The class 3A quarterfinal round highlighted the second day of the state high school softball tournament. In a matchup of highly-ranked foes, Jessie Benson’s two run single in the third inning opened the scoring as second-ranked Sioux City East downed third-rated Burlington 5-3. Benson says scoring first has always been aplus for the Black Raiders.Benson says they feel fortunate to get the victory.Lisa Birocci tossed a one-hitter and struck out 11 as sixth-ranked DesMoines Lincoln blanked Cedar Rapids Kennedy 12-0. Birocci took a no-hitterinto the sixth but says she had no idea she came that close to a no-hitter.Top-ranked North Scott broke the game open with four runs in the sixthinning as the Lancers downed 15th ranked Charles City 7-0. CrystalNeubauer’s (new-bow-er) two-out single in the top of the seventh scored the game’s only run as 11th-ranked Fairfield edged number-18 Ankeny 1-0.In class 2A, second-ranked Clear Lake got a two-hitter from Kristin Keefe to edge 11th-ranked Sergeant Bluff-Luton 4-1. Keefe got all the runs she would need in the first inning when the Lions scored four times.Stephanie Mikulecky (mick-uh-lusk’-ee) singled home the winning run with twoout in the bottom of the eighth as 15th ranked Eddyville-Blakesburg stunned fifth-ranked Clear Creek-Amana 6-5. It capped a rousing comeback for the Rockets who scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings.
