Wildcats collect three victories

  DURANT — The Durant baseball team took advantage of playing at home last week for all four of their games and came away with three wins in four games. Durant beat Northeast on Thursday, June 13. The Wildcats split with Iowa City Regina and beat Keokuk and Monticello to improve to 7-9 overall and 5-9 in the River Valley Conference.
 Against Iowa City Regina, Wilton scored a 10-8 game one win but took a loss, 8-6 in game two. The Wildcats last win over Iowa City Regina came on Wednesday, May 29, 2013, in the rst game of a then Cedar Valley Conference doubleheader 3-0. The Wildcats winning pitcher that day was then senior Justin Sha er who pitched a no-hitter and struck out 15. Sha er and C.J. Downing each had home runs in the game.
 In game one, Keagan Head got the pitching win in relief of starter Brendan Paper. Paper pitched ve innings, gave up six runs, two earned, and only three hits. He struck out three and walked four. Head pitched the sixth and seventh innings to get the win. He gave up two runs in two innings.
 Durant had 10 hits in the game with three players having multi-hit games. Jake Willkomm was 3-for-3 with a double, RBI, four stolen bases and two runs. Ben Orr and Logan Callison each had two hits and two RBI’s in the game. Drew De- Long, Nolan DeLong, and Keagan Head each had hits. Head drove in two runs and had a double. Nolan DeLong also had a double. Durant had six stolen bases in the game and had ten walks. The ten runs were the most scored by Durant in nearly two weeks.
 Durant scored three runs in the opening inning to take an early lead. The Wildcats would not trail in the game. Durant added a run in the second to extend their lead to 4-0 after two innings. Regina scored their rst runs in the top of the third inning to trim Durant’s lead to 4-3 after three innings. Durant collected three runs in the fourth to take a 7-3 lead after four innings. Regina fought back with three runs in the fth to set the score at 7-6. Regina tied the game at 7-7 in the top of the sixth, but Durant would regain the lead at 10-7 with a 3-run bottom of the 6th.
 In game two, Durant fell 8-6. The Wildcats led 2-0 after a 2-run bottom of the rst and held that lead until the top of the fourth inning. There, Re- gina plated four runs to take a 4-2 lead. The Regals would not trail the rest of the game.
 Nate Dierickx started and took the loss after 3 1/3 innings of work. He struck out seven, walked ve and gave up only one hit, but three runs. Drew DeLong and Ben Orr pitched in relief. Durant had eight hits led by Logan Callison and Keagan Head each with two hits. Callison had two RBI’s and Ben Orr had a double and RBI. Drew DeLong, Brendan Paper and Nathan Hultquist each had hits in the game.

Three-Run 6th Sends Durant To Non-Conference Win
 DURANT — A 3-run bottom of the sixth, propelled the Durant Wildcats to victory over non- conference foe Keokuk on June 18.
 Ben Orr started and got the no-decision. He gave up four runs, one earned, on six hits. He struck out three and walked no batters. Ethan Gast pitched the nal three innings of scoreless relief. He struck out three gave up one hit and did not walk a batter.
 Durant’s o ense had 11 hits in the game with three players with multi-hit games. Nate Dierickx was 3-for-4 with two RBI’s two stolen bases and a run scored. Ben Orr and Lucas Callison each had two hits. Orr had a triple, RBI, stolen base and two runs while Callison had two hits and a double. Jake Willkomm, Drew DeLong, Brendan Paper, Logan Callison each had hits. The Wildcats had a season-high 10 stolen bases in the game. Paper, Dierickx, and Head each had two stolen bases.
 Durant scored twice in the rst and once in the third to take a 3-0 lead. The game was tied at 3-3 and 4-4, but Durant did not give up the lead in the game once they got it. The Wildcats pushed three runs across in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead for good at 7-4.

Durant Gets Back-To-Back Wins For Second Time In Two Weeks
 DURANT — For the second time in a two-week span, the Durant baseball team recorded back-to-back wins. Two nights after beating Keokuk, Durant took an 8-6 win at home over Monticello in RVC cross-division play. The Wildcats have won four of their seven games this season in the past two weeks.
 Three Durant pitchers combined to hold Monticello to six runs on seven hits. Jake Willkomm started and couldn’t get out of the second inning. He walked ve and gave up four runs on three hits. Keagan Head pitched the next ve innings and kept Durant in striking distance. The Panthers led 4-1 after two innings. Durant crept closer with two runs in the bottom of the third inning to set the score at 4-3 Monticello. Monticello extended their lead to 6-3 with a two-run fth. Durant rallied, exploding for ve runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take an 8-6 lead. Ethan Gast relieved Head with one-out in the top of the seventh to earn the save.
 Durant had ten hits in the game. Head was 3-for- 3 with two RBI’s while Nate Dierickx and Ben Orr each had two hits. Orr had two doubles and drove in three runs. Willkomm, Logan Callison, and No- lan DeLong each had hits in the game.

Knights fall to Camanche

 LOWDEN — The North Cedar baseball team welcomed Camanche to town last Monday, June 17 for a conference doubleheader. There, the Knights fell twice to the Indians by scores of 8-0 in game one and 14-3 in game two. North Cedar collected ten hits and scored three runs in the two games.
 In game one, North Cedar was shutout for just the second time this season in the 8-0 loss. North Cedar had only four hits in the game. Ja- cob Wagner was 2-for-3 and Devon Willis and Jaxon Sander each had hits. Sander had a double. Brennen Kreel, James Garner, and Sander each reached base via a walk.
 Camanche scored early and often in the game putting up three runs in each of the rst two innings to take a commanding 6-0 lead. That score held until the top of the seventh when Camanche added two runs to set the score at 8-0.
 Taden Lange started and took the loss. He went ve innings and gave up six runs, three earned, on six hits. He struck out one and walked five. Chase Miller pitched two innings in relief.
In game two, the Knights had six hits and scored three runs. Jaxon Sander was 2-for-3 in the game to lead North Cedar. Tyler Jackson, Jacob Wagner, Devon Willis, and Gage Walshire each had hits. James Garner had a RBI in the game and Ethan Sahr had two of the ve walks issued to North Cedar batters.
 Cole Taylor started and took the loss in 3 1/3 innings of work. He gave up six runs on seven hits and struck out three batters. Alex Woodward, Tyler Thurston, and Devon Willis all pitched in relief.

Beavers win 10-8 over Cascade

WILTON — The No. 8 ranked Beavers survived a wild non- conference game with Cascade last Thursday at home. The win improved the Beavers record to 14-11 on the season and 3-2 against foes from the River Valley Conference North Division. Mila Johnson got the win in 3 1/3 innings of work. She struck out three, walked no one and gave up ve runs on eight hits. Charlotte Brown pitched the - final 3 2/3 innings in relief. She gave up three runs on seven hits and struck out two. She did not walk a batter.

Wilton had 15 hits in the game with their rst six batters in their line-up collecting multi-hit games. Mallory Lange was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Kortney Drake, Payton Ganzer, Taylor Garvin, Peyton Souhrada and Madelyn Wade each had two hits. Souhrad had a home run and drove in four runs and scored twice while Wade had a double and two RBI’s. Ganzer and Garvin also had doubles in the game. As a team, Wilton stole six bases.

Wilton batted around in the bottom of the rst and scored four runs to take early command of the game. Three straight RBI singles by Peyton Souhrada, Taylor Garvin, and Madelyn Wade accounted for three of the four runs in the inning. Wilton sent eight batters to the plate in the bottom of the second and scored four runs again to take an 8-0 lead. The big hit in the inning was a 3-run home run by Souhrada that scored Mallory Lange and Pay- ton Ganzer who both reached base on singles. Wilton added a ninth run in the bottom of the third to take a 9-0 lead on a Payton Ganzer RBI double with two outs.

Cascade however, came back. It started with a ve-run top of the fourth. The Cougars knocked out Wilton starting pitcher Mila Johnson, after Johnson gave up all ve runs. Taylor Menster had a RBI single and lead-o batter Devin Si- mon had a big 2-run home run in the inning to let Cascade trim the Beavers lead to 9-5.

In the bottom of the fth, Wil ton got one of the runs back on a solo home run from pinch hitter Chloe Wells. It was Wells’ eighth home run of the year. Cascade would make things interesting, scoring three runs on the top of the sixth to get within two runs at 10-8, but they could get no closer.

Cascade used two pitchers in the game. Hailey Hannan started and lasted only 1 1/3 innings in taking the loss. She gave up eight runs on seven hits. Sa- mantha Recker pitched the final 4 2/3 innings and gave up two runs on ve hits and struck out ve batters. Cascade had 14 hits in the game led by Whitney Clemens who was 3-for-4 with a double. Devin Simon, Addy Weber, and Hailey Hannan each had two hits.

Knights Beat Tigers 5-2

LOWDEN — The North Cedar softball team snapped a three-game losing streak on Thursday, June 20 with a 5-2 victory over RVC South foe Tipton. The Tigers and Knights have played competitive games in recent years and this was no different. There, North Cedar beat the Tigers 5-2 to win their sixth game of the season.

North Cedar scored the games first runs with two runs in the bottom of the first. The Knights extended their lead to 3-0 after three innings with a single run. The Knights took control of the game with two runs in the fifth to take a 5-0 lead.

Tipton made things interesting in the late innings. The Tigers scored single runs in the top of the sixth and seventh innings to get within 5-2 but could get no closer.

Kendall Smith started and was the winning pitcher. Smith struck out five Tipton batters and walked one. She gave up five hits and two runs. North Cedar had seven hits in the game. Two Knights had multi-hit games. Alyssa Barnhart and Kassidie Galloway each were 2-for-3 in the game. Barnhart had a game, collecting a double, scoring three runs, stealing two bases and reaching base via a walk. Galloway had 3 RBI’s and scored twice. Smith had a triple and RBI and scored a run and Carly Meier and Katelyn Jackson each had hits in the game.

Tipton lost there third game in a row and fell to 4-19 with the loss. The Tigers saw their record against RVC North foes fall to 2-4 with the loss. Tipton had five hits in the game with one player having a multi-hit game. Senior Laken Hermiston was 2-for-3 with a RBI to lead Tipton batters. Britney Ford, Bryanna Simmermaker and Kaylea Claussen each had hits and Ford and Claussen each scored runs. Claussen also had a RBI.

Morgan Wendel took the loss after working six innings. She struck out five, walked two and gave up five hits.

Knights give ranked Indians a game, fall twice to red hot Camanche
LOWDEN — North Cedar started a busy week hosting on of the best stories in Eastern Iowa this summer in the Camanche softball team. The Indians have taken Class 3A by storm and the state for that matter. The Indians are the state leader in any class in home runs and have vaulted to No. 10 in the latest Class 3A IGHSAU rankings. Last Monday, June 17, the Knights hosted the Indians for an RVC doubleheader. In the first game, North Cedar fell 3-1. It was just the second 2-run or less game that Camanche has played to date against an RVC foe. That includes 2A ranked Wilton who lost at home earlier this month to the Indians 11-2.

