CONRAD — The youthful Marshalltown softball squad needs all the experience it can get. Any wins that accompany it are a bonus.

The Bobcats knocked off a pair of opponents on the second day of the Dave Lee Classic, beating South Hardin and AGWSR on Saturday during the annual Black Dirt Days festival.

A slow start wasn’t enough to deter Marshalltown (6-10) in Saturday’s opener. South Hardin scored the game’s first five runs but the Bobcats got the rest of them, winning 14-5 in five innings.

In the second game of the day, Marshalltown trailed AGWSR twice before rallying for a 6-5 triumph.

It was a needed bounce-back from Friday’s 10-2 loss to tournament host BCLUW, lifting the Bobcats to a 4-3 record at the end of a seven-game week.

It didn’t start out that way, though, as South Hardin (2-11) scored three times in the bottom of the first inning and twice more in the second. Kaitlynn Dickes and Lucy Anderson had back-to-back hits that led to two runs for the Tigers, and Anderson later scored on a passed ball to make it 3-0 South Hardin.

Consecutive walks to start the second inning paved the way to two more Tiger runs, as Alyssa Kix plated a run with her single and Charlee Rosonke drove in another run with her misplayed grounder.

South Hardin loaded the bases before MHS sophomore pitcher Briley Danielson worked her way out of the jam, and Marshalltown turned it into much-needed motivation. The Bobcats sent 10 batters to the plate in the third, scoring five times to draw even.

Three Marshalltown hits merged with four walks, highlighted by an RBI single for Abby Janssen, a bases-loaded walk for Brooklyn Smith, and a two-run single for Faith Sommerlot.

The Bobcats kept it rolling in the fourth, getting four more runs. Laney Danielson hit an RBI single, a passed ball scored a run, and two more runs came across on Janssen’s misplayed grounder, making it 9-5 MHS.

MHS put the game away in the top of the fifth with another five-spot. Laney Danielson hit another RBI single and Smith hit a two-run double that finished off the rally.

Laney Danielson, Olivia Wise and Smith led the ‘Cats with two hits apiece, while leadoff batter Gianna Baune scored three runs. Aubree Mundt singled and scored twice.

Briley Danielson struck out five in a row at one point and wriggled out of a second bases-loaded jam in the fourth. She finished with nine strikeouts and five walks, allowing four earned runs on four hits.

Against AGWSR (3-12), Marshalltown fell behind 2-0 after the first half inning, but the Bobcats responded with three runs of their own. Baune led off with a single and scored two outs later on a double by Wise. Mundt delivered a run-scoring single, took second on the throw, and scored on Janssen’s subsequent single.

The Cougars tied the score in the second and went in front again with two runs in the fifth. The Bobcats scratched out a run in the fifth to cut the deficit in half, and then took the lead with two runs in the sixth. Smith hit a one-out single, Sommerlot reached on a bunt single, and Baune’s grounder was misplayed. With two outs, Laney Danielson delivered an RBI single, and another run scored on a wild pitch.

The tournament’s time limit ended the game after six innings.

Hanna Osgood got the win in the circle for MHS, allowing five runs on eight hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Laney Danielson and Wise had two hits apiece to lead MHS.

Marshalltown dives back into another busy week with Monday’s doubleheader at Des Moines North. The Bobcats play two at Des Moines East on Thursday, another at Class 4A No. 12 Grinnell on Friday, and two games Saturday at West Marshall’s Rose Festival Tournament.

Comets go 3-0 in Classic

The BCLUW softball team took the momentum gained with Friday’s win over Marshalltown and carried into two more triumphs on Saturday at the Dave Lee Classic.

The Comets (12-1) claimed their seventh- and eighth-straight wins by beating AGWSR, 9-2, and South Hamilton, 10-2.

BCLUW used a four-run outburst in the third inning to get the upper hand against AGWSR. Grace Farnsworth had three hits, including a double, drove in a run and scored once to help the Comets chase off the Cougars (3-11).

Klayre Gallentine was 2-for-3 with a triple and three runs scored, while Allison Ward was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.

Eden Ladehoff cashed in on all the support by striking out 11 AGWSR batters while allowing just four hits, one hit batter and one earned run.

Cali Buseman hit a solo homer to highlight in the loss for AGWSR.

BCLUW jumped out to a 10-0 lead on South Hamilton and took the five-inning victory. Gallentine allowed one earned run on four hits and two walks while striking out three.

Farnsworth hit a two-run homer for the Comets, while Ladehoff was 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored. Cassie Nason came through with two hits, two runs and an RBI, and Gallentine helped her own cause with a triple and two RBIs.

Sarah Garber and Marissa Schnathorst both scored two runs.

BCLUW jumps back into Iowa Star Conference play on Monday with a trip to Rockford.

Spartans split a pair

The Grundy Center softball team split its pair of games on Saturday at the Dave Lee Classic, falling to Gilbert 9-1 before besting South Hamilton 12-2.

The Spartans (10-5) were held to six hits by Gilbert’s Clara Newton, who struck out three in the win. Newton was her own support staff as she went 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run and five RBIs.

Camdyn Aronson was 3-for-3 with an RBI to lead the Spartans, driving in courtesy runner Anna Meyers in the fourth inning. Eighth-grade pitcher Macey Kiewiet took the loss, allowing 10 hits and five total walks while also striking out eight.

Grundy Center took control of its second game with a five-spot in the third inning to turn its 2-1 lead into a 7-1 advantage.

The Spartans scored in all six of their at-bats, finishing the game off with three runs in the sixth.

Maddy Hendershot helped her own cause by going 4-for-5 at the plate with a triple, two runs and three RBIs. Ava Heeren and Evelyn Geerdes both had two hits and scored twice. Allison Koch and Aronson each had a single and two RBIs, while Trinity Jirovsky was 1-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Hendershot got the win in the circle, allowing one earned run on six hits and two walks while striking out seven.

The Spartans square off with Class 2A No. 9 in an NICL West Division doubleheader Monday night in LeGrand.

2025 Dave Lee Classic

Friday’s Scores

Sumner-Fredericksburg 13, AGWSR 3

BCLUW 10, Marshalltown 2

Saturday’s Scores

BCLUW 9, AGWSR 2

Marshalltown 14, South Hardin 5

Gilbert 9, Grundy Center 1

Sumner-Fredericksburg 16, South Hardin 4

BCLUW 10, South Hamilton 2

Marshalltown 6, AGWSR 5

Gilbert 10, Sumner-Fredericksburg 3

Grundy Center 12, South Hamilton 2