By Greg Grabianowski, Sports Editor

FOREST CITY—Third-ranked Mason City Newman pounded out 10 hits off Bishop Garrigan ace Daniel Meis in a 10-3 sub-state final victory over the ninth-rated black-and-gold in a Class 1A baseball contest played in Forest City on Tuesday, July 16.

The Knights advanced to this week’s state tournament after breaking open a 5-2 contest with five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

By Greg Grabianowski, Sports Editor

ALGONA—Mike Smith won the hobby stock feature to highlight an exciting night of dirt track racing for the Jess Weishaar Memorial race held at the Kossuth County Speedway on Thursday, July 18.

The evening saw a solid car count of 74 with the hobby stock class again leading the way with 22 as the stock class had 14 drivers competing for a first place prize of $750 and automatic qualifying spot in the Super Nationals All-Star race.

North Central

First Team

*Hayden Herrig, St. Edmond, 12, P

*Jaxon Griffin, Webster City, 10, 1B

*Evan Hatcher, Humboldt, 12, 1B

*Keagan Hisler, Webster City, 12, OF

*Tate Slagle, Algona, 11, C

*Aiden Ulrich, Algona, 11, P

Cael Burmeister, Hampton-Dumont, 12, U

Isaiah Busick, Humboldt, 11, P

Corey Dettman, Humboldt, 12, OF

Logan Lentz, Algona, 12, 1B

By Greg Grabianowski, Sports Editor

ALGONA—Tate Slagle pitched six strong innings and Algona scratched out a pair of runs in an exciting 2-1 sub-state semi-final baseball victory on Monday, July 15 over the Boone Toreadors.

Although it was not his best performance of the year, Slagle kept his team in the contest with six gritty innings and the red-and-black got a strong seventh frame from reliever Tate Garman for the thrilling victory.

By Greg Grabianowski, Sports Editor

ALGONA—Upset-minded St. Edmond gave ninth-ranked Bishop Garrigan everything they had, but the black-and-gold held on for a narrow 2-1 win to claim the District No. 5 baseball title in a contest played on Saturday, July 13.

The victory moved the 24-5 Golden Bears to the Class 1A Sub-State final at Forest City on Tuesday against Mason City Newman while the Gaels ended their 2024 campaign with an overall season record of 9-14.

By Greg Grabianowski, Sports Editor

ALGONA—Livermore’s Andrew Arndorfer is on a roll. For the third straight year, the recent Briar Cliff graduate has won the “Showboat Open” with a record-breaking score on Sunday, July 14.

Arndorfer cruised to this year’s title by a whopping eight strokes with his 14-under par 27-hole total of 94. That score broke Ron Manske’s 1975 total of 100 as the best 27-hole score in the long-running tournament.

“They’re back”

By Greg Grabianowski, Sports Editor

ALGONA—Yes, they returned. Mother Nature has been the only winner for the past three weeks and six of 10 scheduled racing dates at the Kossuth County Speedway so far this summer.

FORT DODGE—A five-run fourth inning was the big factor in fourth-ranked St. Edmond’s 8-0 softball victory over the Bishop Garrigan Golden Bears in a Class 1A regional semi-final contest played on Friday, July 12.

The green-and-white moved within one game of a state tournament berth with a record of 24-5 while the Golden Bears concluded the 2024 campaign with an overall record of 17-8, including a Top of Iowa Conference crown.

ALGONA—Bishop Garrigan exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and went onto a 9-1 victory on Wednesday, July 10 over the North Iowa Lady Bison in the second round of the Class 1A regional softball tournament.

Trailing 1-0 at the time, the black-and-gold sent 11 batters to plate, pounding out seven hits in the seven-run outburst to take a commanding 7-1 advantage.

ALGONA—Ninth-ranked Bishop Garrigan fought and held off a stubborn West Bend-Mallard Wolverines’ baseball team by the final score of 7-3 in the Class 1A district semi-final played on Tuesday, July 9.

A five-run second stanza was the difference in the contest as the home team had four hits and took advantage on a Wolverine error to take an early 5-0 advantage.

Warriors fall in district

baseball semi-finals

FORT DODGE—St. Edmond built huge lead after the first three innings and cruised to a 16-6, five-inning victory over the North Union Warriors on Tuesday, July 9 in the Class 1A district baseball semi-finals.

The green-and-white scored once in the bottom of the first stanza and added six more in both the second and third frames to build a commanding 13-0 advantage.

SWEA CITY—Ridge View pounded out 10 hits, including a pair of round-trippers in a 10-1 victory over the North Union Warriors softball squad in the Class 2A regional softball tournament opener on Wednesday, July 10.

Tatum Shephard limited the green-black-and-silver offense to just one run while striking out four, walked three and hit a batter to earn the win in the chalked circle.

FREDERCKSBURG—Seventh-ranked Sumner-Fredericksburg flexed their muscles in a 13-1, four-inning Class 3A regional semi-final victory over the Algona Bulldogs on Saturday, July 13.

The 32-3 Cougars plated four runs in the first inning, scored twice in the third stanza and ended the contest early with seven tallies in the bottom of the fourth frame.

CLEAR LAKE—A three-run third inning proved to be the difference as the Algona Bulldogs’ softball squad won an exciting 3-2 contest over the Clear Lake Lions in the Class 3A regional opener that was played on Thursday, July 11.

The victory improved the red-and-black’s overall season record to 11-15 while Clear Lake ended the 2024 campaign with a season mark of 13-13.

Izaak Walton League July 9 Standings—“A” League—Main Street Specialties 1,628; Harms Masonry 1,613; Algona Machine 1,611; Security State Bank 1,601; Ingalls Electric 1,599; Dan Peterson Construction 1,592; S & B Farms 1,590; Reutzel Excavating 1,570; “B” League—Ingalls Electric Jr. 1,527; Kemco Tires 1,524; Schumacher Well Drilling 1,517; Reutzel Excavating Jr. 1,512; Ed’s Service 1,510; Commercial Services 1,504; Deitering Bros.