In game one, Camanche won 3-1 in a very close game. The Indians scored first with a run in the top of the second inning for a 1-0 lead. That lead held until the top of the fifth when the Indians pushed a run across the plate in the top of the fifth to extend their lead to 2-0. North Cedar scored their only run in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Kendall Smith took the loss after working seven innings. She struck out six, walked one batter and gave up three runs, one earned, on seven hits. Abby Stock was the winning pitcher for Camanche. Stock went seven innings, struck out six, walked one and gave up one run. Hanna Nissen was 2-for-2 with a stolen base and two runs scored to lead Camanche. North Cedar held the mighty Indian offense down, limiting their top-2 hitters - Tara Wehde and Madi Parson - to a combined 1-for-6 with a double in the game.

The Knights had five hits in the game with two players collecting multi-hit games. Alyssa Barnhart and Katelyn Jackson each were 2-for-3 in the game with a double. Jackson scored the only Knight run in the fifth. Kassidie Galloway had the other North Cedar hit in the game.

In game two, Camanche won 10-0 in six innings behind a Tara Wehde pitching gem. The Indians had 15 hits in the game led by Madi Parson who was 3-for-4 with a double, 2 RBI’s and two runs. Tarah Wehde, Abby Stock, Lauren Snyder, and Abby Beal each had two hits. Wehde had 2 RBI’s and Snyder had 1 RBI. Wehde was the winning pitcher with 10 strikeouts and 1-walk in six innings. Wedhe pitched a 1-hitter in the game and gave up only a Kassidie Galloway single, and two walks, one each to Sam Koth and another to Kendall Smith.

Two Knights pitched in the game. Smith started and took the loss after working four innings. She gave up seven runs, four earned, on eight hits. She did not strike out a batter and walked one. Jenna Syring pitched the final two innings in relief. She gave up three runs on five hits and struck out two batters.

Knights end the week with Marion loss, 8-1
MARION — The Knights ended their four-game week with an 8-1 loss at Marion Friday night. The Knights end the week 1-3 in four games and now sit with an overall record of 6-12.

North Cedar grabbed a 1-0 lead in the game, scoring in the top of the first inning. The Knights held that lead until Marion tied the game in the bottom of the fourth with a run of their own. Marion took a 4-1 lead with a three-run fifth and took control of the game with a four-run sixth.

Kendall Smith took the loss after working six innings. She struck out four, walked four and gave up eight hits. Smith also had a hit in the game. Sophomore Megan Kessens was the winning pitcher. She struck out 13 Knights and gave up one earned run.

North Cedar had seven hits in the game with two players collecting multi-hit games. Alyssa Barnhart was 2-for-3 with a run and two stolen bases. Sam Koth also was 2-for-3 with a double and a stolen base. Emma Boleyn and Kayla Syring had the other North Cedar hits.

Marion snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 14-14. Cloee Kraft led Marion in the game at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a home run, double, 2 RBI’s, and two runs scored.

Cascade No Match For Streaking Beavers

WILTON — In a highly anticipated matchup between the top two teams in each River Valley Conference division ended with a lopsided 11-0 win for the top-ranked team in Class 2A. The Wilton Beaver baseball team collected their 10th shutout victory of the season in an 11-0 drubbing of Class 2A No. 8 Cascade at home on Thursday, June 20. The win set the Beavers record at 14-1 on the season. The loss by Cascade was their second straight loss to an RVC South squad. Tipton beat the Cougars on June 13 at home. Cascade still has to play RVC South games against Iowa City Regina and Durant. Wilton improved to

University of Iowa signee Jared Townsend had his best outing of the season. Townsend collected a no-hitter in the game and struck out 11 Cougars. He needed only 84 pitches in the game. He did walk four batters. Townsend shut down the Cougars offense, one that bats .297 with five batters batting over .300. Seven of the first outs in the game were Townsend strikeouts. In all, only four outs in the game were not strikeouts.

Wilton took control of the game in the bottom of the first inning. The Beavers batted around and sent ten batters to the plate. Cory Anderson singled and went to third on a Chantz Stevens double. Collin McCrabb walked to load the bases with no outs. Jared Townsend doubled scoring Anderson and Stevens for a 2-0 lead. Cascade got Brock Hartley on strikes and Ashton Stoelk to fly out for two quick outs. Then Brayton Wade smacked a double into right centerfield, scoring both McCrabb and Townsend to give Wilton a 4-0 lead.

The Beavers added four more runs in the bottom of the third inning. Wilton sent nine batters to the plate in the inning. Wilton loaded the bases with one-out after a Stoelk single and walks issued to Clayton Cooling and Garrett Bohnsack. Lead-off batter Cory Anderson then hit a bases-clearing triple to give Wilton a 7-0 lead. Anderson would score one batter later on a sacrifice fly by Chantz Stevens.

The Beavers lead held until the bottom of the fifth inning when the Beavers scored three runs to take an 11-0 lead. There, senior Collin McCrabb launched a three-run home run, his sixth of the season, to end the game by the 10-run mercy rule. Cooling led off the inning with a single and later Stevens singled to put two runners on base to set up McCrabb’s blast.

Cascade starter Reid Rausch took the loss. He fell to 4-2 in 30 1/3 innings of work. Wilton collected 11 hits off the starter who allows opposing batters a batting average of only .133 this season. Rausch took the loss after starting and going four innings. He gave up eight earned runs on seven hits. He walked five and struck out two batters. Tom Knepper pitched the final 2/3 innings in relief. He gave up three runs on three hits and struck out one batter.

Cascade did have four baserunners in the game. Harris Hoffman, Ted Weber, Kaleb Topping, and Tanner Simon all reached base via walks issued.

Wilton had 11 hits in the game with four players collecting multi-hit games. Cory Anderson, Chantz Stevens, Ashton Stoelk and Jared Townsend all had two hits. Clayton Cooling, Collin McCrabb and Brayton Wade each had hits. Anderson and McCrabb each drove in three runs and Townsend had two RBI’s. Stevens, Stoelk, and Wade all had one RBI. Wilton had three doubles in the game, one each from Stevens, Townsend, and Wade. Anderson had a triple in the game.


Beavers Collect A Pair Of Shutouts Over 4A Muscatine
WILTON — The two schools are a mere 15 miles apart, but the distance between programs is wider. The shutout wins were number-9 and number-10 on the season for the Beavers. Beaver seniors Ashton Stoelk and A.J. Bosten each pitched complete-game shutouts and kept their record spotless this season. The Beavers improved to 3-1 in four non-conference games.

In game one, Wilton broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth, scoring two runs. Collin McCrabb hit a one-out double and scored on a Jared Townsend single. Townsend would come around to score on a wild pitch for the second run. That score held until the bottom of the sixth when McCrabb connected for a solo home run.

Ashton Stoelk improved to 3-0 on the season and continued to sport a 0.00 ERA in getting the pitching win. Stoelk needed only 89 pitches to get the complete game win. He struck out seven, scattered three hits and did not walk a batter.

Wilton had five hits in the ball game with Collin McCrabb leading the way, going 2-for-3 with a home run, RBI and two runs scored. Garrett Bohnsack, Stoelk, and Jared Townsend had the other Wilton hits. Townsend also drove in a run.

In game two, A.J. Bosten improved to 2-0 with a seven-inning complete game shutout. He struck out seven, walked two and gave up only four hits. Wilton had 13 hits in the game with four players having multi-hit games. Ashton Stoelk was 3-for-4 with an RBI and run while Clayton Cooling, Brock Hartley and Collin McCrabb each had two hits. McCrabb had another home run and drove in two runs. Cooling and Hartley also had RBI’s. Jared Townsend, Cory Anderson and Garrett Bohnsack each had RBI hits.

Collin McCrabb’s second solo home run on the night gave Wilton a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Wilton would later score its second run when Garrett Bohnsack scored on a wild pitch. Wilton added a Clayton Cooling RBI single in the bottom of the fourth inning for a 3-0 lead. Wilton took control of the game in the bottom of the sixth, pushing six runs across the plate and sending 10 batters to the plate. Bohnsack had an RBI triple and Brock Hartley and McCrabb had RBI doubles in the inning. Cooling, Ashton Stoelk had RBI singles and Anderson and Townsend added RBI’s in the inning to give Wilton the 9-0 lead.

Tigers win 3-of-4 games to reach .500

  LOWDEN — The Tipton baseball team has reached the .500 mark with three wins in four tries last week as the summer season concluded its fth week. The Tigers improved to 8-8 overall with wins over West Liberty, Postville, and North Cedar last week. Tipton will have a chance to get over .500 this week with competitive games at home against RVC foes Anamosa and Durant and special road games this Tues- day at Mt. Mercy when they will play Lone Tree and Friday when they play at the University of Iowa against Center Point-Urbana. The Tigers are on the road all of the following week with conference games at West Branch and Bellevue and a game at Class 1A state-ranked Calamus-Wheatland.

 The Tigers ended the week with a 15-5 win at North Cedar on another Luke Becker win. Becker improved to 4-0 in his last four starts and helped the Tigers win three of their four games last week. Becker pitched 5 1/3 innings in the win at North Cedar while surrendering eight hits and
five unearned runs. Becker helped out with the offense too, going 3-for-5 with three RBI’s. Kayden Rezac pitched a scoreless 1 2/3 innings in relief. He did not allow a hit and struck out one.

 Tipton had 16 hits in the game with six players getting multi-hit games. Dylan Mente, Trent Pelzer, Kael Jauron, Cole Syring and Peyton Gaertner each had two hits. Mente had three RBI’s while Syring and Gaertner each had two RBI’s.

 The Tigers scored three or more runs in four innings in the game. Tipton opened the scoring with a 3-run second inning. The Tigers sent eight batters to the plate in the inning. Jacob Tischuk led o
the third with a walk and later scored on a wild pitch for the game’s rst run. Back-to-back singles by Connor Hermiston and Kael Jauron led to two more runs. Each would score, along with Tischuk to help Tip- ton to a 3-0 lead. The Tigers built a 7-0 lead with a four-run top of the third after nearly batting around, again send- ing eight batters to the plate. Jacob Tischuk, Cole Syring and Connor Hermiston all had singles in the inning and each scored a run. Trent Pelzer also scored after reaching base on a North Cedar error.

 North Cedar would score single runs in each of the third and fourth innings to trim the Tigers lead to 7-2. The Knights scored on a hit batsman in the third when Jaxon Sander was plunked with the bases loaded, and an Ethan Sahr RBI single in the fourth that scored Sander accounted for the runs.

 The Tigers would take command of the game in the top of the fifth, scoring ve runs to take a 12-2 lead. RBI hits in the inning came from a Carter Hill double and singles from Dylan Mente, Luke Becker, and Connor Hermiston. North Cedar prevented the game from ending early by the 10-run mercy rule, scoring three runs in the bottom of the fth to set the score at 12-5. The Tigers would respond with three runs in the top of the sixth to set the score at 15-5. North Cedar did not score in the sixth, ending the game early.

 Ethan Sahr took the loss after starting and working 4 1/3 innings. He struck out three, walked three and gave up 11 runs on 11 hits. Tyler Thurston pitched 1 2/3 innings in relief. He struck out three, walked one and gave up four runs on five hits.
  North Cedar had 12 hits in the game and had three players have multi-hit games. Sahr was 3-for-4 at the plate with a double while Brennen Kreel and Jaxon Sander each was 2-for-3 at the plate. Jacob Wagner, Devon Willis, Gage Walshire, Thurston, and Taden Lange all had hits. Thurston drove in a pair of runs while Sander, Willis, and Walshire each had one-RBI.  Tyler Jackson and Wagner each reached base via walks.

