Emotions ran high for Spirit Lake softball from the moment host Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley blasted a line drive out to right field to walk off a 9-8 win in the bottom of the eighth inning of a Class 3A Region 6 semifinal on Thursday, July 10. 
Down 8-3 during a second lightning delay in the fourth inning, the Indians returned to the field with five runs in the next two innings to push the Nighthawks to the brink in the opening round of postseason play for both squads. 

Okoboji softball honored its four senior players before their game with Sioux Center on Wednesday, July 2, ending their regular season with a string of three Siouxland losses. 
The Pioneers made up a postponed game at Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley on Tuesday, July 1, falling to the Nighthawks 14-6. Mattie Hagedorn collected three of Okoboji’s eight hits, batting in a run. Jennesa Gates and Kaitlyn Kraninger each had an RBI. Three runs were unearned. 

After growing up playing sports together, Faith DeWild and Abby Scott were recognized on their final Senior Night as Spirit Lake Indians on Tuesday, July 1 before an 11-3 non-conference loss to Hinton in five innings. 
“I love that girl,” Scott said of DeWild. “We’ve been through it all since kindergarten, playing every sport together. It means so much to me, and I’ll miss it.” 

Defensive struggles led Harris-Lake Park softball to a 18-2 four inning loss at Bishop Garrigan at Algona on Monday, July 7, ending their 2025 season in the first round of Class 1A Regional play. 

The 2025 season is over for Harris-Lake Park as Trinity Christian claimed their second meeting 4-3 in eight innings this week on Saturday, July 5 to open Class 1A District 1 play.
“Our teams know each other well, playing in the same conference,” coach Jared Rahe said. “We knew every run was going to be important in a low-scoring game against them. It would come down to the team who did the little things better. This time, it went their way.”

Okoboji baseball advanced to their District semifinals for the first time since 2020 with a gritty 2-1 win over Emmetsburg at Spirit Lake on Tuesday, July 8. 
“We’ve struggled to get past this game in the past,” Landon Duvall said. “It feels great for us seniors to pull this one off. We’ve been playing baseball with each other for years, wanting to put together a playoff run like this. We have big goals in mind.”

Spirit Lake’s Jack Barthman celebrates hitting a double with a “move the clouds” gesture on the base, which the senior got to do twice and a lot more in a 16-6 five inning win over Sioux Central on Tuesday, July 8 as the Indians opened their 2025 postseason. 
“I learned it from watching Tennessee baseball,” Barthman said. “It’s like move the clouds, the sun’s beaming down on you. I’ve done it for a couple of years and I just like it.”

Okoboji baseball traveled to Cherokee for a non-conference game on Monday, June 30, falling to the Braves 3-1 for their fifth consecutive loss. 
The Pioneers put themselves in scoring position in three innings, loading bases up in the top of the fourth. Walt Blankers scored unearned as Lincoln Wolf was hit by a pitch with bases loaded. A Cherokee double play got them out of the inning, scoring on a line drive out left to tie. 

A trio of Harris-Lake Park seniors led the Wolves to their first home win of the season 7-6 over War Eagle conference rivals Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn on Wednesday, June 25 on Senior Night. 
“It feels good, exciting to get this win at home,” senior Rylee Renken, moments after a game-winning flyout catch, said. “We’re excited to see what we can do as the season winds down. Staying positive, keeping our energy up helped us get this win.”

Harris-Lake Park baseball put the pressure on Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn with base runners, taking advantage of scoring opportunities to run-rule the Hawks for a 11-0 War Eagle Conference win on Tuesday, June 24. 

Okoboji softball hosted Sioux Central and Cherokee for a home tournament on Saturday, June 28, falling to the Rebels 8-0 (five innings) and the Braves 9-6. 
The Pioneers were kept off the bases against Sioux Central outside of Laylah Kalsow reaching first off an error. Six Pioneers struck out and the Rebels did not give up a free base. Meanwhile, Sioux Central set the tone early with three runs in the first inning and repeated their production in the fifth inning to run-rule. 

Spirit Lake softball pushed Sioux Center for eight innings before the Warriors fired off four runs in the top of the ninth for a hard-earned 8-4 win on Monday, June 30 in a rescheduled non-conference matchup.

Luka Garza had never even been to the Midwest before being recruited by the University of Iowa to play basketball in the late 2010s. Fast forward a few years and the Hawkeye All-American is hosting basketball camps in his “second home”, including one at Okoboji High School on Sunday.

From playing in the sandlot as kids to taking the field on Senior Night, eight Spirit Lake seniors have put Indian baseball on the map  with an undefeated conference champion season and simply enjoying the sport one more summer together. 

Harris-Lake Park softball allowed visiting South O’Brien to score nine runs in the first inning of a 13-5 five-inning loss to the Wolverines on Monday, June 23, falling short of a comeback in the third despite two home runs.