Class 1A district softball tournament action kicks off Saturday ni…

By Mark Adkins

M-P to host district

Class 1A district softball tournament action kicks off Saturday night in the Kalona News area.

Mid-Prairie will be hosting a district. Highland of Ainsworth-Riverside and Cardinal of Eldon will play the opening game of a doubleheader, beginning at 6:30 p.m., while Mid-Prairie and Iowa Mennonite School will face off at 8 p.m.

The winners of the two games Saturday will advance to district semifinal action Monday, July 19, also at Kalona. Pekin of Packwood awaits the Highland-Cardinal winner, while Iowa City Regina will play the Mid-Prairie-IMS victor. Game times will be at 6:30 and 8 p.m. on the 19th.

The district championship game is slated for 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 20 at Kalona. The district champion and runner-up will each move into regional play which will begin the weekend of July 23.

As for the rest of region 7, where all News area teams are located, Lone Tree will open play against the winner of the Wilton-West Branch game Monday, July 19 at 7 p.m. at West Branch. On the bottom half of the district draw, Durant and Columbus Junction will play at Columbus Junction Saturday, while the winner will meet Wapello Monday, July 19. The district final is Tuesday, July 20 at Columbus Junction with a 7 p.m. first pitch.

Keota will open tournament play Saturday at Sigourney against Tri-County of Thornburg. Game time is 6:30 p.m. The winner will play the winner of the English Valleys-Sigourney game Monday, July 19 at 7 p.m. at Sigourney in the district final.

The other three districts in Region 7 are at Victor (Belle Plaine, HLV, Iowa Valley and BGM), Harmony (Farmington) and Burlington (Notre Dame) (Cardinal Stritch of Keokuk, Harmony, Van Buren Keosauqua, West Burlington, Burlington Notre Dame and Fort Madison Aquinas/West Point Marquette) and Winfield (Danville, New London, Waco and Winfield).