The big smiles and all the thank-you's told the story Sunday afternoon as the new Iowa Women's Softball League was warmly embraced by players, coaches, fans and the local media.

The Opening Day doubleheaders at the Kirkwood and Coe diamonds marked the beginning of the only fast-pitch summer softball league for college players in the entire state.

College softball players finally have a summer league of their own, and from the looks of things the program will grow in future years as the word continues to spread and players enjoy the games.

The Iowa Women's Softball League was created and organized by theMetro Sports Report with a lot of terrific help from college coaches, good friends and especially by the players themselves.

There are players from 23 different colleges and 34 different high schools in the league, with a nice mixture of NCAA, NAIA and Junior College players.

For the record, Ironside Apparel swept a doubleheader from Emil's Hideaway Restaurant, 3-2 and 8-4, in a pair of well-played games at Kirkwood.

Hawkeye Convenience Stores and Construction Materials split a  twinbill at Coe, with Hawkeye Convenience Stores taking the first game 4-3 and Construction Materials winning the second game 10-0 behind a shutout by Kirkwood ace Lexi Kinnaird.

Jaclyn Spencer, a star pitcher for the University of Northern Iowa, tossed six shutout innings for Ironside Apparel in its 3-2 victory in the first game. Spencer struck out 10 batters and spaced three singles.

DoniRae Mayhew of Kirkwood had a big two-run single for Ironside  Apparel in the victory. She also collected a save in Game 1 and was the winning pitcher in Game 2.

Spencer belted a two-run homer for Ironside Apparel in the second game. Haley Jones of Coe and Megan Collins of Mount Mercy had two hits  for the winners.

Megan Bonnett of Luther had two hits for Emil's Hideaway on her 21st  birthday in the second game.

Alyssa Wiebel of Illinois State hit a solo home run for Construction  Materials in the 4-3 loss to Hawkeye Convenience Stores in their first  game. Paige Timmerman of Luther belted a grand slam, Hailey Duwa of  Western Illinois hit a solo homer and Wiebel had a two-run double for  Construction Materials in the 10-0 victory in the second game.

We'd like to thank Mia O'Brien from KGAN and FOX-TV for visiting us at Kirkwood and broadcasting a terrific story about the league Sunday  night. And we'd like to thank The Gazette for assigning a reporter and photographer to the games at Kirkwood as well.

The Iowa Women's Softball League will run for 10 straight Sundays this  summer through July 30, with doubleheaders each Sunday at 2 p.m. at  Kirkwood and Coe.