By Greg Grabianowski

Sports Editor

ALGONA—Bishop Garrigan only led once the entire game in the Class 1A district opener on Saturday, July 1 against the St. Edmond Gaels but it was at the most important time as they rallied for an 8-7 walk-off win.

Drew Lappe’s one-out single down the left-field line chased home Justin Bauer with the winning run as the black-and-gold came all the way back from a 7-1deficit for the victory.

By Greg Grabianowski

Sports Editor

ALGONA—Bishop Garrigan scored three times in the bottom of the first inning and erupted for 13 tallies in the second frame to cruise to a 16-1, three-inning victory over Northwood-Kensett on Friday, June 30 in the Class 1A regional softball tournament opening round.

After the visitors scored once in the top of the first stanza on a single, a hit batter and an error, the black-and-gold plated three runs.

By Greg Grabianowski

Sports Editor

ALGONA—Senior Austin Steenhoek pitched five strong innings to lead the Algona Bulldogs’ baseball team to an 11-1, five-inning North Central Conference victory over the Clarion-Goldfield/Dows Cowboys on Wednesday, June 28.

Steenhoek allowed one earned run on just a pair of hits on the bump while striking out six, issued one base-on-balls and hit a pair of batters.

BANCROFT—In a Class 1A district tournament opening game played at Bancroft Memorial Park on Saturday, July 1, the North Union Warriors baseball team edged Trinity Christian by the final score of 3-2.

After the first three innings were scoreless, the home team plated two runs for a 2-0 lead. Both teams scored a run in the fifth stanza before the visitors scored a single run in the seventh but the Warriors held on for the victory.

ALGONA—Spencer edged the Algona Bulldogs’ softball squad 6-5 in eight innings on Thursday, June 29 in a non-conference contest.

The visitors scored single runs in the first and second stanzas to take an early 2-0 advantage before the red-and-black plated two runs in the bottom of the fourth to dead-lock the game.

FONDA—North Iowa shutout the West Bend-Mallard Wolverines’ baseball team by the score of 5-0 in Class 1A district opener played on Saturday, July 1.

The purple-and-gold finished the 2023 season with an overall record of 5-15 while North Iowa advance to take on Newell-Fonda with a season record of 6-16.

The Bison scored a run in the top of the first inning on a walk, a wild pitch and an RBI single off the bat of Hayden Meinders for an early 1-0 advantage.

FORT DODGE—Bishop Garrigan closed out a nice regular season with a 22-4, six-inning non-conference baseball victory on Thursday, June 29 over the St. Edmond Gaels in a contest played at the Hazel and Harlan Rogers Sports Complex.

Each team scored one run in the first and two in the second inning before the visitors plated three in the top of the third only to see the green-and-white score once in the bottom of the frame as the Golden Bears led 6-4.

ALGONA—Stepping out of North Central Conference play on Tuesday, June 27, the Algona Bulldogs’ baseball team nipped the Pocahontas Area Indians by the score of 3-2.

The home team plated single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth stanzas in the victory as the Indians scored single runs in the fourth and seventh frames in the contest.

BANCROFT—Eagle Grove blanked North Union 5-0 in a Top of Iowa Conference baseball contest played at Bancroft Memorial Park on Tuesday, June 27.

The visitors plated single runs in both the first and third innings and added three big insurance runs in the top of the fifth frame in the win.

Cayden Schultz was sharp on the bump for the Eagles as he allowed no runs on just two hits while striking out 11 and walked one.

ALGONA—A six-run second inning was too much to overcome as the Algona Bulldogs’ softball squad fell to Clarion-Goldfield/Dows Cowgirls by the score of 11-8 in North Central Conference action on Wednesday, June 28.

Each team scored a run in the opening frame before the visitors erupted for six runs in the second and one more in the third to take a commanding 8-1 advantage.

ALGONA—Bishop Garrigan concluded the 2023 regular season with a dominating 12-0, four-inning Top of Iowa Conference softball victory over the West Hancock Eagles on Wednesday, June 28.

The black-and-gold ended the regular season with an overall record of 15-8 and finished in second place in the league with a mark of 13-3.

SWEA CITY—Eagle Grove almost pulled off the biggest upset in the Top of Iowa Conference softball campaign as the Eagles lost 4-3 to the league champions North Union on Tuesday, June 27.

The home team scored first in the bottom of the first stanza but Eagle Grove dead-locked the contest at 1-1 in the third frame.

CLEAR LAKE—Algona snapped a three-game losing streak on Friday, June 30 with an 11-9 North Central Conference victory over the Clear Lake Lions in the regular season finale.

The red-and-black finished the 2023 regular season with an overall record of 9-13 and was 6-8 in the conference, good for fifth place in the league standings.

ALGONA—A team wants to be playing their best heading into the post-season and the Algona Bulldogs’ baseball team definitely fits that bill.

Two four-run outburst led the red-and-black to their sixth straight victory on Friday, June 30 with a 9-2 North Central Conference win over the Clear Lake Lions.

By Greg Grabianowski

Sports Editor

BOONE—The post-season sub-state baseball pairings were released last week by the Iowa High School Athletic Association.

Algona (15-14) was assigned to Sub-State No. 2 and is the sixth seed. The red-and-black will travel to Clear Lake on Friday, July 7 to take on the third-seeded Lions (13-11).