Two Southeast Iowa Super Conference teams hit the diamond tonight looking to advance in the postseason, as the Highland Huskies meet Wapello in the Class 1A Region 8 softball quarterfinals and the Columbus/Winfield-Mount Union Wolves take on Van Buren County in the 2A District 10 baseball semifinals.
Highland has an 18-10 overall record, but the Huskies have won 15 of their last 21 games behind an electric lineup. Junior Sarah Burton has scored 40 runs while posting a .359 batting average, four doubles, three triples and four home runs. Sophomore Lilly Barre has scored 44 times and is hitting .418, while senior Abbi Stransky drives the top of the order in by batting .402 with six doubles, three homers and 28 runs batted in.
Junior Peyton Brun has a .402 average, 11 extra-base hits and 26 RBI, and junior Abigail Pierson and senior MyLei Smith are both hitting over .290 as well. Senior pitcher Jessica Kraus has been a tough nut to crack, yielding just a 2.32 earned-run average and posting 14 wins in the circle. But Highland will face their toughest test of the season tonight. 21-win Wapello was the Super Conference North champions and won both meetings with the Huskies earlier this season.
Columbus/Winfield-Mount Union pulled away down the stretch Saturday night to beat Louisa-Muscatine 11-3 in the first round in 2A District 10. WMU is 6-13, thanks largely to the pitching of senior Andrew Brown, junior Cael Phillips and freshman Trevor Phillips, who have combined for an ERA of 4.23.
Sophomore Riley Kaalberg has also been excellent at the top of the order, leading the Wolves with a .397 batting average and 13 runs scored. Columbus/Winfield-Mount Union will look to avenge a June loss to Van Buren County and end a 10-game losing streak in the series. Both the Wolves and Highland softball have first pitch this evening at 7 o’clock.