Tigers Capture Second Shutout This Season With Postville Win
 CEDAR RAPIDS — The Tipton baseball team got a special road game last Tuesday, playing at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids. The opponent was Postville. Postville was where current Tiger head baseball coach Troy Smock got his start teaching and coaching. There, the Tigers won, shutting out Postville 6-0. The win gave the Tigers a record of 2-1 in non-conference games this season.

 Luke Becker was one of three Tiger pitchers to pitch in the game. Becker started and got the win after working three innings. He struck out one and walked one batter. He gave up one hit. Jacob Tischuk pitched two innings in relief and did not allow a run. Peyton Gaert- ner also pitched a scoreless inning in relief and struck out two batters.

 Tipton scored in the bottom of the rst inning. Trent Pelzer reached on a two-out single and promptly stole second to get into scoring position. Pelzer then scored on a Carter Hill hit to give Tipton a 1-0 lead. The Tigers added two runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 3-0 lead. THS sent six batters to the plate and had two hits in the inning. Tipton put the game away with a three-run fourth to make it three of the rst four innings that Tipton scored runs. Tip- ton nearly batted around in the inning and had three singles and three walks in the inning. Luke Becker, Connor Hermis- ton, and Carter Hill had hits in the inning.

 Tipton had seven hits in the game. Tischuk led THS going 2-for-4 with a double and RBI. Trent Pelzer had a single, two RBI’s and two stolen bases. Carter Hill had an RBI single and Luke Becker drove in two runs. The Tigers had eight stolen bases in the game and drew four walks. Dylan Mente had two walks and two steals. Pelzer and Connor Hermiston each had two stolen bases.

Tigers Split With Comets In Two Exciting Home Games
 TIPTON — The Tipton baseball team hosted West Liberty on Monday, June 17. The Tigers began a week with four games with a split a doubleheader with the Comets. Tipton won game one 5-4, and lost game two 7-6.

 In game one, Tipton trailed 2-0 before pushing two runs across the plate in the bottom of the third. That score held until the seventh. There, West Liberty pushed two runs across the plate in the top of the inning to take a 4-2 lead. In the bottom of the inning, Tipton would win the game by scoring three runs to capture the one- run, 5-4 win.
 Kael Jauron was the winning pitcher after working the seventh inning. He gave up two runs and walked one batter. Jauron pitched in relief of starter Cole Syring. Syring pitched six innings and gave up two runs. He scattered eight hits and struck out seven Comet batters.

 Tipton had four hits in the game. Jauron was 2-for-4 with three RBI’s to lead THS. Dylan Mente and Luke Becker had the other hits. Tipton drew seven walks from ve di er- ent players in the game. Trent Pelzer was 0-for-1 at the plate but was on base three times via walks. Mente and Becker each score twice while Pelzer scored the other Tipton run.

 In game two, the Tigers fell behind 7-0 after the Comets scored four runs in the top of the fourth. West Liberty began the game with three runs in the rst o of starter Kael Jauron. The Tigers mounted
a comeback in the bottom of the fifth inning with ve runs to trim the Comet lead to 7-5. Tipton batted around in the inning and had six hits including three doubles. Singles by Dylan Mente and Luke Becker led o the fth. Both scored on a two-out Cole Syring double. Connor Hermiston’s double scored Syring to set the score at 7-3. A Jacob Tischuk RBI single scored Hermiston and a double by Brady Connor scored Tischuk to set the score at 7-5.

 Tipton got their leado batter on in the bottom of the seventh with the score still 7-5. West Liberty would get a double play to quickly get two outs. Later, the Tigers would push across one run with two outs, but as they tried to score the tying run, West Liberty made a defensive play to throw the runner out at home, ending the game.
 Jauron took the loss after working one-inning. He gave up three runs on three hits and walked one batter. Kayden Rezac pitched 3 1/3 innings in relief. He struck out two, walked three and gave up three hits. Brady Connor pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief and did not give up a run. He gave up a hit, walked four and struck out one. Trent Pelzer made his rst varsity relief appearance and pitched a scoreless seventh and struck out two Comets.
 Tipton had nine hits in the game with three players getting multi-hit games. Luke Becker, Connor Hermiston, and
 Brady Connor each had two hits. Connor and Cole Syring each had two RBI’s and Dylan Mente had two of the three Tigers stolen bases.

Tigers show fight in losses to state ranked West Liberty

 TIPTON — The Tipton softball team showed a lot of ght in their RVC South doubleheader loss to Class 3A No. 6 West Liberty last Thursday. The Tigers gave the ranked Comets all they could handle in the rst game, a 10-5 loss in nine innings. West Liberty beat Tipton 17-2 in the second game.
 Morgan Wendel took the loss in game one after nine innings. She struck out ve and walked two. She gave up 14 hits and 10 runs. Britney Ford was 3-for-5 with a double and 2 RBI’s. Laken Hermiston and Kaylea Claussen each had two hits. Bryanna Simmermaker, Grace Nicols added singles. West Liberty had 14 hits. Hay- lee Lehman was 5-for-5 with a triple, RBI, 2 stolen bases, and three runs scored. Gingerich and Hall each had three hits and Macy Akers had a pair of hits and drove in three runs.
 In game two, Morgan Wendel took the loss after the Tigers fell 17-2 in ve innings. Wen- del gave up 17 runs on 13 hits while walking eight.
 Tipton had one hit in the game an RBI single by Laken Hermiston.

PODCAST: CCP For June 23rd

Welcome to the Coaches Corner Podcast.  This is the official podcast from Ryan Stonebraker, Sports Editor for the Tipton Conservative.  If you have any questions or comments e-mail me at ConservativeSports@gmail.com - RS.

LINK: Podcast June 23rd

Top ranked Beavers sweep Durant

 WILTON — The top-ranked team in Class 2A Wilton Beavers improved to 10-0 with a pair of RVC South victories last Tuesday, June 11 at home against Durant. WIlton won game one 6-1 and game two, 4-0. The second game shutout was the sixth shutout in ten games. The wins set the Beavers record against RVC South teams at 7-0.

 In game one, WIlton got on the scoreboard rst with a run in the bottom of the third inning, putting them up 1-0. Durant tied the game in the top of the fourth at 1-1. That score stood until Wilton scored twice in the fifth and three times in the bottom of the sixth to set the score at 6-1.

 Jared Townsend remained unbeaten with a 7-inning complete game win. He gave up one run on ve hits while striking out six and walking one batter. Wilton ahd seven hits in the game. Brock Hartley was 2-for-3 with a 3-run home run, a triple and a run. Cory Anderson and Ashton Stoelk each had RBI doubles and Garrett Bohnsack, Collin McCrabb and Jared Townsend each had hits.

 Nate Dierickx took the loss after working six innings. He struck out five and had no walks. He gave up six runs on seven hits. Durant had ve hits in the game by ve di erent players. Brendan Paper had a hit and drove in the only Durant run. Tevin Miller had a triple, Ben Orr had a double while Drew DeLong, Logan Callison had hits. Jake Willkomm reached base via a walk and stole two bases.

 In game two, Wilton broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth inning when they pushed two runs across home plate for a 2-0 lead. The Beavers added two more runs in the bottom of the fth to extend their lead to 4-0.

 Cory Anderson was the winning pitcher after working seven innings for the complete game victory. An- derson struck out ve, walked three and scattered four hits. Wilton had ve hits in the game by ve di erent players. Brock Hartley had a hit and 2 RBI’s, while Collin McCrabb had a hit and RBI. Jared Townsend drove in the other Wilton run. Cory Anderson, A.J. Bosten, and Clayton Cooling each had hits in the game. Brendan Paper started and took the loss after working four innings. He struck out seven, walked two and gave up two runs on two hits. Ben Orr pitched two innings in relief. He struck out two, walked ve and gave up two runs on three hits.

 Durant had ve hits in the game. Drew DeLong and Brendan paper each were 2-for-3 in the game. Tevin Miller also had a hit. Jake Willkomm reached base twice via walks and Nathan Hultquist also reached base on a walk.

Beavers Beat Comets, Now 11-0
 WILTON — The Wilton Beavers improved to 11-0 and recorded their seventh shutout win with a 2-0 win over RVC North foe Bellevue on Thursday, June 13. Ashton Stoelk pitched a six-hit, complete-game shutout in the game. Stoelk struck out 10 and walked one batter.

 Wilton had ve hits led by senior Garrett Bohnsack who was 2-for-2 with a stolen base and walk. Chantz Stevens and Collin McCrabb each had RBI hits in the game while Cory Anderson added a singe.

 Wilton scored the game’s only runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 2-0 lead.

Wildcats beat tough Northeast squad, 5-1

 GOOSE LAKE — Durant softball team had a tall task last Thursday, June 13 when they traveled to Northeast. There, the Rebels entered the game with 12 wins and wins including two win streaks this season of over three games. The Wildcats didn’t inch and picked up a hard-fought 5-1 road RVC win to improve to 15-5. The Rebels fell to 12-6. The Wildcats remain ranked in the latest Class 2A IGHSAU poll at No. 2. The Wildcats improved to 3-0 against RVC North foes with wins over North Cedar, Bellevue, and now Northeast.
 Kamryn Meyer was the winning pitcher after seven innings of work. Meyer scattered ve hits and gave up one earned run. She struck out 11 and walked one batter. She topped career strikeout No. 600 in the win. She began the season surpassing career strikeout No. 500 in the Wildcats season-opening win over Davenport West.
 Durant had 10 hits in the game with four players collecting two or more hits. Meyer helped herself in the game, going 3-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI’s. Hannah Happ, Allie Poston, and Kylie Schule each had two hits. Happ had a double, stolen base and drove in two runs. Poston had an RBI and reached base via a walk. Ruby Kappeler had a hit, scored twice and had four stolen bases in the game.
 Alexis Ehlers took the loss after seven innings of work. She struck out ve, walked one and gave up five runs. Claire Abbott led the Rebels at the plate with a single and RBI in three at-bats.
 Durant got on the scoreboard rst with a run in the rst inning. Ruby Kappeler led o the game with a single to left eld and advanced to second on a Hannah Happ single. Kappeler then stole third, and home to score the rst run for a 1-0 lead. The Wildcats would get Happ to third and Kira Schult to second in the inning but both would be left stranded. Happ would lead o the second with a double. Allie Poston then lined single to the out eld, scoring Happ who was running with the pitch. The run gave Durant a 2-0 lead.
 Northeast would cut the Wildcats lead in half in their half of the third inning, cutting Durant’s lead to 2-1. That score would hold until the top of the fth. There, Durant scored two runs to extend their lead to 4-1. Poston drew a one-out walk and was courtesy ran for by Abby Rhoades.
 Kira Schult singled advancing Rhoades to second. Kylie Schult also singled to load the bases. Then Kamryn Meyer roped a double on a line drive to center eld scoring two runs. The Wildcats added a single run in the top of the sixth to set the score at 5-1.

