Local conferences represent at state tournament

The Southest Iowa Super Conference is being represented well at the state tournament this year in both baseball and softball.

Louisa-Muscatine (Class 3A) and Wapello (Class 2A) were softball participants and Pekin defeated Class 1A's fourth-ranked Calamus-Wheatland (33-3) on a no-hitter to advance to Des Moines. Central Lee qualified in 2A.

Pekin (17-8) won 7-0 Tuesday at Solon to advance.

The Panthers' toughest postseason game was a 4-2 win over Keota in the first round. Iowa Mennonite gave up five first-inning runs to Pekin in the third round then outscored the Panthers 7-6 after that.

Panther senior Tanner Bainbridge went 6 1/3 innings and tossed 112 pitches, while fellow recent graduate Caleb Comstock clinched the last two outs for the combined no-hitter that will send Pekin to the Class 1A quarterfinals at Principal Park Friday against top-seed Mason City Newman Catholic (35-3). The winner plays the winner of Don Bosco (28-4) and Coon Rapids-Bayard (29-4)

Bainbridge struck out 10 and walked five while Comstock earned both of his outs with strikeouts that only took a combined 10 pitches to seal the victory.

Freshman Chase Stansberry, sophomore Brady Latcham and junior Kennan Winn each hit safely multiple times for Pekin, who stacked seven runs on 10 hits and three walks while shutting down Calamus-Wheatland.

Louisa-Muscatine won the Class 2A title last year and is playing Davenport Assumption in the Class 3A title game this year.

Wapello lost in the first round at state in Class 2A to North Linn, which is in the title game.

The River Valley Conference has West Liberty in the 3A softball consolation game.

Mid-Prairie lost a 7-6 second-round postseason baseball game to state qualifier and fellow RVC member West Branch.

South Iowa Cedar League's Lynville-Sully made state softball in 1A.