CEDAR RAPIDS - Marshalltown went on the road for an 8-2 victory over Cedar Rapids Kennedy in the opening round of Class 5A Region 5 softball play on Thursday.
The Bobcats advance to Saturday's semifinal round where they will have a much longer road trip to endure. MHS (19-21) is at Muscatine in the regional semifinals.
Four Bobcats had multi-hit games on Thursday, led by the 3-for-4 performances by both Quinn Goodman and Lauren Mazour. One of Goodman's hits was a double.
Taylor Wagner added two hits, two RBIs and two stolen bases. Emily DeVenney had two hits and two runs scored. Hailee Beals and Taylor Vaske both had an RBI against the Cougars (13-27).
"Our two-out opportunities to score, with either our base running or getting hits, we were able to score," said MHS head coach Jeff Lamb. "I was pleased with our base running. When you can add a couple hits and run the bases well, it's fun to watch."
Vaske allowed two runs on four hits to gain the pitching win. She struck out six.
Muscatine (34-5) is No. 3 in the final IGHSAU 5A rankings.