Lawson Spins 2-Hit Shutout In Keokuk Win
 DURANT — Durant senior Jenna Lawson spun a 2-hit, complete game shutout in helping Durant beat Keokuk 12-0 in four innings. Lawson improved to 6-2 and lowered her ERA to 2.14 with the win. Lawson struck out six of the 14 batters she faced and walked three. She gave up two hits. Durant had 8 hits in the game and 11 stolen bases. Durant also drew ve walks. Kylie Kay, Kylie Schult, and Paige Werthman each had hits and drove in two runs. Allie Poston, Kira Schult each had hits and an RBI. Ruby Kappeler had a double, 4 stolen bases and 2 walks.
 Durant took control of the game in the rst inning, scoring three runs to grab a quick 3-0 lead. Durant held that lead into the second inning when they dropped six runs on Keokuk in the second to take a 9-0 lead.

Split Decision In Match-Up Between Two, Top-10 Teams

 WILTON — Two of the top Class 2A softball teams met on Monday, June 10 in Wilton. There, the No. 8 Wilton Beavers hosted No. 2 Durant picking up their rivalry with high stakes involved. Both were looking to keep up with two other state ranked teams in the RVC, West Liberty and Iowa City Regina. Durant has owned the series in recent years with a 13-3 record in the last 16 regular season games. At one point, Durant won 12 straight from 2012 to 2017. Last year, Durant swept Wilton by scores of 2-0 and 4-1. The two teams were on a trajectory to face off in a 2A Regional Final with the winner going to state last year, until Bellevue upset the top-ranked Wildcats.
This year, the two teams would split their doubleheader with the 8th ranked Bevers winning 3-2 in game one, and the 2nd ranked Wildcats winning in game two, 2-1. With postseason brackets coming out soon, the two teams could face each other once again in a winner-take all game in this year’s postseason.

 In game one, Durant left two runners on base and came away with no runs in the first inning. Wilton scored the games first run in the bottom of the first. Mallory Lange led off with a single, stole second and took third on a wild pitch. She scored on a RBI single by Payton Ganzer to give Wilton a 1-0 lead. That lead held until the top of the fourth inning. There, Durant senior Kamryn Meyer smashed a Mila Johnson pitch over the outfield fence for a solo home run, tying the game at 1. The Wildcats left runners stranded at third base in the top of the third, and fourth innings.

 Wilton would take control of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning when they scored two runs. The Beavers sent seven batters to the plate. A RBI double by Kortney Drake that scored Alexis Walker gave Wilton a 2-1 lead. Chloe Wells followed with a RBI single to score Drake to give Wilton the 3-2 lead. Durant had a chance to tie the game in the top of the sixth. Leadoff hitter Ruby Kappeler hit a one-out double and stole third to give the Wildcats a prime scoring chance. Then, Hannah Happ’s bunt attempt popped up and was caught for the second out. Wilton alertly fired to third base to double up Kappeler who had broke for home on contact. The play was for the third out of the inning to keep the score at 3-2 Wilton. The Wildcats sent the heart of their order (Allie Poston, Kira Schult, Mallory Warner) to the plate in the seventh but they all were retird, ending the game.

 Kamryn Meyer took the loss despite working six innings and striking out 12 batters. She walked one and gave up three runs on three hits. Durant had nine hits in the game with two players with multi-hit games. Ruby Kappeler and Mallory Warner were each 2-for-4 in the game with a double. Meyer and Hannah Happ each had a hit and RBI. Allie Poston, Kylie Schult and Paige Werthmann each had a hit. Abby Rhoades and Kappeler each had stolen bases and Happ reached base via a walk.

 Mila Johnson was the winning pitcher having worked all seven innings for the win. She struck out six, walked one and gave up two runs on nine hits. Mallory Lange was 2-for-3 with a stolen base and two runs scored. Kortney Drake, Chloe Wells, and Payton Ganzer all had RBI hits with Drake’s being a double. Alexis Walker added a single.

 Game two was just as close. This time, Durant got the one-run win, 3-2. Just like the first game, Wilton scored first in the bottom of the opening inning. Chloe Wells hit a two-out triple, and scored on a wild pitch to give Wilton a 1-0 lead. Wells started the game, and cruised until the top of the third. There, Durant tied the game 1-1. Ruby Kappeler reached on a two-out hit and promptly stole second base. She would advance to third base on an error and later score on an error to tie the game.

 Mila Johnson relieved Wells in the fourth and retired nine straight Wildcats to get the seventh inning where the game remained tied. The Beavers had two scoring chances in that time, getting a baserunner to second base in each of hte fourth, fifth and sixth innings. None scored however, keeping the score at 1-1. Neither team would score in the seventh, sending the game to extra innings, or the eighth.

Durant broke the 1-1 tie in the top of the ninth inning. Allie Poston led off the inning with a single and was moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt by Mallory Warner. Poston moved to third on an error ad scored on a sacrifice fly by Kylie Schult.

Kamryn Meyer pitched all nine innings and got the victory. She allowed one unearned run and scattered four hits. She struck out seven and walked two. Durant had six hits in the game. Allie Poston was 2-for-4 to lead Durant. Ruby Kappeler, Hannah Happ each had hits, as did Kamryn Meyer and Kira Schult. Happ and Schult drove in the two Wildcat runs.

Chloe Wells started the game and went three innings. She struck out five, gave up three hits and one run. She did not walk a batter. Mila Johnson pitched six innings in relief and took the loss. She struck out six, walked no batters and gave up two hits. Peyton Souhrada was 2-for-4 with a double to lead the Beavers offense. Mallory Lange and Chloe Wells had the other hits for Wilton.

Wilton collects two wins over RVC foes

 WILTON — A 3-run third inning propelled the Wilton softball team to a 5-2 win over Monticello on Tuesday, June 11. It was the rst of two straight home games scheduled last week for Wilton. The Beavers had 13 hits in the game.
 Mila Johnson got the complete game win after scattering seven hits and giving up two runs. She struck out four and walked four batters.
 Wilton matched Monticello’s second-inning run with one of their own in the bottom of the inning to tie the score at 1-1. The Beavers pushed three runs across the plate in the bottom of the third inning to take a 4-1 lead. Wilton extended their lead to 5-1 with a single run in the fourth. That score would stay the same until the Panthers scored a run in the top of the seventh to set the nal at 5-2.
 Wilton had 13 hits in the game. Mila Johnson was 3-for-4 and Maddy Wade and Chloe Wells each were 2-for-4 in the game. Wade had 2 RBI’s and Wells 1 RBI. Mal- lory Lange, Kortney Drake, Peyton Souhrada, Taylor Garvin, Emily Coss, and Alexis Walker each had hits in the game.
 The Beavers could not get their varsity doubleheader made up with state-ranked Iowa City Regina last week. The games were scheduled for last Wednesday, but the weather forced the postponement of the doubleheader that was already rescheduled. It is not known when the two teams will get together now to make up the games.
 Wilton remains ranked in the top-15 in Class 2A. The Beavers are currently ranked No. 7. Durant is ranked No. 2 and Iowa City Regina No. 5 in Class 2A. In Class 3A, West Liberty is ranked No. 6, Camanche No. 11, and Anamosa No. 12.

Beavers Beat Comets, 12-2 In 6  
 WILTON — The Wilton softball team won their second game against an RVC North foe last Thursday, beating Bellevue 12-2 in six innings. The Beavers had 15 hits in the game, stole six bases, and were issued 8 walks.
 Mila Johnson was the winning pitcher after six innings for the complete-game win. She struck out nine, walked one and gave up two earned runs on ve hits. Maddy Wade led the offense and ve Beavers with double-digit hit totals, going 4-for-4 with 2 RBI’s and 3 runs scored. Payton Ganzer was 3-for-5 with a double and 2 RBI’s and Emily Coss was 3-for-3 with 4 RBI’s. Kort- ney Drake had two hits, three stolen bases, and two walks, and Mila Johnson was 2-for-3 with 2 RBI’s.
 Wilton broke a 1-1 tie game with four runs in the bottom of the third to take control of the game and take a 5-1 lead. Wilton led 7-2 going to the sixth inning when they put up ve runs in the bottom of the inning to take the 12-2 win. 

Beavers beat Waterloo West At Des Moines Tournament
 DES MOINES — The Wilton Beavers traveled to Des Moines on Friday, June 14 and Saturday, June 15 to play at the Des Moines East Tournament. There, Wilton was 1-3 in five games. The Beavers saw their record improve to 11-11. Wilton fell to 3-7 in ten- weekend tournament games. The Beavers are 8-4 in games not played on weekend tournaments.

Knights can’t catch Comets in RVC cross-division game

  WEST LIBERTY — The North Cedar Knight softball team traveled to Class 3A No. 6 West Liberty. The Comets had only lost one game this season and came into the game on an 8-game winning streak. There, the Knights fell 10-0 in ve innings. The Knights only played one game last week.
 Alyssa Heffelfi nger took the loss after working 4 1/3 innings of work. She struck out ve and walked four Comet batters. Heffelfinger surrendered nine hits and 10 runs, of which, six were earned. North Cedar’s hit came from lead-o hitter Alyssa Barn- hart.
 West Liberty had 10 hits in the game. Haylee Lehman, Austyn Crees, and Janey Gingerich each had two hits. Crees and Gin- gerich each had 2 RBI’s. The Knights got their rst look at Louisa-Muscatine transfer and All-Stater Isabelle True. True pitched a one-hitter in ve innings of work. She struck out 11 North Cedar batters and did not walk anyone. West Liberty took a 1-0 lead after two innings of play. In the fourth, the Comets sent 11 batters to the plate and scored six runs to take control of the game.

Two more wins for THS softball

 TIPTON — The Tipton Tiger softball team picked up win No. 3 on the season and have won ball games twice in ve games last week. The Tigers offense has come alive in the second week of June. Tipton has three wins in their last seven games and has scored 10 or more runs in each of those wins. The Tigers have averaged 5.4 runs a game in that time. The Tigers o ense sputtered to start the season, scoring only three runs combined in their rst ten games. Tipton will have a ve-game week ahead with a home doubleheader against West Liberty on Monday, followed by a road doubleheader at Davenport North on Wednesday. The Tigers will renew their rivalry with North Cedar Thursday in Lowden.

Tigers Start Week At Davenport Central Tournament
  DAVENPORT — The Tigers started the week at a rare early week tournament at Davenport Central. There, the Tigers were 1-2 in three games. Tip- ton beat Easton Valley 6-4 and lost to Fort Madison 7-2 and Davenport Central 5-2.
 The Tigers watched the Fort Madison Bloodhounds break open a 1-0 game with ve runs in the third. Tipton trailed 7-0 before scoring single runs in the fth and sixth innings. Morgan Wendel took the loss in ve innings. She struck out two, walked two and gave up ve hits. Grace Nichols and Keeli Claussen led Tipton with two hits each. Kaylea Claussen and Bryanna Simmermaker drove in the Tigers runs.
 The Tigers went back and forth with Easton Valley on the scoreboard before securing a 6-4 win. Tipton matched EV runs in the second and third with ve combined runs to take a 5-2 lead. Tipton led 6-2 after four innings.
 Tipton freshman Taylor Wendel got her rst varsity win. Wendel pitched ve innings, struck out seven, walked four and gave up four runs on ve hits. Tipton had six hits in support of Wendel led by  Madelyn Ham who was 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored. Keelie Claussen, Taylor Wen- del, and Kayle Claussen each had hits and an RBI. Grace Nichols collected the last Tip- ton hit.
 Against Davenport Central, a 3-run fth by Central was the di erence in a 5-2 win. Tipton and Central were tied at 1-1 after four innings before the 3-run fth by DC. Morgan Wendel took the loss after giving up eight hits and ve runs. She did not walk a batter in ve innings of work. Tipton had ve hits in the game by ve di erent players. Morgan Wendel and Laken Hermiston each had hits and an RBI. Syd- ney Barton, Britney Ford, and Keelie Claussen each had hits in the game.

