We start up our top 10 sports countdown today with a look back at the best sports headlines in Southeast Iowa for the 2020-21 academic year. In this countdown we include area schools of Columbus, Highland, Lone Tree, Winfield-Mt. Union, WACO, Keota, and Sigourney. For the #10 best sports story of the year we go back a month to the softball diamond when an absolute classic broke out in Winfield.

Winfield-Mt. Union was set to host Highland in a highly anticipated class 1A regional final on Friday, July 9th and while the game played out a lot like expected, no one expected how long it would take. After 6 plus innings of scoreless ball, the game was suspended with the potential winning run just 60 feet away for the Wolves. The resumption was supposed to be the next day, but continuous rainfall forced the wait to be all weekend and it eventually was played on Monday. Highland pitcher Jessica Kraus got the Huskies out of that jam and the pitching gems continued for eight more innings. Finally in the 14th, Highland scored the game’s only run when Sarah Burton started the frame with a single, got to third a few pitches later, and reached home on a pass ball. Kraus twirled 6 2/3 innings of hitless ball and struck out six. Grace Batcheller started the game and eventually closed out the win with 7 1/3 pitched frames and nine hits given up. In her final high school game, all state selection Madie Anderson was a workhorse for the Wolves pitching all 14 innings striking out 22 and surrendering just five knocks. There were only 14 hits in the 74 hour marathon. The Huskies went on to fall the next day in the regional final to conclude the season 22-7 and WMU was 17-6.

Check back in tomorrow for number nine on our countdown when we look back at a memorable WACO volleyball season.