The championship pairings are set at the state high school softball tournament.Dennis Johnson’s final game as the head coach at North Scott will be in the championship. Anne Wylie tossed a four-hitter as the fifth ranked Lancers stunned top ranked West Des Moines Dowling 1-0 and earned a spot in the class 3A championship game. It was also Johnson’s one thousandth career victory. The Lancers got the game’s only run on a fourth inning single by Mindy Heidgerken. Dowling coach Bob Ligouri says despite the loss he was proud of his team.For Dowling it was another in a string of frustrating losses here at the tournament. A year ago, the Maroons fell to eventual state champion Muscatine in the semifinals by the score of 1-0.In the class 2A semifinals, Jackie Sorensen tossed a four-hitter as top ranked Clear Creek-Amana blanked eighth ranked Forest City 4-0.The Clippers started quickly jumping to a 3-0 lead at the end of two and Forest City coach Paul Jensen says his team dug too big of a hole.In 3A consolation action Sioux City North downed Iowa City High 5-0. North coach John Vanderloo says the Stars want to end the season with two straight wins.Toni Epps drive in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning with a squeeze bunt as Webster City downed Grinnell 5-4 and advanced to the class 2A championship game.Grinnell took a 4-2 lead to the bottom of the sixth before Webster City scored a pair of runs to tie the game.Webster City coach Dave Hilton coached a state champion back in 1988 and two other teams to the state tournament. He had no idea heading into the season that the Lynx of 2001 would join that list. They face Clear Creek-Amana in the 2A title game. Clear Creek-Amana makes a seventh title game appearance.Conrad B-C-L-U-W has won two extra inning games to reach the 1A championship. Colfax-Mingo and coach Bryan Poulter will be in search of the school’s first state title.
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