Top stars, best performances in Iowa high school softball (May 22-28)

By Barry Poe 

Here are some stars from the first week of high school softball games across Iowa.

If you know of a top performance we should include, please let us know.

Macy Kellar, Mason City Newman

The senior pitched a no-hitter as the Knights beat Top of Iowa Conference rival Osage, 1-0. Kellar struck out 12 and walked one while throwing 88 pitches. Kellar fanned 12 in her second start, a 5-2 win over Algona.

Ellie Flanagan, North Linn

The senior struck out 11 and allowed four hits as the Class 1A fifth-ranked Lynx beat Class 2A No. 9 Cascade, 6-2.

Kate Hejlik, Garner-Hayfield-Ventura

The sophomore went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a single, driving in a run and scoring five times. GHV set a school record with 31 runs, outscoring Forest City, 31-16.

Libby Trewin, West Fork

The sophomore threw a 12-strikeout no-hitter in a 12-0 win over Rockford. Trewin walked just two in the five-inning contest and also drove in a pair of runs.

Dottie Byars, Lake Mills

Byars struck out 14 and allowed just two hits in a 7-3 victory over Belmond-Klemme.

Kylie Dvorak, Riceville

Dvorak was 3-for-3 with a single and two doubles, scoring four runs and stealing two bases in a 13-4 win over North Fayette Valley.

Maddie Oetzmann, Waukee Northwest

The senior struck out 11 and allowed just three hits in a 10-0 shutout of Humboldt. She did not walk a batter in the six-inning effort.

Claire Long, West Des Moines Valley

The junior hit two home runs and drove in five runs as the Tigers opened the season with a 13-2 win over Cedar Rapids Jefferson. Long homered again the next night in a 4-1 victory over Winterset.

Aubrey Bacon, Southeast Polk

The junior was 2-for-2 with a double, homer and three RBIs in a 16-4 win over Ottumwa. Jesslyn Stairs and Ava Goldsberry also went deep for the Class 5A third-ranked Rams.

Emily Koranda, Linn-Mar

The sophomore struck out 13 and gave up just one hit in a 12-0 five-inning win over Waterloo West to complete a doubleheader sweep. Koranda was also 2-for-3 at the plate with a double and RBI.

Ellie Doster, Fort Dodge

The eighth-grader had a double and homer in three trips to the plate, helping the Class 4A second-ranked Dodgers to a 12-0 win over Waterloo East in the second game of a doubleheader. Fort Dodge won the first game, 19-1.

Maddy McDermott, North Scott

The senior helped her own cause, hitting a two-run homer in a 5-1 season-opening win over West Delaware. McDermott struck out 10 and allowed four hits in the pitching circle.

Delaini Thompson, Carlisle

The junior was 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs in a 6-1 victory over Winterset. Lauren McGriff also homered for the Wildcats.

Nyah Hulbert, Norwalk

The sophomore left fielder homered twice and doubled, driving in two runs for the Class 4A No. 4 Warriors in a 5-4 win over 5A No. 3 Southeast Polk.

Peyton Driscoll, Williamsburg

The senior struck out 16 batters in a 10-1 win over Vinton-Shellsburg, allowing six hits in the first game of a doubleheader. The Class 3A top-ranked Raiders won the nightcap, 15-2, as sophomore Taylor Pitlick had three hits and drove in three.

Leah Mauro, Davenport Assumption

The sophomore pitched a four-hit shutout, striking out 13 in a 4-0 win for the Class 3A No. 2 Knights over Class 2A No. 1 Iowa City Regina.

Dakota Lake, Saydel

The senior not only pitched a one-hit shutout, striking out 10, but hit two home runs and drove in three in a 10-0 victory over South Hamilton. Lake has 50 strikeouts and a 4-0 record to start the season.

Tierani Teslow, Dubuque Wahlert

The senior first baseman was 6-for-9 with two doubles and nine RBIs in the Knights’ doubleheader sweep of Cedar Rapids Kennedy.

Madeline Barker, Davis County

The senior had 15 strikeouts and allowed five hits in a 5-0 win over Knoxville. Barker is 3-0 with 35 strikeouts in her first three games of the season.

Ella Clark, Lisbon

The senior first baseman was a combined 4-for-6 with a double, homer and three RBIs for the Lions in wins over West Burlington and Louisa-Muscatine in the L&M tournament.

Cooper Klaahsen, Central Springs

The senior picked up her fifth pitching win of the season, blanking North Butler on two hits in a 7-0 win. Klaahsen has allowed four earned runs and struck out 39 in five games.

Finley Netten, Van Meter

The sophomore had a productive first week of the season for the Class 2A No. 4 Bulldogs. Netten was 15-for-25 (.697) with three doubles and 10 RBIs as Van Meter got off to a 7-2 start.

Jaycee Near, Southeast Warren

The sophomore catcher hit two home runs and drove in five runs as the Class 1A top-ranked Warhawks won three games in the Winterset tournament. The Warhawks beat ranked teams Van Meter, ADM and Interstate 35 in the tournament.

Marina Cronin, Remsen St. Mary’s

The junior struck out 11 and gave up two hits as the Hawks downed Hinton, 2-0. Cronin has 19 strikeouts in her first 10 innings of work this season.

Mia Walker, Newell-Fonda

The senior was 3-for-5 with a triple, RBI and two runs scored as the Mustangs won two games in the Kingsley-Pierson tournament. Walker was also the winning pitcher in one of those contests.