Tyler Sampson likes softball and is an outstanding shortstop for Xavier High School, but her days on the softball diamond are starting to dwindle away.

Sampson has accepted a scholarship to run track at Western Illinois University, so her softball career will end in July with the end of the high school season.

She'll report to college in Macomb, Ill., in August and specialize in the sprints at Western Illinois.

"I just like running," Sampson said Tuesday after the Saints split a Mississippi Valley Conference doubleheader with Iowa City High at Bob Erusha Field. "I like the school, it's a good distance from home, and they have my major and everything."

The Saints (9-4, 8-4) and Little Hawks (6-9, 5-5) played two tight games. Xavier won the opener, 3-1, and Iowa City High grabbed the nightcap, 3-2, in 10 innings.

Sampson plans to major in physical education at Western Illinois, which makes sense. She's been a four-sport athlete at Xavier and won 15 varsity letters in volleyball, basketball, track and softball.

Sampson was named Xavier's Female Athlete of the Year and was honored at the 11th Annual Celebration of Sports banquet at the Clarion Hotel Sunday evening.

Sampson is hitting .511 for Xavier with 4 homers and 19 RBIs in 13 games. She excelled at shortstop Tuesday night, showing good quickness, footwork, range and a strong, accurate arm.

As a four-sport athlete, she was never able to concentrate on softball for extended periods of time. The track and softball seasons overlap in May, so preseason practice was limited.

"I'll do a little bit of hitting, but as far as fielding I have to wait until state track is over," she said.

Sampson had little rest this season with volleyball, basketball, track and softball.

"I like all of them, but I think I've had the most success in track," she said. "I just like it. Track and softball are my two favorites."

Sampson placed in several events at the Drake Relays and state track meets, both in individual races and relays.

Sampson said she had offers to play softball in college and considered the possibility of track and/or softball at the University of Northern Iowa, but said Western Illinois made a "good offer" and she decided to join the Leathernecks.

She said she'll probably play intramural softball at Western Illinois, but nothing formal. Her softball career is ending. "Yeah, I'm going to miss it a lot," she said.

Sampson had an RBI single to help Xavier win the first game. Jacey Wiebold pitched a 3-hitter for the Saints and went the distance.

Xavier had several chances to win the nightcap, but the Saints left runners in scoring position in eight out of 10 innings and left a total of 14 runners on base.

Erin Drahozal, who just graduated from the eighth grade, hit a solo home run and pitched all 10 innings for the Saints in the nightcap. Audrey Richards went 3-for-5 for Xavier and Kristen Winter was 2-for-3.

Erin Weno pitched a complete game for City High in the nightcap with 10 strikeouts.

Game 1

IOWA CITY HIGH (1)

Hightshoe, ss, 3 0 1 0, Dailey, cf, 1 0 0 0, Weno, 3b, 3 0 0 0, Burian, c, 2 0 0 0, Plock, cr, 0 0 0 0, Koenig, dp, 3 0 0 0, Wilburn, rf, 3 1 1 0, Yoder, lf, 3 0 0 0, Duthie, 1b, 3 0 1 0, Sara Blowers, 2b, 2 0 0 1, Heath, ph, 1 0 0 0, Heise, p, 0 0 0 0. Totals 24 1 3 1.

XAVIER (3)

Colston, rf, 3 1 1 0, Kuba-Tresnak, cf, 2 1 0 0, Bedard, 3b, 3 0 0 0, Winter, 2b, 3 0 1 0, Sampson, ss, 3 0 1 1, Schulte, 1b, 2 0 0 0, Walton, c, 3 0 1 0, Schwach, cr, 0 1 0 0, Deutmeyer, dp, 2 0 1 0, Galligan, lf, 1 0 0 0, Wiebold, p, 0 0 0 0. Totals 22 3 5 1.

Iowa City High   000 010 0 - 1 3 1
Xavier           200 100 x - 3 5 1

Heise and Burian. Wiebold and Walton. W - Wiebold. L - Heise. SB - Plock, Schwach.

Game 2

IOWA CITY HIGH (3)

Hightshoe, ss, 4 1 2 0, Dailey, cf, 2 1 1 0, Weno, p, 5 0 2 1, Plock, cr, 0 1 0 0, Burian, c, 4 0 2 0, Young, cr, 0 0 0 0, Koenig, rf, 5 0 3 2, Harney, pr, 0 0 0 0, Sam Blowers, 3b, 5 0 0 0, Sara Blowers, 2b, 4 0 0 0, Yoder, lf, 3 0 0 0, Koepnick, ph, 1 0 0 0, Heath, dp, 4 0 0 0, Duthie, 1b, 0 0 0 0. Totals 37 3 10 3.

XAVIER (2)

Colston, rf, 5 0 1 0, Bedard, 3b, 3 0 1 0, Winter, 2b, 3 0 2 0, Christensen, pr, 0 0 0 0, Sampson, ss, 4 0 1 0, Kuba-Tresnak, cf, 3 0 0 0, Walton, ph, 1 0 0 0, Drahozal, p, 5 1 1 1, Richards, dp, 5 1 3 0, Schulte, 1b, 2 0 0 0, Ireland, lf, 4 0 1 1, Miller, c, 0 0 0 0. Totals 35 2 10 2.

Iowa City High    200 000 000 1 - 3 10 1
Xavier            000 200 000 0 - 2 10 1

Weno and Burian. Drahozal and Miller. W - Weno. L - Drahozal. 2B - Weno, Winter. HR - Drahozal. SB - Hightshoe 2, Plock, Young.