The Hampton-Dumont-CAL softball and baseball teams were scheduled to begin the final stretch of regular season with a home non-conference test against Grundy Center on Tuesday. Both games were cancelled due to the weather.
The HD-CAL baseball team (8-18) lost on a 4-2 walk-off at Forest City on Monday. The hitting duo of Brody Walton at .417 avg. with 31 runs scored and Cael Burmester with .456 avg. 29 RBI’s have been core to the Bulldogs offense.
Bulldog Head Coach Matt Lokenvitz says the team is focused on elevating individual play to be at their best as a team in the postseason.
“It’s no longer playing for seedings, no longer playing for any of those types of things, those matchups in the tournament,” says Lokenvitz. “Now it’s all about perfecting what you can do and trying to get to be playing your best baseball, by the time the tournament time comes. We’ve got two more weeks left to be able to fine tune some things.”
The Bulldogs are scheduled close the holiday week at (14-12) Ballard on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.
Grundy Center baseball (13-6) won 7-5 over Wapsie Valley on Monday and recently clinched the NICL-West title. Tate Jirovsky was the frontrunner in the NICL-West in wins (8), ERA (0.71), strikeouts (65) and ranked third in batting average (.390).
Head Coach Pat Brown Jr. says the Spartans have few things to clean up ahead of postseason.
“We have to get a few kinks out,” says Pat Brown Jr. “Even though we’re this late in the season, we’ve got a few lineup changes. We will work on that and just ultimately get ready for Union on Saturday.”
The Spartans will host Union in Class 2A Substate 2 First Round on Saturday.
HD-CAL softball (7-14), in their last outing, fell 14-2 in four innings at Clear Lake on Thursday. Aspen Harlan has stepped up in the circle with a 2.44 ERA, which stands third in the North Central.
The Bulldogs will be at (9-19)Ballard on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.
Grundy Center softball (10-15) lost 11-4 to #12 (3A) West Marshall on Thursday. Lucy Lebo has driven in 25 runs which ranks fourth in NICL-West.
The Spartans will travel to South Hamilton to begin Class 2A playoffs on Monday.
