LE GRAND — The Class 2A No. 8 East Marshall softball team smashed three home runs in a doubleheader sweep of South Hardin, winning 17-2 and 11-4 on Monday night in NICL West Division action.

The Mustangs (8-2, 3-1) held a modest 1-0 lead going into the third inning of the opening game before sending 21 batters to the plate, scoring 16 times to set the tone for the evening.

Bailey Grant hit a two-run home run and Gianna Boswell ripped a three-run round-tripper to propel the Mustang offense, which had 11 consecutive batters reach base before the final out.

South Hardin’s Kaitlynn Dickes hit a two-run homer in the top of the fourth, but the Tigers (2-9, 0-5) couldn’t prolong the opening game. It was the only hit allowed by Peyton Grabenbauer, who walked two and struck out four in the win.

Ashtyn Wheater was 3-for-3 with four RBIs while Boswell was 2-for-3 with three runs and four RBIs.

Grabenbauer struck out 11 Tigers and hit a three-run homer to help offset South Hardin scoring four unearned runs in the first inning of Game 2. Boswell, Grabenbauer, Vaeda Bryan and Delaney Ryan had two hits apiece to lead the Mustangs.

Trojans’ Thomas no-hits Nevada in HOAIC softball

NEVADA — Taylor Thomas pitched a no-hitter and the West Marshall softball team scored at least one run in each of its four at-bats for a 10-0 victory over Nevada in Monday’s Heart of Iowa Conference clash.

Aubree Greenwood homered and Lillian Fischer went 3-for-3 with three RBIs to lead the Trojans (8-3, 6-1). Thomas walked three and struck out five in the four-inning no-no over the host Cubs (2-7, 1-5).

Rachel Randall singled, walked twice and scored three times, while Amelia Ranson, Riley Randall and Thomas each contributed a single.

Boege fans 20 in Wolverine victory

GREEN MOUNTAIN — The GMG softball team held off Rockford for a 2-1 victory in Monday’s Iowa Star Conference contest.

Back-to-back run-scoring singles for Addison Elmore and Natalie Upah led the way for GMG (5-4), which took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning. Rockford (1-7) got its run in the sixth.

Wolverines freshman pitcher Riah Boege got a whopping 20 strikeouts in the win. She allowed three hits, three walks, one hit batter and one unearned run.

Boege also went 2-for-3 with a double. Skyler Murty singled and courtesy runner Tatum Jones scored a run for GMG.

Spartan baseball drops first game to D-NH

GRUNDY CENTER — The Class 2A No. 8 Grundy Center baseball team suffered its first loss of the season, falling 3-2 in nine innings to Dike-New Hartford on Monday night.

Both teams scored twice in the eighth inning and Dike-New Hartford (8-0) got the go-ahead run in the ninth. Grundy Center (8-1) was unable to answer.

Judd Jirovsky went 3-for-5 with a run scored to lead the Spartan bats. Brody Zinkula singled and Hayden Geerdes hit a tying two-run single in the bottom of the eighth.

Brayden Davie took the loss, allowing three runs — one earned — on three hits and one hit batter over 1 1/3 innings, striking out two. Jirovsky struck out eight over 4 1/3 innings of one-hit ball as the Spartans’ starter.