Tigers Win Second Game Of Week, 11-1 Over Midland
  TIPTON — The Tipton softball team won their second game in a span of three days and third game of the season, beating Midland 11-1 in six innings. It was the rst 10-run or more win for the Tigers since May 2018.
  Morgan Wendel pitched a 6-inning, two-hitter for the Tigers. She struck out six, walked one, and gave up one unearned run.
  Tipton matched Midland’s run in the rst with one of their own in the rst. Tipton took control of the game in the bottom of the fourth with a 4-run inning. Leading 5-1, Tipton put up another 4-run inning in the fth to take a 9-1 lead. Tipton ended the game by the 10-run mercy rule, but scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth.
 Five Tigers had multi-hit games led by Kaylea Claussen who was 3-for-4 with 3 RBI’s and two runs scored. Morgan Wendel, Keeli Claussen, Mad- elyn Ham, and Britney Ford all had two hits. The Tigers 6-9 hitters combined to get 9 of the Tigers 13 hits in 16 at-bats. Sydney Barton also had a hit and drove in two runs. Ford and Grace Nichols each had RBI’s.

9 Late Runs By Cascade Too Much For THS 

 TIPTON — The Tigers ended the week with a 15-3 loss to Cascade at home on Thursday, June 13. There, the Cougars scored 9 runs combined in the sixth and seventh innings breaking open a 5-2 game. The Cougars won their fifth game in a row after starting the season 2-7.
 Tipton feasted on Cascade pitching with 10 hits in the game, but that elusive timely hit could not help plate more runs for THS. It was the second straight game THS has collected at least 10 hits. Cascade led 5-0 after the fourth inning before Tipton scored two runs in the fth to trim Cascade’s lead to 5-2. Cascade outscored THS 10-1 over the nal three innings.
 Three Tigers had multi-hit games to lead the o ense. Britney Ford and Grace Nich- ols each were 3-for-4 with a double and RBI in the game. Laken Hermiston was 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI. Bryanna Simmermaker and Madelyn Ham also had hits. Morgan Wendel took the loss after seven innings of work. She struck out four, walked none and gave up 15 hits.

Tigers Upset No. 7 Cascade at home, 4-3

TIPTON - Tipton senior Luke Becker had quite a night in the Tigers home RVC cross- division game with Cascade on Thursday, June 13. The senior pitcher and in elder pitched a complete game and got the walk-o hit to send the Tigers to a 4-3 win over Class 2A No. 7 Cascade. Tipton improved to 5-7 overall and 4-6 in ten River Valley Conference games.
 Becker went the full seven innings in the game against a Cougar line-up that came into the game with a team batting average of .313. He allowed three runs on three hits. Becker struck out ve and walked three. Becker won both Tipton games this past week, having also beaten Northeast two days earlier. Becker lowered his ERA to 2.57 and has pitched a team-high 30 innings to date.
 Tipton scored the game’s rst run in the bottom of the rst inning. Dylan Mente led o with a single and stole second base. He would score on a Luke Becker RBI single to set the score at 1-0. Cascade grabbed the lead in the top of the second, pushing two runs across the plate. The rst three batters reached base and two scored to give the Cougars a 2-1 lead.
 That score held until the bottom of the fourth, when Tipton re-gained the lead with a two-run inning, setting the score at 3-2 Tigers. Tipton got two baserunners on base in Kael Jauron and Connor Hermiston.
 Both would score on an error on a ball put in play by Payten Elijah to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead.
 That score held until the top of the seventh. There, left elder Jack Menster connected for a solo home run to tie the game at 3-3. At the bottom of the seventh, Cascade brought in senior Reid Rausch. Rausch has pitched a team-high 26 1/3 innings, has three starts and has appeared in 6 games. He has an ERA of 1.06 and opposing batters have a measly average of .102 hitting against him.
 In the Tigers seventh, Rausch induced a groundout of lead- o batter Connor Hermiston for the first out. Payten Elijah walked and went to second on an error by the Cougars on a ball put in play by sophomore Kayden Rezac. Rausch got Carter Hill to y out for the second out. Back to the top of the batting order. Dylan Mente drew a big two-out walk to load the bases. That brought up Becker. Becker, second on THS in batting with a .300 average, looped a single into left eld past the defensive attempt by the Cougars, sending Elijah home with the winning run.
 Tipton had 7 hits in the game with two players collecting multi-hit games. The Tigers 1-2-3 hitters in the batting order were a combined 5-for- 10 in the game with 2 RBI’s, 2 stolen bases, a double, a walk, and a run. Becker helped himself at the plate going 2-for-4 with 2 RBI’s and Trent Pelzer was 2-for-3 with a stolen base and double. Dylan Mente, Connor Hermiston, and Payten Elijah all had hits. Pelzer and Kael Jauron each had stolen bases and four different Tigers reached base via a walk.
 The loss for Cascade was their second in three games. The loss was the second to an RVC South squad this season for the Cougars. Cascade lost to West Branch at home on Friday, May 31. Cascade is now 1-2 against RVC South teams. The Cougars play at Wilton Thursday in a matchup between Class 2A Top-10 teams.
 Kaleb Topping took the loss after working 6 2/3 innings. He struck out six, walked three and gave up four runs on six hits. Harris Ho man had a triple and run and Jack Menster had a hit and 2 RBI’s in the game.

Northeast No Match For THS in 11-1 win in 6 innings
  TIPTON - The Tipton baseball team snapped a four-game losing streak with an 11-1 home victory over Northeast on Tuesday, June 11. The loss snapped a two-game win streak by the Rebels. The Tigers picked up their rst win over an RVC North squad this season after taking losses last week at Camanche and at home to Monticello.
 Tipton scored rst in the game with a run in the bottom of the second inning to break a scoreless tie. Kael Jauron led o the second with a double and scored one batter later on a Jacob Tischuk RBI triple. The Tigers extended their lead to 2-0 in the third when Dylan Mente singled to lead o the inning, stole second, advanced to third on a Luke Becker singled, and scored on an error.
 Northeast scored what would be their only run in the top of the fourth to cut the THS lead in half, 2-1. Tipton responded with RBI singles by Mente and Becker in the bottom of the fourth to take a 3-run, 4-1 lead after four innings. The Tigers put the game away in the bottom of the fth. There, Tipton sent 12 batters to the plate and scored six runs to extend their lead to 10-1. Tipton ended the game in the bottom of the sixth when Tischuk scored on a passed ball after drawing a lead-o walk to start the inning.




Luke Becker started the game and picked up the win. Becker lasted three scoreless innings and allowed two hits. Kael Jauron pitched two innings in relief and struck out four batters and Jacob Tischuk pitched a scoreless sixth inning and struck out two.

Tipton had 11 hits in the game with three players getting multi-hit games. Connor Hermiston and Luke Becker each had three hits. Dylan Mente also was 2-for-4. Eight di erent Tigers had at least one RBI in the game. Becker and Jacob Tischuk each had 2 RBI’s while Mente, Trent Pelzer, Nile Schuett, Cole Syring, Connor Herm- iston, and Peyton Elijah each had RBI’s. Pelzer, Kael Jauron, and Tischuk each had hits. Tischuk collected a triple and Jauron a double.

Tipton collected 9 stolen bases in the game and have only been caught four times in 38 attempts this season. Pelzer and Hermiston led the way with two stolen bases each. The Tigers also drew 9 walks in the game. Elijah, Tischuk, and Schuett each got on base twice by walks.

Sam Moraetes took the loss after starting and working four innings. He gave up four runs on six hits and struck out three. Dane Johnson led the Rebels at the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.

PODCAST: CCP For Mid-June

Welcome to the Coaches Corner Podcast.  This is the official podcast from Ryan Stonebraker, Sports Editor for the Tipton Conservative.  If you have any questions or comments e-mail me at ConservativeSports@gmail.com - RS.

LINK: 
Podcast June 16th

Knights Week Ends With Victory Over Central Elkader

SPRINGVILLE — The North Cedar softball team concluded a busy six-game week with their fifth win of the year. North Cedar beat Central Elkader 13-0 in five innings in game two of two at the Springville tournament. The win gave North Cedar a 5-8 overall record, tying their season best win-total in the past five seasons at five games. The Knights have topped out at five wins in three of the past five seasons. North Cedar almost

North Cedar scored six runs combined in the first three innings to take a 6-0 lead. That score held until the top of the fifth when North Cedar put up a season best run total per inning, with 7. Those runs gave the Knights the runs they needed to end the game early, by the 10-run mercy rule.

North Cedar had 11 hits in the game with three players collecting multi-hit games. Carly Meier was 3-for-4 with a double and RBI while Alyssa Barnhart and Kassidie Galloway each were 2-for-4. Barnhart hit her first home run of the season and drove in three runs. Katie Thompson had a double and 2 RBI’s while Meier, Kayla Syring, Galloway, and Emma Boleyn each had RBI’s.

In game one, North Cedar fell 6-4 to Springville. The Orioles scored the first runs with a five-run top of the fourth inning. Springville took a 6-0 run before the Knights would get on the scoreboard. That came in the bottom of the fifth when North Cedar scored four runs to set the score at 6-4.

North Cedar had seven hits in the game by six different players. Katie Thompson was 2-for-3 with 2 RBI’s to lead the Knights. Barnhart, Kendall Smith, Hefflefinger, Kayla Syring and Carly Meier each had hits. Meier and Syring each had RBI’s.

Alyssa Hefflefinger took the loss after working 4 2/3 innings. She gave up six runs on seven hits. She struck out one and walked two.

Knights Held To Three Runs In Monticello Doubleheader
MONTICELLO — The North Cedar softball team played four conference games last week, all on the road. The Knights began the four-game stretch with a doubleheader at Monticello on Monday, June 3. There, the Panthers limited the Knights to three runs in sweeping the two games.

In game one, North Cedar fell 5-1. Monticello led 2-0 after the second inning, but North Cedar cut the lead in half with a RBI double by Kate Jackson in the top of the fourth to set the score at 2-1. Monticello dashed comeback hopes by the Knights in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three runs to set the score at 5-1.

Jackson’s hit was one of three for North Cedar in the game. Kayla Syring and Jenna Syring had the other two. Alyssa Heffelfinger took the loss after six innings. She gave up 5 runs on 7 hits.

Monticello won the nightcap 11-2. North Cedar stranded seven runners on base in the game, many of which were in scoring position. Monticello took control of the game in the bottom of the first inning, scoring seven runs on six hits. The Knights scored their only runs of the game with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to cut the Panther lead to 10-2.

Kendall Smith took the loss after working six innings. She gave up 10 hits, walked 6 and struck out one batter. Alyssa Heffelfinger led North CEdar at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and RBI. Smith, Alyssa Barnhart, Carly Meier, and Kassidie Galloway all had hits.

