WALKER - The race for top honors in the Iowa Women's Softball League is going down to the final day of the season.

The championship will be decided this Sunday in Walker with three teams still in contention for the title.

Emil's Hideaway holds a one-game lead in the incredibly tight standings with a 7-4-1 record. Bosch Financial sits in second place with a 6-5-1 mark, with Ironside Apparel in third place with a 6-6 record.

Any of the three teams could claim the title heading into their final doubleheaders. Sunday's drama will begin with a doubleheader between the Metro Sports Report and Bosch Financial at 11 a.m., followed by the twinbill between Emil's Hideaway and Ironside Apparel at 3 p.m.

Nothing was decided Sunday as all four teams split their doubleheaders.

EMIL'S SPLITS WITH BOSCH

Alyssa Barnhart of Buena Vista snapped a 1-1 tie with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning to help Emil's Hideaway trim Bosch Financial, 2-1, in the first game of their doubleheader.

Abby Carlin of Western Illinois pitched five shutout innings for Emil's, allowing just two hits with five strikeouts. Bailey Ashton of Marshalltown Community College picked up the victory in relief.

Barnhart finished 2-for-3. Ari Rolle of Virginia Wesleyan was 2-for-2 for Emil's and scored a run. Brie Tauber contributed an RBI single.

Ciera Hansen of Loras had a sacrifice fly to drive in the only run for Bosch. Allie Timmons of Drake and Ellie Thurow of Coe pitched well for Bosch in the tough defeat.

Bosch Financial strung together 10 straight hits and scored 11 runs in the second inning and cruised to a 13-0 victory over Emil's in the second game.

Morgan Braughton of Mount Mercy was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs. Thurow was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Liv Erickson of Simpson went 2-for-2 with a double.

Thurow and Nicole Timmons of Drake combined on a three-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts for Bosch in Game 2. Kaylie Reynolds of DMACC had two of those hits for Emil's.

IRONSIDE SPLITS WITH METRO SPORTS

Ironside Apparel blanked the Metro Sports Report, 1-0, in the first game of their doubleheader with stellar pitching.

Sarah Lehman of Iowa tossed the first five innings for Ironside and struck out nine batters. Payton Akers of Kirkwood retired six straight batters in the last two innings for a save to finish the three-hit shutout.

Cloee Kraft, a 2020 Marion High School graduate who will play at Coe, drove in the only run with an RBI single in the third inning, knocking in Haley Jarrett of Kirkwood.

The Metro Sports Report built a 7-0 lead and hung on for a 7-5 victory in the nightcap. Ironside Apparel rallied and scored four runs in the last inning before Metro Sports Report could secure the victory with the tying run at the plate.

Kelsey Aikey of Western Kentucky was superb for 4 2/3 innings for Metro Sports Report, allowing just two hits with six strikeouts for her second strong outing in a row.

Kaylee Watson of Grand View went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the MSR ballclub. Sydney Robertson of Mount Mercy was 2-for-2.

Kraft went 2-for-3 with an RBI for Ironside Apparel, making her 3-for-4 with two RBIs in her debut in the college league. Haley McFarlane of St. Cloud State had two hits for Ironside.

IOWA WOMEN'S SOFTBALL LEAGUE
Sunday's Results
At Walker

Emil's Hideaway 2, Bosch Financial 1
Bosch Financial 13, Emil's Hideaway 0
Ironside Apparel 1, Metro Sports Report 0
Metro Sports Report 7, Ironside Apparel 5

Standings

Emil's Hideaway        7-4-1
Bosch Financial        6-5-1
Ironside Apparel       6-6-0
Metro Sports Report    4-8-0

Sunday, July 26

11 a.m. - Metro Sports Report vs Bosch Financial (DH)
3 p.m. - Ironside Apparel vs Emil's Hideaway (DH)

End of Season