Sports : V-S teams struggle on Van Horne diamonds; Benton wins 3 of 4

Paige Kreutner takes a high pitch for a ball vs. Benton.

Kaley Womochil waits for a throw from Ashley Strong.

Pitcher Maddie Cornwell started Game 1 for the Vikettes.

A Lady Bobcat beats a throw back to first base from catcher Ashley Boyer.

Bryce Burroughs is tagged out at the plate during a squeeze bunt attempt in Game 1 at Benton.

Gunner Tranel was the starting Viking pitcher for Game 1 at Benton Community.

The Vinton-Shellsburg fans in the visitors bleachers in Van Horne Tuesday evening could look at the baseball scoreboard in the fifth inning of the first game vs. Benton Community, and see that the home team was ahead 7-2, in the fifth inning. Some of them could also see beyond the left field fence, where the softball scoreboard had the same numbers in the same places: Home 7, Visitors, 2, fifth inning.

The Vikings came back but fell a run short, losing 7-6.

The baseball scoreboard repeated itself again in game 2, as the Bobcats won that contest, also by a 7-6 margin.

The girls eventually lost Game 1, 8-2, but won the second game 10-3.

The Vikettes have one more regular-season game before hosting South Tama in the first round of Regionals at Thole Field at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 9. On Thursday, they play Mount Vernon.

For the boys, District play begins Friday, July 15. Their regular season concludes with games Thursday at Western Dubuque, Friday at home vs. Union and next Monday at Waverly-Shell Rock.