Regina’s Bracken Too Nearly Unhittable By Knights
IOWA CITY — The Knights got their chance at Class 2A No. 5 Iowa City Regina to pull off the shocking upset on Tuesday, June 4. However, Regal ace, senior pitcher Katie Bracken held the Knights nearly without a hit in the Regals 6-0 win. Bracken allowed only an Alyssa Barnhart single in the fourth inning as the only North Cedar hit. Bracken won her fifth game and lowered her ERA in conference games to 0.57 which leads the RVC South. She struck out 11 and did not walk a batter.

Regina led 1-0 after the first and 3-0 after the second inning. Regina extended their lead to 4-0 after four innings and tacked on two runs in the sixth to set the score at 6-0.

Alyssa Heffelfinger took the loss after working six innings. She struck out three, walked five and gave up six runs on five hits.

Second Straight Ranked Foe Defeats Knights
DURANT — Facing their second straight Class 2A top-5 team on the road, the North Cedar Knight softball team fell 11-0 to No. 2 Durant in Durant on June 6. There, the Knights fell 11-0 in five innings.

North CEdar had six hits in the game. Katie Thompson was 2-for-2 while Kayla Syring, Alyssa Hefflefinger, Kassidie Galloway and Kendall Smith all had hits. Jenna Syring also reached base via a walk. Heffelfinger took the loss after 4 2/3 innings of work. She gave up 11 runs on 11 hits and struck out two batters.

Durant scored all 11 runs in three of the five innings. Durant broke a scoreless game with a 4-run second. The Wildcats extended their lead to 6-0 with two runs in the third. Durant put the game away in the fifth inning when they scored five runs.

Shannon Head had three hits and 5 RBI’s and a triple. Hannah Happ added two hits and 2 RBI’s. Ruby Kappeler added a hit 2-run triple. Jenna Lawson was the winning pitcher after working five innings to get the win. She gave up six hits and no runs while striking out six and walking one.

Durant is 2-1 at Iowa City Touranment

 IOWA CITY — The Durant softball team went 2-1 in three games at a tournament in Iowa City on Satur- day, June 1. The Wildcats were to play another game, but it was rained out. Durant beat Cedar Rapids Prairie 4-0 and Fair eld 8-1 on Friday, May 31 and lost to Western Dubuque 4-3 on June 1.
 Kamyrn Meyer pitched seven innings, gave up two hits and struck out nine in the Wildcats win over Cedar Rapids Prairie. Durant scored three runs in the third inning to take control of the game. Allie Poston had a solo home run and Mallory Warner drove in three runs.  Jenna Lawson pitched seven in- nings and stuck out 10 batters in an 8-1 win over Fair eld. Durant scored three in the third and four in the fth inning to aid in the win. Durant had 13 hits in the game. Allie Poston and Kylie Schult each had two hits and 2 RBI’s. Ruby Kappeler, Hannah Happ, and Kira Schult each had two hits.
 Lawson took the loss in the Western Dubuque loss. She struck out four in six innings and gave up 10 hits. Durant scored rst with two runs in the third, but that would be their only lead of the game. Paige Werthmann, Jada Rock and Kamryn Meyer had the only Durant hits.

Durant Wins Two At North Scott Tournament
 ELDRIDGE — The Durant Wildcats made the short trip to Eldridge for the North Scott Lancer Tournament on Friday, June 7 and Saturday, June 8. Durant lost to state ranked Louisa-Muscatine 3-0 and to Bet- tendorf. Durant beat Ames 12-0 and North Scott 2-1 on Saturday. North Scott is ranked No. 7 in Class 4A. The wins gave Durant a 4-3 record in seven weekend tournament games this year.

Gast Spins No-Hitter In 10-0 Win Over Springville

 DURANT — Durant got a masterpiece pitching effort by freshman Ethan Gast and scored their highest run total in a game to date, in a 10-0 win at home last Friday over non-conference foe Springville. Gast, making his first start of the season, pitched five innings for the complete-game shutout. He needed 73 pitches and gave up no hits. He struck out seven batters and walked two. Gast also had a big night at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a double and 3 RBI’s.
 Durant scored the games first runs with two in the first for a 2-0 lead after one inning of play. Durant took command of the game in the bottom of the second inning, putting up four runs to take a 6-0 lead. That score stood until the fourth when Durant scored three more runs to take a 9-0 lead. Durant ended the game by the 10-run mercy rule, scoring a single run in the fifth.
 For the second straight game, Durant had 11 hits with four players having multi-hit games. Drew DeLong, Brendan Paper, and Tevin Miller joined Gast with two hits. Ben Orr and Paper each had 2 RBI’s while Miller drove in one run. Orr, Gast, and Miller each had doubled in the game. Durant stole five bases in the game with Nate Dierickx collecting three and Jake Willkomm 2. Willkomm had two of the walks issued by Springville.

Tough Road Trip To Bellevue For Wildcats In 10-8 Loss
 BELLEVUE — Durant had a hard time recovering from giving up six runs to the Comets in the bottom of the first inning in a 10-8 loss at Bellevue on June 4. Durant trailed 7-1 after two innings and 10-2 after five. The Wildcats battled through and pushed three runs across the plate in each of the sixth and seventh innings to get close in the end.
 Ben Orr took the loss after working two innings and giving up 7 runs on 10 hits and walking three. Keegan Head pitched four innings in relief and struck out five and gave up three runs on three hits.
 Durant had 11 hits and four players with multi-hit games. Ben Orr was 3-for-4 with two doubles, 2 RBI’s and two runs to lead Durant. Drew DeLong, Nate Dierickx and Brendan Paper each had two hits. Dierickx had 2 RBI’s while Paper and Tevin Miller each had one RBI. Durant had 6 stolen bases led by Jake Willkomm and Dierickx with two each.

Wildcats Split With Comets In Home RVC Doubleheader
 DURANT — The Durant Wildcats won back-to-back games for the first time this season and split with RVC South foe West Liberty on Monday, June 3. There, the Wildcats won game one 2-0 and fell 6-5 in game two.
 Brendan Paper pitched a four-hit shutout in the first game. Paper struck out 12 Comet batters and walked two. Ben Orr and Drake Shelangoski each had hits for Durant. Keagan Head had an RBI.
 In game two, Durant scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to get within one-run but couldn’t get better than the 6-5 final score. Nate Dierickx took the loss after working five innings and striking out five batters. He gave up three hits and walked five. Drew DeLong pitched two innings in relief. He gave up two hits and struck out two batters.
 Durant had 13 hits in the game. Three players accounted for nine of those hits led by Ben Orr who was 4-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI. Brendan Paper was 3-for-4 with an RBI and Tevin Miller was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Tigers go 0-4 in games

  TIPTON — It was a tough week for the THS baseball team. Tipton entered last week’s 4-game schedule with a .500 record of 3-3. They left with a record of 3-7 after going 0-4 in four conference games. Three of the four contests were on the road. The Tigers were swept at Mid-Prairie on Monday, June 3 by scores of 5-1 and 7-6. Tipton lost at Camanche on Tuesday, June 4, and lost at home to Monticello 18-5 on Thursday, June 4.

Tigers Fall Twice In Wellman
 WELLMAN — Tipton’s week began at Mid-Prai- rie last Monday, June 3 for a doubleheader against the Golden Hawks. Tipton took a 5-1 loss and the Tigers fell in a close game, 7-6 in game two.
 In game one, Mid-Prairie scored single runs in the second-fourth innings to take a 3-0 lead. Tip- ton scored their only run in the top of the fth to set the score at 3-1. Mid-Prairie took control of the game in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs, taking a 4-run lead, 5-1.
 Luke Becker took the loss after working six innings and striking out four batters. He gave up ve runs on six hits. Ashton Busch was the winning pitcher for Mid-Prairie after starting and working ve innings.
 Tipton had six hits led by Trent Pelzer who was 2-for-3 with a walk and run. Becker, Kael Jauron, Nile Schuett, and Cole Syring all had hits.
 In-game two, Tipton had a 2-0 lead after batting in the rst inning, but ve unanswered runs for Mid-Prairie set the score at 5-2. That score stayed until the top of the sixth when Tipton tied the game at 5 with a 3-run inning. Each team traded runs, but Mid-Prairie took the game after breaking a 6-6 tie in the seventh with a run in the bottom of the inning.
 Kael Jauron and Jacob Tischuk pitched for the Tigers and Brad Tornow along with two other relievers pitched for Mid-Prairie.
 Tipton had ve hits led by Dylan Mente and Trent Pelzer who each had two hits. Nile Schuett added and single. Kael Jauron had an RBI and reached base twice via walks. Connor Hermiston and Ja- cob Tischuk each had RBI’s in the game.

Indians Get Early Lead, Win Against Tigers
 CAMANCHE — The Camanche Indians got to THS starter Cole Syring early for two runs in the rst to take an early lead. That lead would hold as the Indians would beat Tipton 6-2.

Dylan Mente stole home in the top of the third to cut the Indians lead to 2-1. In the bottom of the inning, Camanche scored a single run to up the lead to two runs again. The Indians would add a run in the fth and two in the sixth to take a 6-1 lead. Tipton senior Jacob Tischuk clubbed a solo home run in the top of the seventh to draw Tipton closer, 6-2.

Syring took the loss after six innings of work. He gave up eight hits and six runs. He struck out two and walked one batter.

Tipton had six hits in the game. Nile Schuett was 2-for-3 while Dylan Mente, Luke Becker, Syring each had hits. Jacob Tischuk added a solo home run.

Brayden Lodge was the winning pitcher having worked all seven innings for a complete game. He struck out seven and walked two. Zach Erwin, Tucker Dickherber and Mike Delzell each had two hits.

Panthers First Inning Too Much To Overcome For THS Baseball

TIPTON — Monticello batted around, sending 15 batters to the plate in a 9-run rst inning last Thursday on their way to an 18-5 win over Tipton. The Tigers to their credit scored the next ve runs to trim the Panther lead to 9-5 after two innings, but Monticello scored nine unanswered runs to cruise to the 18-5 win.

Jacob Tischuk took the loss after starting and not getting out of the rst inning. He gave up eight runs on six hits. Nile Schuett and Kayden Rezac each pitched in relief. Dylan Roher was the win- ning pitcher for Monticello. Roher struck out four Tigers and walked two and gave up six Tipton hits. Luke Becker led THS at the plate, going 2-for-3. Nile Schuett had a double and 2 RBI’s and Payten Elijah had a hit and RBI. Trent Pelzer and Connor Hermiston also had hits in the game. Monticello had 16 hits in the game led by Jon Mootz, Justin Recker, and Gavin Cooper who each had three hits.

No. 1 Wilton beats two RVC North foes

  CAMANCHE — The top-ranked team in Class 2A Wil- ton Beavers played two games last week, winning contests against RVC North foes Anamosa last Tuesday and at Camanche last Thursday. Those wins came after a doubleheader sweep over Iowa City Regina on Monday, June 3 in Iowa City. The victories set the Beavers record at 8-0 overall and 7-0 in the River Valley Conference. The Beavers recorded two shutouts in the week to put their total at ve shutouts this season. Wilton’s wins came on the back of outstanding pitching. The Beavers as a team lowered their team ERA to 0.46, opposing batters average to .142 in 45 1/3 innings. The Beavers bats came alive this week raising their team batting average to .367 and collecting 10 or more hits in three of the four games they played. The Beavers lead both the RVC North and the RVC South in team batting average to date.

