Women's Summer Collegiate Fast-Pitch Softball League

KCRG 9.2 will broadcast MSR softball games

Guess what?

This Sunday's doubleheader in the Iowa Women's Softball League will be televised live by KCRG 9.2 from Coe College at 2 p.m.

The local ABC affiliate will broadcast the twinbill from Coe next Sunday, July 2 as well.

How about that!

The new league has gotten off to a fabulous start this season with 52 college players on four teams. All told, there are players from 24 different colleges and 35 high schools in the program.

The Iowa Women's Softball League is the only collegiate summer fast-pitch league in the state. Everything is going so well that we're looking into the possibility of expanding with four more teams in Des Moines in 2018.

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Nearad sisters hit homers for Emil's

Anyone who follows college softball in Cedar Rapids knows that Taylor Nearad is a terrific power hitter.

Her sister Jess is very good, too.

The Nearad sisters both slugged home runs Sunday to help Emil's Hideaway defeat Hawkeye Convenience Stores, 10-0, in the second game of their Iowa Women's Softball League twinbill at Coe.

Hawkeye Convenience Stores won the first game, 5-4.

Taylor Nearad, who starred at Kirkwood the past two years, got the family started Sunday with a solo home run. Jess Nearad, who played at the University of Dubuque, followed with a solo shot of her own later in the game.

The Nearad sisters are from Solon, and Taylor Nearad was named the National Junior College Player of the Year for the second straight  time this season for Kirkwood.

Kelsey Aikey of Western Kentucky pitched a shutout for Emil's Hideaway in the 10-0 victory.

Taylor Kurtz hit a home run for Emil's Hideaway in the first game.

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Women's softball games canceled due to heat

All of Sunday's games in the Iowa Women's Softball League were canceled due to the extreme heat.

The league will return to action on Sunday, June 18 with doubleheaders  at Kirkwood and Coe at 2 p.m.

Construction Materials plays Ironside Apparel at Kirkwood, while Emil's Hideaway plays Hawkeye Convenience Stores at Coe.

STANDINGS

Ironside Apparel 4-0, Hawkeye Convenience Stores 2-2, Emil's Hideaway  1-3, Construction Materials 1-3

Pitching shines in MSR softball league

If you like good pitching, plan to stop by Kirkwood or Coe this summer and catch some of the action in the new Iowa Women's Softball League.

It's smoking!

We've got Jaclyn Spencer and Brooke Craig of UNI, Emily Ira of Western  Illinois, Kelsey Aikey of Western Kentucky, Morgan Christner of Illinois State, Lexi Kinnaird and DoniRae Mayhew of Kirkwood and Chelsea Thornley of Webster University, among others.

They'll blow you away.

Ira tossed a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts Sunday as Hawkeye  Convenience Stores blanked Emil's Hideaway, 5-0, in the first game of  their doubleheader at Kirkwood.

Aikey came right back in the second game and tossed a three-hitter  with 12 strikeouts as Emil's Hideaway took the nightcap, 2-1. Taylor  Nearad of Kirkwood, Megan Bonnett of Luther and player/coach Shelby  Crist had two hits for Emil's in the victory.

In the ballgames at Coe, Hailey Duwa of Western Illinois socked a  three-run homer to give Construction Materials a 4-3 victory over  Ironside Apparel in the first game of their twinbill.

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