Schmelzer's two homers spark Ed-Co softball upset at state

Addi Schmelzer stood in the batter's box at Harlan Rogers Sports Complex and sent one over the fence in the second inning. The Edgewood-Colesburg sophomore followed with another in the sixth, giving the 15th-ranked Vikings a 6-3 win over top-ranked Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton/Audubon in the Class 1A state quarterfinal on July 20.

Schmelzer's two home runs were the first of her varsity career. "Never in a million years did I think this could happen," she said.

Rachel Eglseder struck out 15 batters for Ed-Co (28-10). Coach Taylor Huber said the team arrived with a different feeling than two years ago. "We came here two years ago, and we didn’t have much of a chance (in the first round). This wasn’t the same feeling. We thought their pitcher was hittable, and they were beatable," Huber said. He added that Schmelzer "has got the swing path and the potential."

The Vikings advance to face seventh-ranked Southeast Warren (23-4) at 12:45 p.m. on July 21, according to the IGHSAA tournament schedule. Cedar Rapids-area fans can follow the result on IGHSAA.org.

the Gazette reported the final score and key moments. The IGHSAA scores page lists the same 6-3 result.