With Taryan Barrick getting back into form after an offseason knee injury, all the fifth-ranked AGWSR Cougars needed was one run. They got that in the first inning, but added runs in the third, fourth and sixth to beat Gladbrook-Reinbeck 4-0 in Ackley Monday night.
It took two weeks, but the AGWSR Cougars picked up their second win of the season Monday with a 7-3 decision against Gladbrook-Reinbeck. The win, in Ackley, earned the Cougars the season split with the Rebels.
Ben Macy hammered AGWSR’s first home run of the season Thursday in Sheffield. It came from the leadoff spot in the first inning, and gave the Cougars a 1-0 lead.
The AGWSR Cougars, ranked sixth in the Class 1A poll now, beat West Marshall in State Center 2-0 to start the North Iowa Cedar League-West slate. That was back on May 23 with Rachel Sicard in the circle.
West Marshall may be the best team in the North Iowa Cedar League-West this season. They showed how good they are in a doubleheader in Ackley Wednesday night. The Trojans beat the Cougars in five innings in each game, both as the home team in a rain make-up (11-0) and as the visitor (12-2).
It was supposed to be a triangular of softball games in Ackley Tuesday night as AGWSR hosted Mason City Newman and Belmond-Klemme. Rain nearly washed away all three games. It did wash the B-K and MCN game out in the third, and cancelled the Cougars and B-K game in the nightcap.
Grundy Center scored a solitary run in the second inning in Ackley Monday night, and that was enough to beat AGWSR. But the Spartans added another in the sixth, then took advantage of three Cougar errors in the seventh to ice a 6-0 North Iowa Cedar League-West win.
Monday’s North Iowa Cedar League-West game in Ackley was more than just another game between the AGWSR Cougars and Grundy Center Spartans. The sixth-ranked Cougars won 10-0, while helping the American Cancer Society.
In a battle between pitching aces, Cade Spieker and Luke Starr combined for 24 strikeouts in seven innings. Coming down to a couple of key plays, South Hardin picked up a marquee win this season – over rivals AGWSR 3-1.
The AGWSR Cougars may have some struggles this season, but the only one they had Friday in Parkersburg was ending a game with the Aplington-Parkersburg Falcons earlier than the sixth inning.
Nobody remembers the last time the AGWSR Cougars (8-3) and South Hardin Tigers (1-6) went a full seven innings, let alone played to a two-run decision. Both happened Thursday in Ackley, with the hosts edging SH 3-1, rendering any forgotten past meetings moot.
AGWSR losses have been to ranked teams. That helps the sting a little bit of having lost a third Wednesday in LeGrand. What smarts the most, however, is how they’ve lost them. The ranked fifth in Class 1A, fell to number 15 in 2A East Marshall Wednesday in LeGrand. The hosts ended it in six …