Regals No Match For Beavers
 IOWA CITY — The Wilton baseball team picked up two key River Valley Conference wins last Monday, June 3 at Iowa City Regina. There, the Beavers beat the Regals by scores of 7-5 in game one and 16-1 in four innings in game two.
 Jared Townsend improved to 3-0 after starting and going 4 1/3 innings in the game. He struck out six, walked ve and gave up two hits and three unearned runs.
 Wilton scored rst with a run in the top of the rst, however, Regina took a 2-1 lead with a 2-run rst inning. Wilton took the lead for good in the top of the second inning, scoring three runs to set the score at 4-2. Wilton led 5-4 after ve innings and put the game away with a two-run sixth to get a 7-4 lead.
 Chantz Stevens and Collin McCrabb each had two hits in the game. McCrabb had 2 RBI’s and Stevens 1 RBI. Ash- ton Stoelk and Townsend each had RBI’s in the game.
 In game two, Wilton collected 13 hits in a 16-1 win in four innings. Cory Anderson pitched the Beavers to the win with four innings of work. He struck out eight and walked two and gave up two hits. Wilton broke a 1-1 tie in the second inning when they put up seven runs to take an 8-1 lead. Wilton put the game away with eight runs in the top of the fourth inning to set the score at 16-1. Collin McCrabb hit a home run and drove in three runs in the game while going 3-for-3 at the plate. Clay- ton Cooling, Ashton Stoelk and Jared Townsend each were 2-for-3 in the game. Townsend, Bray- ton Wade and Cooling each had 2 RBI’s. Garrett Bohnsack and Chantz Stevens each had a hit and RBI. Stoelk also had a RBI.

Stoelk Spins 1-hit Gem In Anamosa Win
 WILTON — Wilton senior Ashton Stoelk spun a 1-hitter as Wilton dominated Anamosa 16-0 in a game ended after four innings. Stoelk needed only 50 pitches to capture his rst pitching win of the season. Stoelk did not walk any batters and struck out 10 batters. The Beavers improved to 7-0 with the win.
 For the seventh time in seven games, Wilton scored rst in the game they were playing in. This time, Wilton scored twice in the bottom of the rst inning to take a 2-0 lead. Wilton doubled their lead to 4-0 after two innings. The Beavers put the game away in the bottom of the third inning, lighting up the scoreboard for 12 runs to extend their lead to 16-0. That score would be the largest margin of victory this season to date and second time in a week’s time that Wilton has scored 16 runs in a game.
 Eight different Beavers had hits led by seniors Cory Anderson and Brayton Wade who each had two hits. Clayton Cooling hit his rst home run of the season and drove in four runs, tying Wade who also had 4 RBI’s.
 Jared Townsend, Stoelk, Chantz Stevens, Collin McCrabb, Brock Hartley all had hits in the game. Hartley, Stoelk and Anderson each had 2 RBI’s.  

Bosten 2-hits Indians, Beavers Collect 11 hits win at Camanche
 CAMANCHE — Wilton senior A.J. Bosten picked up his rst win of the 2019 season with a 2-hit shutout at Camanche last Thursday. Bosten, who was making his rst start and fourth appearance this season shut down the Indian o ense that helped Camanche to a 5-2 record entering the game. Bosten needed only 90 pitches to get the complete game win. He struck out nine batters and did not walk a batter. He became the fourth di erent Wilton pitcher to toss a shutout this season. The win was the eighth straight to start the season for Wilton.
 Wilton scored all the runs they needed in the rst inning, getting to Camanche starter Logan Shaw to take a 2-0 lead. The Beavers added two runs in the second to take a 4-0 lead. The Beavers scored a single run in the top of the fth to take a 5-0 lead Wilton had 11 hits in the game with two players having multi-hit games. Jared Townsend was 3-for-4 and a triple away from hitting for the cycle. Townsend hit a single, double and triple and had 5 RBI’s. Cory Anderson was 2-for-4. Clayton Cooling, Brock Hartley, Collin McCrabb, Chantz Stevens, Ashton Stoelk and Brayton Wade each had hits. Patrick Barszczewski had two of the four Wilton stolen bases.
 Logan Shaw started and took the loss for Camanche. He gave up nine hits, walked three and struck out four. Mason McManus pitched three innings in relief and struck out six.

Lange’s pitching gem highlights week for North Cedar baseball

  WHEATLAND — The summer season rolled along for the North Cedar Knight baseball team last week. The Knights played as many games last week (6) as they had the rst two weeks of the season combined (4). Those games produced their second victory of the season a 6-1 win over Durant in Iowa City at Duane Banks Field, the home of the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Knights also played RVC foes Monticello and Iowa CIty Regina and got a pair of games at the Calamus-Wheat- land tournament.

Knights Fall Twice To Monticello Panthers
  MONTICELLO — North Cedar started their week with a pair of road games at Monticello. There, the Panthers won both contests 13-3 and 11-1 in games that ended early. The Knights fell to 1-5 in the RVC with the losses.
  In game one, North Cedar fell 13-3 in six innings. North Cedar fell behind 11-0 after four innings before scoring three runs in the top of the fifth to set the score at 11-3.
  Monticello would score twice in the bottom of the sixth to extend their lead to 10, 13- 3. Monticello scored multiple runs in an inning in the rst four innings of the game.
  Alex Woodward took the loss after two innings of work. He gave up eight runs on four hits and walked four. Cole Taylor and Jacob Wagner each pitched in relief. Devon Willis led North Cedar at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a run. Brennen Kreel had a RBI single and Tyler Thurston and Gage Walshire each had RBI’s in the game.
  In game two, Monticello broke open a 3-1 game with a ve-run fourth inning to extend their lead to 8-1. The Panthers add- ed three runs in the sixth to end the game by the 10-run rule, 11- 1. Tyler Thurston took the loss after starting and going three innings. Thurston gave up six runs on three hits while walking seven and striking out two. Chase Miller pitched three innings in relief. North Cedar got hits from Ethan Sahr, Devon Willis, and Brennen Kreel.

Knights Score First In Iowa City Regina Loss, 5-2
  IOWA CITY — Two early runs were not enough for North Cedar to hang on for a win at Iowa City Regina last Tuesday, June 4 in a 5-2 loss. There, North Cedar scored twice in the top of the second inning to take an early 2-0 lead. Regina tied the game at 2 with two runs in their half of the second. Regina scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the third to take a 3-2 lead. The Regals extended their lead to 5-2 in the sixth, which would be the nal score.
 Ethan Sahr took the loss after working four innings. He struck out ve, walked one and gave up three runs on ve hits. Taden Lange pitched two innings in relief after giving up two runs on two hits. He struck out three and walked no batters.
 North Cedar had six hits with Sahr and Lange each collecting two hits. Lange and Jaxon Sander each had RBI in the second inning. Sahr had two stolen bases. Tyler Thurston and Tyler Jackson each had hits in the game.

Lange’s Gem Gives Knights Win Over Durant
  IOWA CITY — North Cedar freshman Taden Lange pitched the North Cedar baseball team to their second win of the season last Thursday when the Knights beat Durant 6-1. The game was played at the University of Iowa Duane Banks Field. Lange joined teammate Ethan Sahr in the win column this year with the victory. Lange wonhis rstgameintwostarts this season. He has pitched in four games and 13 2/3 innings. Lange nearly pitched a shutout in the game, allowing four hits and one run over seven innings for a complete game. He struck out ve and walked two. Lange lowered his ERA to a team best 2.05 and lowered what opposing batters bat against him to .143. At one point in the game, Lange retired 13 straight Wild- cats with 1-2-3 innings in the 3rd, 4th and 5th. He also had a 1-2-3 inning in the rst. Lange helped himself at the plate with a hit and 2 RBI’s.
 North Cedar had six hits o Durant pitching. Jacob Wag- ner was 3-for-3 with a RBI and 2 runs while the Knights lead- ing hitter Devon Willis (.414) was 2-for-3 with a RBI and run.
 North Cedar and Durant played to a scoreless tie after four innings. North Cedar scored the game’s rst runs in the top of the fth. North Cedar sent ten batters to the plate in the inning and scored three runs. The rst two batters reached base to start the inning and a RBI single by Jacob Wagner plated Tyler Jackson for the game’s rst run. Later Wagner would score on a wild pitch and Devon Willis would score on a bases loaded walk to give North Cedar a 3-0 lead. That score held until the top of the seventh.
 There, North Cedar scored three more runs to take a 6-0 lead and sent eight batters to the plate. Jacob Wagner hit a one-out triple and scored on a Willis RBI single. Willis and Tyler Thurston, who reached base by being hit by a pitch, would each score on a RBI single by Taden Lange. Durant would score their only run in the bottom of the seventh.

Knights Play Two Tri-Rivers Foes Conference Teams
 WHEATLAND — North Cedar traveled the short distance East to play at the Calamus-Wheat- land tournament last Saturday,  June 8. There, North Cedar played Tri-Rivers foes Cala- mus-Wheatland and Midland losing both games.
 The Knights lost 10-0 to Cala- mus-Wheatland. The Warriors are ranked No. 5 in Class 1A and came into the tournament 11-1 with their only loss to Class 3A No. 3 DeWitt on the last day of May. Calamus-Wheatland broke a scoreless game with a 7-run second inning. The Warriors added single runs in the fourth-sixth innings to end the game at 10-0 in six innings.
 Alex Woodward took the loss after working two innings and giving up seven runs. He gave up three hits, walked ve and struck out one. Cole Taylor pitched three innings in relief. He gave up three runs, struck out four and walked one batter. North Cedar had four hits in the game by four di erent players. Ethan Sahr, Devon Willis, Ja- cob Wagner, and Jaxon Sander each had singles in the game.
 In their other game, North Cedar fell 2-1 to Midland. The loss set the Knight’s record at 2-8 through the rst ten games. The Eagles have a new coach, familiar with RVC teams. Former Monticello coach Josh Soper is now the head coach at Midland, a place he started his career at years ago. Soper entered the season with 205 wins and had his new team 8-2.
 North Cedar junior Ethan Sahr went toe-to-toe with Midland ace Alex Smith and held his own. Sahr pitched six innings and struck out a season high 13 in the game. He took the loss, after giving up two runs on six hits. Four di erent Knights had hits in the game. Devon Willis and Gage Walshire each had doubles while James Garner and Jaxon Sander each had hits. Sander had two of the ve North Cedar stolen bases in the game.
 Alex Smith started the game and went four innings. He struck out four and walked two. He gave up one-run on two hits. Wilson Buckwalter was the winning pitcher in relief of Smith after working three innings. He struck out ve, walked none, and had two hits. Smith led Midland at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and RBI. Buckwalter also was 2-for-3 with two doubles and a run scored. Iziek Soper, Brett Schoenherr, and Zain Sauer each had hits in the game.

