LE GRAND — Peyton Grabenbauer hit her first career home run and Bailey Grant got her second to help the East Marshall softball team snap a five-game losing skid with Thursday’s 7-1 victory over Union Community.

Grant led off the second inning with a solo shot for the game’s first run, and Grabenbauer started the fifth inning with a solo bomb to account for the final score.

Morgan Neuroth went 4-for-4 with an RBI double, while Ava Bringmann was 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. Vaeda Bryan and Makayla Kerber both had two hits as well for the Mustangs.

Neuroth allowed five hits and one earned run while striking out seven in the complete-game pitching performance.

Xandra Anderson took the loss for Union (1-5). She walked two and struck out none. Anderson plated the team’s only run, following Dena Robb’s double with an RBI single in the fifth. Mallory Wrage also singled for the Knights.

West Marshall wallops Rams in league play

STATE CENTER — The Class 2A No. 10 West Marshall baseball team ran its win streak to four with Wednesday’s 10-0, five-inning romp over Greene County in their Heart of Iowa Conference clash.

The Trojans (9-2, 4-0) got a superlative pitching performance from Grayson Shaver, who allowed one hit and struck out six in five shutout innings.

Owen Siegert went 3-for-3 with three runs scored and three RBIs to lead the West Marshall offense, which scored at least two runs in four of its five at-bats. Caden Pfantz was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run, while Beckham DeSotel was 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. DJ Ridout hit a two-run single.

Mustangs can’t keep up with Wolverines

DIKE — The East Marshall baseball team held a shortlived lead in an eventual 10-2 loss to Class 2A No. 9 Dike-New Hartford on Wednesday night.

The Mustangs (0-7) scored once in both the first and second innings to lead 2-0, but Dike-New Hartford (4-3) scored twice in the second, tacked on solo runs in the third and fourth frames and jumped up for six runs in the fifth.

Blake Neuroth took the loss for the Mustangs, allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits and four walks while striking out two.

Connor Kriegel was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored to lead the East Marshall offense. Connor Hassin had an RBI single, while Neuroth had a single, an RBI and a run scored. Carter Anderson accounted for the Mustangs’ only other hit.

Comets hit two homers to take down North Tama

CONRAD — The BCLUW softball team scored in five of its six at-bats on its way to an 11-2 victory over North Tama in Wednesday’s Iowa Star Conference South Division clash.

The Comets (4-2, 4-1) broke free from a 1-all tie by scoring five times in the bottom of the third inning.

Raegan Crawford finished 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and four RBIs in all, while Cameron Bergmann was 1-for-2 with a three-run home run. Grace Farnsworth was 2-for-4 with an RBI double and Cassie Nason finished 2-for-3 with a double.

Klayre Gallentine pitched six innings for the win, allowing six hits and one earned run on one walk while striking out five. Sarah Garber got the final three outs from the circle for the Comets.

Gabrielle Seda, Faith Dvorak and Gabby Velasco had two hits apiece for the visiting Redhawks (1-4, 1-4). Sydnee Bliss took the loss, allowing seven runs (four earned) on six hits and one hit batter over four innings. Jessica Morrison allowed four unearned runs in two innings of relief.