Top 3A team advances at softball tourney

The class 3A quarterfinals highlighted the second night of the state high school softball tournament. Iowa City high was thinking upset Tuesday night, leading top ranked West Des Moines Dowling 2-1 heading into the fifth inning. But the Maroons flexed their muscles in the fifth, scoring five runs to take command in a 7-2 victory.Second-ranked and defending Class 3-A champion Muscatine scored two runs in the fourth inning to down Indianola 3-2. The Muskies overcame a sluggish defensive performance in which they committed five errors. Muscatine coach Denny Schuur says his team cannot afford another similar performanceFifth-ranked North Scott and fourth-ranked Sioux City North hooked up in another high scoring first round game and again, North Scott came away with the win. North Scott Catcher Lauren Schnack singled up the middle to drive in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh as the Lancers claimed a 6-5 victory. Sioux City North led 5-1 but committed two errors in the fifth as North Scott cut the lead to one, then made two more miscues in the bottom of the seventh. Eighth-ranked Des Moines Lincoln scored six runs in the fifth inning and rode the two-hit pitching of Lisa Birroci to down 15th-ranked Ankeny 9-0.The class 2A quarterfinals closed with a major upset. Mandy Williams’ single to right scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh as unranked Webster City toppled second-ranked Independence 2-1 and handed the Mustangs just their fourth loss of the season. Shelley Davis tossed a four-hitter as Grinnell downed Clarinda 5-0. After two previous first round defeats, the Tigers are on to the final four. Davis says they talked all week leading up to the game about winning.