TIMES-REPUBLICAN

DES MOINES — Class 2A No. 6 Grand View Christian made one more play than the West Marshall softball team to deny the 12th-ranked Trojans the upset, granting the Thunder a 3-2 victory in Monday’s Heart of Iowa Conference showdown.

West Marshall (10-6, 7-3) manufactured the game’s first run on a double steal in the top of the second inning, taking advantage of back-to-back walks as Riley Randall crossed home plate as Rachel Randall stole second.

Ashtyn Blood’s solo homer in the top of the fourth made it 2-0 Trojans, but Grand View Christian had an answer. The Thunder took advantage of a pair of West Marshall errors to tie the score at 2-all, and Harper Rosado’s solo homer in the bottom of the sixth provided the eventual game-winning run.

West Marshall outhit the Thunder 6-3 but stranded nine runners on base. Blood had two hits, Olivia Randall doubled, while Hattie McCollum and Rachel Randall both singled.

Aubree Greenwood struck out six and walked only one in the hard-luck loss for the Trojans. Relief pitcher Chloe Cox got the win for the Thunder (10-6, 7-3), pitching 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Starter Eperlie Weitzel struck out seven but walked five over 4 2/3 innings.

Wolverines can’t keep up with No. 1 Clarksville

GREEN MOUNTAIN — The GMG softball team became just the fifth opponent to hold Class 1A No. 1 Clarksville under 10 runs, falling 9-0 to the Indians in Friday’s Iowa Star Conference clash.

Clarksville (10-1) tallied 11 hits against GMG hurler Riah Boege, who walked two and struck out three in the loss. Indians pitcher Sydney Lovrien allowed only one hit while striking out 11.

Skyler Murty hit a double for the lone hit for the Wolverines (4-9).

Mustangs swept by Roland-Story in non-conference

GILMAN — The East Marshall baseball team put up a good fight in both games of a doubleheader sweep at the hands of Roland-Story in Friday’s non-conference doubleheader.

Roland-Story scored the Game 1 win, 9-4, before winning the second contest, 8-5.

In the opener, East Marshall couldn’t account for three errors, allowing four unearned runs. Cael Neuroth went 3-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored to lead the Mustang offense. Jackson Busch singled, walked twice and drove in a run, and Gavin Gaschler added a single and an RBI in the loss.

Nathan Frye pitched six innings in defeat, allowing five earned runs on seven hits and five walks while striking out four.

Aiden Frey, Chance Georgius, Braden Wallace and Cooper Triggs had two hits apiece to lead the Norsemen.

In Game 2, Roland-Story (19-1) got out to an 8-3 lead and held off the Mustangs (3-10) in the late innings. Jake Knoll and Gavin Jeter had three hits apiece to lead R-S, while Gavin Griffith struck out 12 over six innings for the win.

Blake Neuroth had two of East Marshall’s three hits and scored twice. Busch drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, while Kaden Grant, Jaxson Boswell and Austin Crandon each scored a run. Jace Johnson allowed three runs over four innings for the loss, giving up five hits and three total walks while striking out five.

Big inning helps Indians pull away from GMG

GREEN MOUNTAIN — Clarksville used a four-run outburst in the top of the third inning to take down the GMG baseball team 6-3 in Friday’s Iowa Star Conference contest.

The Indians (3-6) broke a 1-all tie with the only crooked number to go up on the scoreboard in the game. Wyland Grover, Noah Moon and Corwin Whiteside had two hits apiece to lead Clarksville, with Whiteside driving three runs. Maddox Morrison struck out nine and walked three over six innings for the win.

Easton Runner went 3-for-4, Ethan Klemesrud and Brayton Davis both had two hits, an RBI and a run scored, and Liam Stephenson had two hits to lead GMG (1-11). Davis took the loss on the mound, allowing five runs — one earned — on six hits and four walks over five innings. He struck out four. Jacoby Woodbury struck out three in two innings to close it out.