Xavier Softball

No. 13 Xavier softball splits with IC West

The Xavier softball team split a Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader with Iowa City West Tuesday.

The Saints won the first game, 5-2. Iowa City West took the nightcap, 5-1.

Xavier (4-3, 4-2) is ranked No. 13 in Class 4A. Iowa City West (1-5, 1-4) is ranked No. 15 in Class 5A.

Maria Steffen tossed a complete game for the Saints in the 5-2 victory. She allowed five hits and two earned runs.

Charlotte Richards hit two doubles for Xavier in Game 1. Katie Langholz and Cassie Himmelsbach also had two hits and Langholz drove in three runs.

Ellie Malecek took the loss for Xavier in the second game.

No. 13 Xavier softball sweeps Wahlert

The Xavier softball team cruised to a pair of victories over Dubuque  Wahlert in the Mississippi Valley Conference Thursday night.

The Saints won the first game, 10-0, in six innings. They captured the  second game, 12-0, in three innings.

The games were played at the Jefferson High School diamond due to  drainage issues at the Xavier field.

Maria Steffen pitched a three-hitter with nine strikeouts for Xavier  in the first game. Charlotte Richards was 3-for-3 with two RBIs.

Ellie Malecek tossed a two-hitter with five strikeouts in the second  game. Hannah Williams went 2-for-2 with a double, home run and three  RBIs.

Charli Patten and Keera Ball were also 2-for-2 in the second game.  Ball had two RBIs.

Xavier (3-1) is ranked No. 13 in Class 4A.

Xavier's games against Iowa City Regina Friday were rained out.

Xavier softball clipped by No. 1 Carlisle

CARLISLE - The Xavier Saints lost to top-ranked Carlisle, 10-2, in the Class 4A regional finals in Carlisle Tuesday night.

Carlisle advances to the Class 4A state softball tournament in Fort Dodge next week with a 36-6 record. The Saints ended their season with an 18-25 record.

Carlisle was the visiting team on its own field after losing the coin flip and they took a quick 1-0 lead when leadoff batter Agatha Beier smacked a home run. Carlisle scored another run in the top of the first for a 2-0 lead.

Xavier battled right back in the bottom of the first when Charlotte Richards got a base hit and Katie Langholz belted a two-run homer to right-center field to tie the game, 2-2.

It was still tied 2-2 after two innings, but Carlisle scored two runs in the third inning for a 4-2 lead and began pulling away from there.

Langholz went 2-for-3 for the Saints.

Xavier won two road games in the regional tournament, beating Vinton-Shellsburg in the quarterfinals and topping Pella in the semifinals.

Saints earn date with No. 1 softball team

PELLA - The road warriors from Xavier High School struck again Saturday night.

The Saints nipped Pella, 3-2, in the semifinals of the Class 4A regional softball tournament in Pella for their second straight victory on the road in the postseason.

Xavier blanked Vinton-Shellsburg, 3-0, in the regional quarterfinals Thursday night to begin the postseason.

Xavier (18-24) will face top-ranked Carlisle (35-6) in the regional finals Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Carlisle, with the winner earning a spot in the state tournament. Carlisle is located southeast of Des Moines, about a two-hour drive from Cedar Rapids.

Saturday's game against Pella was tied, 1-1, after seven innings. The Saints scored twice in the top of the eighth for a 3-1 lead and Pella responded with a single tally in the bottom of the eighth before Maria Steffen got the final out for Xavier.

Steffen tossed a complete game for the Saints. She allowed only five hits and one earned run, with two strikeouts and one walk.

Steph Wehr went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs for Xavier. Olivia Richards, Katie Langholz, Jamie Feltes and Hannah Williams also had two hits in the 10-hit attack.

Olivia Richards, Jenae Marshall and Feltes scored runs for the Saints. Charlotte Richards had a big RBI. Feltes and Wehr hit doubles.

Pella took a 1-0 lead in the third inning, but Xavier tied the game in the fifth. Pella finished with a 15-19 record.