By Ryan Stonebraker
Sports Editor
DES MOINES — The Wilton Beavers ran into a team of destiny on Thursday, July 26 in the first of two class 2A semifinal games last week in Des Moines. There, the Beavers saw their season come to an end with a 13-0 loss in five innings to the eventual 2A champions, the Centerville Big Reds. The Beavers were ranked No. 5 in class 2A while Centerville was unranked. The shutout loss was only the third time this season Wilton did not score a run in a varsity game. Wilton lost to state ranked Iowa City Regina 4-0 at home on Monday, June 4 and 2-0 against top ranked Cascade in Cedar Rapids in a game held at Mt. Mercy University. The Beavers were 4-0 in the postseason before their game with Centerville. Three of the four wins were shutouts as Wilton had outscored their four previous postseason opponents 15-2 in in four games. The Beavers had advanced to the semifinals with a 3-2 win over Denver in a class 2A quarterfinal game on Monday, July 23.
The Big Reds are seeking their third state title. They last won in 2008 when they posted three straight upset wins. They also won in 1988. Wilton was searching for their second state title, having won the 2005 2A championship with a perfect 42-0 record.
Centerville took any momentum away from Wilton in the top of the first inning, scoring four runs for a quick 4-0 lead. Centerville got back-to-back RBI singles from cleanup hitter Daniel Hargrave and five-hole hitter Tyson Belloma as well as RBI’s later from Merrick Mathews and Myles Clawson to build their 4-0 lead.
Centerville freshman Brady Kauzlarich got the start for Centerville and snuffed out a Wilton scoring threat in the bottom of the inning. Kauzlarich, who was making his fifth start of the season and who was 2-0 with a 4.14 ERA and 25 strikeouts in just over 25 innings before the game, struck out Cory Anderson to lead off the bottom of the first. Colin McCrabb then got the Beaver fans to their feet with a double. McCrabb advanced to third on a Jared Townsend ground out for the second out. Kauzlarich then got Tyler Hartman to fly out to end the scoring threat. Little did the Beavers know, that would be their best scoring chance of the game.
Centerville put the game away with a six-run top of the second inning while chasing Wilton starting pitcher Jared Townsend. The Big Reds would lead 10-0 after the top of the second inning after collecting eight hits. Kale Cochran scored the first of the six runs on the Beavers third early error in the game to set the score at 5-0. Hargrave had a big two-run single and Belloma followed with a RBI triple to set the score at 8-0. Belloma scored on a wild pitch and Clawson added a RBI single to extend the Centerville lead to 10-0.
Townsend entered the game with an 8-2 record and a 0.88 earned run average and opposing batters batting .104 against him. He exited the game after working only 1 1/3 innings in the game. He gave up eight runs, six of which earned. He struck out four and walked two.
Cory Anderson came into the game in relief. He pitched 3 2/3 innings. He gave up five runs, four earned, and struck out one and walked one batter.
The Big Reds got to Townsend early and knocked him out of the game. Centerville also faced a sub-1.00 ERA starter in senior Evan Olesen from Estherville-Lincoln Central to the tune of six earned runs in a 6-3 win over the third seed in the 2A field.
Wilton struck out two more times looking at Kauzlarich offerings and the only ball put in play in the inning was a Brock Hartley ground out.
Centerville scored their last runs of the game in the top of the third inning when they pushed three runs across the plate. Cory Anderson reached base on a one-out single in the bottom of the third for Wilton’s second hit, but would be left stranded there.
Townsend led off the bottom of the fourth with a double, but strike outs by Tyler Hartman, Brock Hartley and Chantz Stevens ended the scoring threat. The Beavers faced a new pitcher in Tyson Belloma in the bottom of the fifth, but had the same results. Belloma struck out pinch hitter Austin Pleggenkhule and Nolan Leaton and got Garrett Bohnsack to ground out to end the game via the 10-run mercy rule.
The Big Reds ended the game with 13 hits and no errors. Wilton finished the game with just three hits and four errors. Hargrave was 4-for-4 with two doubles, three runs scored and 3 RBI’s. Two others had multi-hit games with Merrick Mathews going 3-for-3 with a triple and 3 RBI’s and Tyson Belloma going 2-for-4 with a tiple and 3 RBI’s. The Big Reds 3-4-5 hitters combined for nine of the 13 hits and had four of the five Centerville extra base hits and drove in nine runs.
Wilton’s hits came from Cory Anderson, Colin McCrabb and Jared Townsend. McCrabb and Townsend each doubled in the game. Wilton left all three runners in scoring position stranded in the game.
Centerville entered the class 2A state tournament as the sixth seeded team out of the eight 2A state qualifiers. Centerville had a record of 24-7. The Big Reds placed second in the South Central conference with a 15-3 record. Knoxville won the SCC title with a 16-2 record. Centerville led their conference in ERA with a 1.80 mark.
Wilton ends the season 26-6 and will graduate two seniors in second baseman Tyler Hartman and outfielder Nolan Leaton. The Beavers will return seven position starters and their three top pitchers from this year, next year.
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