SPENCER — “We recognized our senior Olivia Huckfelt last night at the game,” Spencer coach Tara Hauschen said. “She put on a show at the plate going 3-for-4 with two home runs and two RBIs.”

Despite her performance, the Tigers would fall 15-6 to Mason City at home, closing out the 2024 regular season.

“She (Huckfelt) has been a staple for this team at third base since her eighth grade season and will be greatly missed next year,” Hauschen said.

POCAHONTAS — Too much Fiene. Freshman Dylan Fiene to be exact. The Emmetsburg freshman produced four hits — driving in four runs — to help the E-Hawks, 11-15 on the year, topple 21-7 Sioux Central in the Class 2A Region 2 first round softball action Wednesday in Pocahontas.

Fiene, who added three stolen bases, got help from her teammates with 12 more hits for the win to advance.

PETERSON — Sioux Central’s girls closed out their regular season Monday with a 6-2 home win against Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn/Remsen-Union for the team’s 21st win, heading into its regional opener Wednesday in Pocahontas against Emmetsburg.

Four Sioux Central girls cracked out multiple hits to help senior Bradi Krager get her 14th win on the year.

HUMBOLDT — Tara Hauschen, Spencer softball coach, called Wednesday night’s victory on the road against the 11-15 Wildcats, “a huge team win.”

She added, “The girls were patient at the plate and had timely hits throughout the entire game. Bre Johnson and Jersey Vail shared the duties on the mound tonight both battling hard against some great Humboldt hitters.”

HUMBOLDT — (Above) Tiger first baseman Ashton Ver Steeg looks to make the play to first during Spencer’s 9-6 loss to Humboldt on the road Wednesday. The Tigers early 2-0 lead was erased by three Wildcat runs in the bottom of the third inning. The home team would never look back a three-run seventh left Spencer a few runs short. Jaxon Hefner would register two hits from the leadoff position, as would centerfielder Jack Berends. Aiden Seversen would add a triple for the Tigers.

Sioux Central softball would run its win streak to six games — reaching 20 wins — before falling to Maple Valley/Anthon-Oto/Charter Oak-Ute in the regular season finale Friday on the road. The squad finished tied for a share of the Twin Lakes Conference title with Newell-Fonda. The two teams split their season matchups.

The Rebels await the winner of Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn and Emmetsburg in Class 2A Region 2 play, 7 p.m.,Wednesday. Location to be determined.

ORANGE CITY — After two innings of scoreless baseball, Unity Christian took advantage of the middle frames, scoring six in the third before adding four more in the fourth to end the baseball game with visiting Sioux Central, 10-0, in Orange City, Wednesday night.

The Rebels managed just three hits in the contest, compliments of Max Wittmaack, Chase Heuton and Konnor McKeever.

EMMETSBURG — A seven-run second inning by Okoboji and a hitless game by Sioux Central resulted in a first round elimination of the Rebels, 13-0, Saturday on a neutral field in Emmetsburg. Al Vasher’s squad sent a minimum 15 batters to the plate to face Okoboji’s Landon Duvall. The Pioneer junior hurler struck out six without giving up a walk to help his team move on to the next round of Class 2A play.

Editor’s note: The North American Lake Management Society is a nationwide organization with a mission to forge partnerships among citizens, scientists, and professionals to foster the management and protection of lakes and reservoirs for today and tomorrow. NALMS and its partners have designated the month of July as “Lakes Appreciation Month.”

The popular Trees for Kids grant program is accepting applications through Aug. 26.

Grantees can be awarded up to $2,500 to purchase trees and mulch. All trees for this program must be planted on public community grounds (park, community center, public school, etc.) Youth are required to be engaged in the process, most often helping to plant the trees on site.

Tucked in to the rolling hills of southern Iowa’s Decatur County is Sand Creek Wildlife Area, a 3,700-acre destination for deer hunters and bird watchers. Here, cellphone service disappears and nature’s sounds take over ― this isn’t a white noise machine ― it’s the real thing.

Fishing can be like the weather in midsummer: Both can be very hot. To take part in this potentially fast action, you’ll need to do things a little differently than you would at other times of the year. Following are some of those things.

In the summer when the fish want to bite it works well to use faster moving baits and fish through areas quickly. If the fish are going to bite, they’ll let you know right away.

As a former high school language arts instructor, one of the units I taught in ninth grade English was Greek mythology. One of the legends surrounded the Phoenix, a mythical bird that would live for several hundred years before it would die by setting itself on fire. However, from those ashes, a new life would then start.

SERGEANT BLUFF — “It was nice to get back on the field once again,” Spencer baseball coach Brian Dirkx said. “The boys were excited to be together and play a game they love.

He added, “We got off to a rough start, but I like the way we settled in. We may not have gotten the victory, but we did some nice things defensively and on the mound.”

SERGEANT BLUFF — Ranked No. 14, Sergeant Bluff-Luton improved to 22-6 following the Warrior home victory Monday night, 7-2 over Spencer, back in action for the first time since the flooding overtook the city Saturday, June 22.

Both teams finished with six hits.

Lucy Simington led the Tigers at the plate, delivering two doubles; and Brenna Johnson, the designated hitter, added another.