday.
Nyah Hulbert, Norwalk
Freshman had two hits, including a double, and stole a base for No. 15 Warriors in 5-2 win over Indianola on Wednesday.
Elle Nelsen, Dallas Center-Grimes
The 16th-ranked Panthers beat West Delaware 16-2 on Friday for their 11th straight win. Nelsen had a single, double, home run and four RBIs.
Alexis Houge, Collins-Maxwell
The DePaul recruit is the top hitter in the state with a .705 average. She had three hits in a 10-0 blanking of Don Bosco on Monday.
Jena Young, Winterset
Senior and University of Iowa signee smacked her state-leading 17th home run of the season in a 10-0 win over Ballard on Monday. Young is also fourth in the state with a .640 batting average.
Emily Watters, Anamosa
Junior – hitting .614 for the season – was 3-for-3 with a double, homer and five RBIs in 13-1 win over West Branch Tuesday.
Emily Meyer, North Union
Junior notched her state-leading 29th pitching win of the season in the regular season finale, 16-0 over Eagle Grove. North Union, No. 2 in Class 2A, finished 29-3 with its seventh straight win.
Dakota Lake, Saydel
The junior pitched a two-hit shutout, striking out 12 to earn her 26th win of the season in an 8-0 win over Perry on Wednesday. Lake leads the state with 359 strikeouts.
Ava Smithson, Johnston
Senior and Minnesota State signee drove in a run in an 11-0 win over North Polk on Friday. That gives Smithson 55 RBIs for the season, tops in the state.
Anna Weathers, Des Moines Christian
Promising freshman slugged her 16th home run of the season, a two-run blast in a 9-4 win over Woodward-Granger on Thursday.
Bailey Olerich, Clear Creek-Amana
Senior and University of Iowa recruit had three hits and drove in four runs in 11-4 win over Mount Vernon on Wednesday. The win gave CC-A a share of the Wamac West Conference title.
Anna Bellcock, Newell-Fonda
Senior drove in three runs as the Class 1A No. 2 Mustangs closed the regular season with a 9-1 win over Kingsley-Pierson. Bellcock leads the team with 37 RBIs.
Payton Drefke, Ankeny Centennial
The Jaguars, No. 19 in the latest SBLive rankings, scored three times in the bottom of the sixth to overtake No. 3 ADM, 4-3, on Friday. Drefke had two hits and drove in a run.
Campbell German, Martensdale-St Marys
The sophomore drove in two runs and was the winning pitcher as the Pride of Iowa Conference champions closed the regular season with a 4-2 win over Independence on Friday.
Lexi Clendenen, Southeast Warren
Just an eighth-grader, Clendenen had a single, double, homer and drove in four runs in Warhawks’ 10-2 win over Central Decatur in a regular season finale Tuesday.
Pearson Hall, West Liberty
The freshman is the leading hitter for the Comets with a .544 average, four home runs and 21 RBIs. She had a double and triple and drove in two in a regular-season ending 6-2 win over Mount Pleasant on Saturday.
