For the first time in three appearances at state, the Waterloo Columbus softball team earned an opening round win.

The Sailors scored three runs in the sixth to top Albia, 8-5, at Rogers Park late Monday night.

Waterloo Columbus (36-5 overall) will now face top-ranked and two-time defending champion Davenport Assumption on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. in one semifinal.

Sydney Schultz had a home run and drove in three runs for the Sailors, who were unable to make it out of the quarterfinals each of the past two summers.

Taylor Hogan was 3-for-4 with three runs and two stolen bases, Kayla Sproul helped her own cause with two RBI and Maliyah Little had two hits. No. 9 hitter Reagan Lindsay also drove in two runs and scored.

Sproul didn’t record a strikeout, but worked around 10 hits and a walk to Albia (27-5).

Alex Beard also went deep and drove in four runs to lead the Lady Dees, who are also back at state for a third consecutive season.

Jena Lawrence had five strikeouts inside the circle, with Kennedy Schroeder, Rylee Leshen and Ellie Spurgin recording two hits each.

WATERLOO COLUMBUS 8,

ALBIA 5

Columbus 102 023 0 — 8 11 0

Albia 001 040 0 — 5 10 2

WP–Kayla Sproul (34-3, 7 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 0 K, 1 BB); LP–Mackenna Jones (9-1, 2ª IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 K, 0 BB).

HR–WC: Sydney Schulte; A: Alex Beard. RBI–WC: Alivia Schultz, Sydney Schultz (3), Kayla Sproul, Reagan Lindsay; A: Makenna Ross, Alex Beard (4).