Class 3A softball, 2A baseball road to state begins Saturday

Tough draw pits Fairfield against No. 9 Fort Madison

A disappointing finish to the regular season that saw nine Fairfield losses in ten games is now in the rear view mirror.

The 17-21 Trojans have the opportunity to wipe the 2009 slate clean and hopfully find an offensive groove that has been absent for much of the year. With ninth-ranked Fort Madison looming in the opening round of the Class 3A regional tournament, it may be easier said than done however. With tournament experience as a tailwind after taking second-place at last year?s state tournament, Fort Madison can also rest on the fact that Fairfield has yet to score a run against ace pitcher Morgan Louck in two games this year.

While they have failed to light up the scoreboard, the Trojans have given Fort Madison tough games in four meetings this season, and head coach Bob Bradfield is confident a win can be attained if they play well. Trojan freshman pitcher Mackenzie Laux will have a lot of say in Fairfield?s fate and will need a good outing to give the Trojans a shot. In the last showdown between Laux and Louck, the Bloodhounds scraped together just one run to win 1-0.

If Fairfield bucks a losing trend vs. Fort Madison, they would need another effort to enter the championship game facing the winner of Mount Pleasant and Keokuk. Keokuk swept the Trojans in four games this year while Mount Pleasant took three of the four.

Saturday?s game in Fort Madison is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

Pekin, Van Buren make up loaded Class 2A bracket

While the Pekin baseball team will have homefield advantage throughout District 5 tournament action, they may not have very gracious hosts.

With Panthers? opening round game Saturday against Sigourney, Pekin will face a team they beat 17-7 once this season. With a win, the road may get a little bit more bumpy.

Van Buren and Davis County are also set to show down in Packwood in a tremendous first-round match up. Van Buren can boast a brand new SEISC south division crown, but the team in the other dugout may not be too impressed. Davis County now has a conference championship of its own behind them as they enter Saturday?s tilt vs. the Warriors.

The winner of that game moves on in the loaded bracket to take on the winner of Pekin and Sigourney. Van Buren is scheduled to play Davis County at 5 p.m. with the Pekin-Sigourney game following at approximately 7 p.m.

Davis County holds one win over Van Buren this season ? a 7-5 victory way back on May 30 ? and two wins against Pekin from the first two game of the Panther season. Van Buren bested Pekin 4-2 on June 27.

The team that emerges from district five will move on to play the winner from district six which consists of PCM, Eddyville-Blakesburg, Albia, Pella Christian, I-35, Central Decatur and Wayne. The substate championship game will be played Tuesday July 27 in Denver.