Class 3A action opens at state tourney

At the opening round of class 3A action at the state high school baseball tournament in Carroll sixth-ranked Harlan advanced with a 9-3 victory over Clear Lake. Waukee jumped out to an early lead enroute to a 7-1 win over Decorah. The class 4A opening round in Marshalltown featured plenty of drama Thursday night. Dubuque Hempstead scored four runs in the third inning of Cedar Rapids Kennedy ace Danny Bales as the Mustangs stunned the top-ranked Cougars 6-4. Bales had given up only three runs all season coming into the game. Hempstead coach Tom Witry says his team was confident coming into the game. Bryan Westphal got the win for Hempstead his 8th of the season.Hempstead will play eighth ranked Mason City in tonight’s semifinals. Tenth-ranked Iowa City High scored nine runs in the first inning and cruised to a 13-3 win over Urbandale. It was a start that even surprised Little Hawks coach Dennis Knoop.Knoop says the early start helped the players relax.Knoop was able to lift starting pitcher Joel Barnes after three innings which should allow him to pitch again in the tournament.(Lance Renaud ,KFJB ,Marshalltown, Bob Fisher, KLSS, Mason also contributed to this report.