The Sigourney Savages started the high school softball playoffs with a resounding 9-0 victory over Iowa Valley last night in the Class 1A Region 8 quarterfinals.

Sigourney scored one run each in the first and second innings, but a five-run fourth frame is where the Savages seized control, led off by junior Josephine Moore’s 10th home run of the season.

From there, all-state pitcher Carly Goodwin would dominate, not allowing a base runner until the seventh and giving up just two hits while also racking up a season-high 20 strikeouts in a complete-game shutout.

Junior Ava Fisch hit a triple and had two total knocks and two runs batted in for the Savages, but the best night at the plate belonged to Moore, who added two doubles to her homer and drove in three. Sigourney head coach Shelly Streigle told KCII Sports after the game that Moore can hit at any point in the count.

“She swung the bat really well,” Streigle said. “Jo will watch a strike here and there just to time it up, and sometimes she’ll let even two go by to see the speed and adjust and where [the pitcher is] kind of throwing it. She really squared it up well tonight.”

An eighth win in the last nine games improves the Savages’ record to 21-7. Sigourney, ranked sixth in the state in Class 1A, moves on to a regional semifinal for a fourth straight season and will face Highland in the Region 8 semis Friday night.

You can hear the Savages take on the Huskies in playoff softball tomorrow on 102.5 FM and AM 1380 KCII starting with the Roder Epoxy Pregame Show at 6:30 p.m.