Sports : Play Ball! Vikings, Vikette start rain-delayed seasons with sweeps

Mackenzie Stueck connects for a hit, driving in two runs against Anamosa.

Matt DeVries hits a triple against Anamosa in the first game of the season Thursday.

Catcher Aric Hanson turns a double play, throwing to first after forcing the runner out at home.

Gunner Tranel throws to Luke Moen, forcing the Raider runner to back to first.

Sophomore pitcher Madelyn Cornell started the Vikettes' first game

Gunner Tranel was the starting pitcher for the Vikings first game of the season.

For the first time in the spring of 2001, the Vinton-Shellsburg baseball and softball teams hear the umpire yell "Play Ball." After rain delayed games scheduled earlier this week, both the Vikings and Vikettes hosted Anamosa in Vinton for double headers.

The first softball game was delayed a few minutes in the first inning when an Anamosa runner apparently broke a finger while sliding back into first base.

The girls won both of their games by 10 runs, 10-0 and 11-1. The Vikings also won both games, 6-4 and 13-4.

Both the Vikings and Vikettes have very young teams. There are only two senior baseball players, Ian Storey and Kody Seaton.

The Vikettes have five seniors: Paige Kreutner, Sydney Etten, Kaley Womochil, Ashley Boyer and Jena Relf. The WaMaC softball teams have changed from a freshman/sophomore/varsity schedule set-up to a varsity and Level 2 and Level 3 system because of diminishing numbers of players in many schools. The Vikette level 3 team has six 8th-graders and six freshmen, although all of the freshmen are also on the roster of the Level 2 team.