Sports

ACKLEY – AGWSR co-coach Brenda Drake is fine with a 10-8 game win for her Class 1A No. 9 Cougars.

She just wishes that at least one of the eight runs her team gave up were earned.

“We’re struggling on getting the ball to first base,” Drake said. “We’re struggling catching the ball at first base. And once they get it in their head, then it’s hard to get it out. It becomes a snowball (effect).

SHEFFIELD – First-year West Fork coach Tom Shreckengost had a bad feeling of déjà vu.

In the second straight game for the Warhawks, they dropped a close extra innings game that saw both teams tied at 1-all heading into the eighth.

Much like the first time, West Fork fell to its opponent in the eighth.

ACKLEY – Jaden Penning had the biggest hit so far of his career, launching a two-run homer past the left field fence to lift AGWSR’s baseball team past West Fork, 3-2, in eight innings.

The Warhawks had just taken a 2-1 lead in the top of the eighth on an RBI double by Carter Meints that scored Ian Latham.

However, the Cougars had the top of their lineup coming up with their No. 2 hitter, Brody Roder, hitting the ball hard all night long, who doubled down the third base line to set up the game-winning hit.

HAMPTON – The first week of 2020 summer baseball and softball may look different, but it is still the same sport and skills the players have to master.

Hampton-Dumont/CAL head baseball coach Matt Lokenvitz said the first week under the Bulldogs’ belts went well.

“We have more things to do and guidelines to follow, so our practices look different, but we are still able to teach the skills needed. We are practicing in pods or groups of 8-10 so we can limit exposure as much as possible this first week.”