LE GRAND — Bailey Ashton tossed a four-hit shutout and the BCLUW softball team scored three times in the top of the seventh inning to knock off Class 2A No. 5 East Marshall 3-0 in Wednesday’s NICL West Division opener for both teams.

Ashton struck out seven, walked two and scattered four hits in the win. East Marshall’s Kodie Hoskey was nearly as dominant, allowing just one hit for the first six innings before BCLUW broke through in the seventh.

Kiersten Kruse, Madison Ubben, Easton Swanson and Cate Nason each had bunt singles and Kennedy Williams delivered an RBI double to propel the Comets (3-2, 1-0) to the conference victory.

Hoskey finished with eight strikeouts and only one walk, while neither team’s defense committed an error.

Williams went 2-for-3 to lead the BCLUW bats.

Madison Farrington finished 2-for-3 with a double, Reagan McIlrath was 1-for-3 with a double and Juliana Arifi was 1-for-2 at the plate for the Mustangs (3-3, 0-1), who left six runners stranded on base in the league loss.

BCLUW is back at home tonight in a conference contest against South Hardin, while East Marshall entertains Iowa Valley in a non-conference meeting. The Comets go to the Ballard Tournament on Friday and Saturday, while the Mustangs are spending their weekend at the North Polk Tournament.

East Marshall edges BCLUW baseball

GILMAN — Zach Jacobson struck out 11 over 5 2/3 innings and drove in the game’s only run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth as the East Marshall baseball team outlasted BCLUW for a 1-0 triumph in Wednesday’s NICL West Division opener for both clubs.

Jacobson earned a no-decision for his efforts on the mound, surrendering just one hit while walking four. Koty Kruse collected BCLUW’s lone hit, a single back up the box with one out in the sixth, and Wesley Hamor replaced Jacobson on the bump one out later. Hamor struck out two in 1 1/3 innings, picking up the win after the Mustangs scored the game’s only run during his relief stint.

Austin Elliott led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a bloop double, took third on Gage Hulin’s flyout and scored on Jacobson’s sacrifice fly.

Jacobson went 2-for-2 at the plate, including a double, as the Mustangs collected just four hits against BCLUW hurler Treye Teske. Teske struck out one, did not walk a batter and needed just 54 pitches to finish six innings in a hard-luck loss.

BCLUW (0-3, 0-1) entertains South Hardin on Friday in Beaman, while East Marshall visits GMG in Friday’s non-conference contest in Green Mountain.