Showdown ends in split with Wildcats

  DURANT — The River Valley Conference produces many matchups between ranked teams. Last Monday, June 3rd was no di erent. The top-ranked team in Class 2A, Durant Wildcats, hosted Class 3A No. 9 West Liberty. There, each team claimed a victory with West Liberty winning game one and Durant winning game two.
  In-game one, The Wildcats lost their second straight game, a 3-1 West Liberty win. Durant lost their last game of the tournament in Iowa City they were playing in two days earlier. West Liberty scored rst with two runs in the first inning and added a single run in the second to take a 3-0 lead. The Wildcats pushed their only run across the plate in the bottom of the seventh. Durant loaded the bases, but Comet starting pitcher Isabelle True struck out Mallory Warner to get the win for West Liberty. True was the winning pitcher, striking out 11 to improve to 2-0 this season. She is a transfer from Louisa-Muscatine and helped the Falcons win the 2018 Class 2A state title. Kamryn Meyer took the loss after striking out 13 Comets and walking two. She gave up six hits and three runs. Durant had seven hits in the game. Ruby Kappeler and Hannah Happ each had two hits. Happ had two stolen bases while Kappeler had a stolen base and reached base via a walk.
  In game two, West Liberty scored rst with a single run in the inning. Durant responded with two runs in their half of the first to lead 2-1 after the rst inning. That score held until the bottom of the fifth when Durant pushed across two runs to extend their lead to 4-1. 

  Meyer was the winning pitcher after pitching all seven innings. She struck out 10, walked three and gave up one unearned run on two hits. Durant had eight hits in the game. Allie Poston was 3-for-3 with a double and RBI to lead Durant. Ruby Kappeler was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Han- nah Happ, Kylie Kay, and Mallory Warner each had hits.

Wildcats Pound Bellevue, 15-1 In 6 innings
  BELLEVUE — The Durant softball team made their longest road trip of the season on June 4 when they traveled to Bellevue. There, the Wild- cats dominated the Comets, winning 15-1 in six innings. The Comets upset the Wildcats last summer in a Class 2A Regional seminal in Durant so getting this win was extra special.
 Jenna Lawson got the win and pitched a complete game over six innings. She gave up three hits and one run. Lawson struck out seven and did not walk a batter.
  Durant jumped to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first to take control of the game. The Wildcats added three runs in the top of the second for a 7-0 lead. In all Durant scored runs in each of the first four innings and five of six innings of the game. Durant put the game away in the top of the sixth. Leading 10-1, the Wildcats put up ve runs to take a 15-1 lead.
 Durant had nine hits led by Jada Rock and Mal- lory Warner with two hits each. Durant hit two home runs in the game. Both Jada Rock and Allie Poston had a home run and 3 RBI’s. Ruby Kappeler had a hit, 2 RBI’s, 2 runs scored, 3 walks and 3 stolen bases. In all Durant swiped 15 bases and were issued nine walks. Paige Werthmann, Mal- lory Warner and Kira Schult also had RBI’s.

Tigers score 11 runs in the first win of 2019

  TIPTON — The Tipton soft- ball team has had a tough run as of late. The Tigers had not scored a run in ve straight games spanning 27 innings entering their home game with RVC North foe Monticello last Thursday, June 6. There, the Tigers exploded for 11 runs in an 11-7 victory. The 11 runs were more than the combined run a total of three through the Tiger's first ten previous games. Monticello came into the game 3-3 with RVC wins over North Cedar and West Branch. The Panthers were 3-2 in RVC games having only lost a doubleheader to state-ranked Camanche.
  Morgan Wendel was the winning pitcher after pitching a complete game over seven innings. Wendel gave up 10 hits and seven runs. Of those runs, only two were earned. Wendel also walked four batters. Tipton had a season-high 11 hits in the game. Four Tigers had multi-hit games. Grace Nichols, Jacie Havill, Madelyn Ham, and Morgan Wendel each had two hits. Sydney Barton, Laken Hermiston, and Bryanna Simmermaker each had hits. Jacie Havill had a team-high 3 RBI’s and Grace Nichols had 2 RBI’s. Barton, Britney Ford, Simmermaker, Ham and Keeli Claussen each had one RBI in the game. Barton had a stolen base and was one of five different Tigers to reach base via a walk.
  Monticello scored the game’s first run in the rst inning. Tipton responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 3-1 lead. Tipton added a run in the second to extend their lead to 4-1 and another run in the fourth to take a 5-1 lead. Monticello got within one run, 5-4 with three runs in the sixth, but the Tigers put up a season-best to date 6 runs in the bottom of the sixth to take an 11-4 lead. Monti- cello put up three runs in the seventh, but it was too little, too late.

Tigers Begin Week With Trip To Mid-Prairie
  KALONA — Tipton started out a busy week with a road trip to Kalona to play Mid-Prai- rie. There, the Tigers lost both games of the doubleheader, 9-0 and 12-0.
  In game one, Mid-Prairie scored three in the rst, four in the third and two in the fth to capture the 9-0 win. Morgan Wendel took the loss after seven innings of work. She struck out three and walked one and gave up six hits. Tipton had only one hit in the game, a Jacie Havill single.
  In game two, Tipton hit the ball better, collecting six hits in the game. Laken Hermiston was 2-for-2 with a double to lead THS. Britney Ford had a double, and Bryanna Sim- mermaker, Keeli Claussen and Jacie Havill each had hits. Taylor Wendel took the loss after working ve innings. She struck out two, walked four and gave up 12 runs on nine hits.










State Ranked Camanche Too Much For THS

CAMANCHE — Tipton had their work cut out for them






last Thursday when they went to Class 3A No. 11 Camanche. The Indians lead the state for all classes in home runs and have two players 1-2 in the individual home run lead- ers in the state in junior Tara Wehde and senior Madi Parson. Camanche rapped out 15 hits and beat the Tigers 10-0 in six innings.

Parson had two doubles and Wehde one double in the win. Abby Stock struck out 11 and allowed only four THS hits in getting the win. Stock had a night at the plate, going 4-for- 4 with a solo home run.

Morgan Wendel took the loss after working 5 1/3 innings. She struck out four, walked one and gave up


The Tigers had



ten runs on 11 hits.
four hits in the game led by Sydney Barton who was 2-for-3. Bryanna Simmermaker and Morgan Wendel bot had singles.

Tigers End Week With Northeast In Town

TIPTON — The Tipton softball team ended their week with a 19-3 loss in ve innings to Northeast. The Tigers fell behind 5-0 after the rst inning, 8-0 after the second and 10-0 after the third inning. North- east exploded for nine runs in the top of the fth to take a 19-0 lead. The Tigers scored their only runs
in the bottom of the fth when they pushed three runs across the plate.


Morgan Wendel took the loss after working ve innings and giving up 19 runs on 21 hits. She struck out three and walked one batter. Tipton had six di erent players with hits in the game. Laken Hermiston had a double and 2 RBI’s and Grace Nich- ols had an RBI single as both hits led to the Tigers three runs. Sydney Barton, Britney Ford, Bryanna Sim- mermaker and Morgan Wendel each had hits. Hermiston and Madelyn Ham each reached base via a walk. Riley Batzkiel courtesy ran in the game and stole a base and scored a run.

Rough Start To The Season For THS Softball

  TIPTON — It was a tough week for the THS softball team. Last week, the Tigers played four games and lost all four. The Tigers hosted their first River Valley Conference doubleheader of the season when Iowa City Regina came to town. The Tigers also hosted their annual home softball tournament.
 Tipton entered the Regina doubleheader already having faced a top-5 team in Class 2A when they lost two games at No. 3 Wilton. Last Thursday, No. 4 Iowa City Regina came to town. There, the Regals won game one 4-0 and game two, 15-1.
  Regal Ace Katie Bracken was the winning pitcher after pitching a 1-hit shutout for the complete game win. Bracken entered the game coming o of a perfect game against Bellevue the week before. Bracken struck out 15 Tipton batters and walked one. The Regals scored single runs in the rst and third innings to take a 2-0 lead. That score held until a two-run sixth for the Regals to set the score at 4-0. Elly Gahan was 2-for-3 with a RBI while Bracken hit a solo home run to lead Regal batters.
  In the second game, Emma Nibaur was the winning pitcher after four innings of work where she scattered three Tipton hits and struck out five. Regina had 12 hits in the game, led by Courtney Kes- sler who was 3-for-3 with an RBI. Bracken also hit a home run and drove in three in the second game.
  This year, the Tipton tournament had River Valley Conference North foes Northeast and Anamosa. There, the Tigers fell to Anamosa 9-0 and fell to Northeast 18-0 in three innings.
  Against Northeast, Tipton fell behind 12-0 in the rst inning and could not recover. The Rebels added ve runs in the top of the second and a single run in the third to get their 18 runs. Alyssa Pessman was the winning pitcher after giving up two hits. Alexis Ehlers and Valerie Spooner each had third hits to lead Northeast. Neveah Hildebrant had a home run and 3 RBI’s while Audrey Morris, Spooner and Abby Boyer each drove in three runs. The Rebels have started the season 6-2.
  Against Anamosa, Tipton lost 9-0. The Raiders scored three runs in each of the rst two innings to take control of the ball game. Maggie McQuillen was the winning pitcher after ve innings of work. She struck out ve and gave up three hits. Grace Lubben and Ellie Tallman each had three hits to lead Anamosa. Three others had two hits each. Anamosa has started the season 9-0. Anamosa beat Northeast 2-1 in the other ball game of the tournament.
Tipton hosts Northeast this Friday in their regular-season meeting and will host Anamosa later this month on Monday, June 24.

Knights Pick Up First 2019 Victory

  LOWDEN - The North Cedar baseball team picked up their rst victory of the season last Thursday when they hosted Northeast for a doubleheader with the Rebels. North Cedar won game one 8-4 and lost a close game in the nightcap, 6-2. North Cedar improves to 1-3 overall and 1-3 in the River Valley Conference with the win. North Ce- dar’s home contest against RVC South Division foe Mid-Prairie was rained out on Tuesday, May 28. No make-up date is known as of presstime. North Cedar is on the road all week and will return home on Monday, June 17 in a doubleheader with Ca- manche. The Knights do play close to home this Thursday at Durant, and Saturday when they play at the Calamus-Wheatland Tournament.
  Knights Get Boost In 4th Inning

  In game one, North Cedar and Northeast were tied at two after the second inning. The Knights put up two runs in the top of the second and the Rebels tied the game in the bottom of the inning. North Cedar however, would score the next six runs, including four in the top of the fourth inning to take an 8-2 lead. The Golden Hawks tacked on two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but is was not enough.
  Juniors Ethan Sahr and Tyler Thurston combined to scatter six Mid-Prairie hits. They also combined to strike out nine Golden Hawk batters. Sahr started the game and was the winning pitcher. He worked 5 2/3 innings, struck out six, gave up four hits and two runs. Thurston pitched 1 2/3 innings in relief and struck out three and gave up two runs.
  North Cedar had a season high 12 hits in the game. Brennen Kreel was 3-for-4 with a run scored and Tyler Thurston was 2-for-4 with a double, run, and 3 RBI’s. Devon Willis also was 3-for-4 with a RBI and two runs. Ethan Sahr, Jacob Wagner, Gage Walshire, and Tadan Lange each had hits. Walshire had a RBI.
  In game two, North Cedar fell behind 2-0 after the rst inning and 3-0 after the second inning after adding a run, on their way to a 6-2 win. North Cedar got within one run, 3-2 after the fourth inning. Northeast responded with three unanswered runs.
Devon Willis took the loss after working three innings. He gave up three runs on one-hit, struck out two and walked three. Chase Miller and Tadan Lange combined to pitch the nal four innings in relief. They combined to give up three runs on four hits. They combined to strike out six and walk two.
  Brennen Kreel was 2-for-2 with a double and 2 RBI’s to lead the Knights. Gage Walshire had the other North Cedar hit in the game and scored a run. North Cedar drew six walks in the game, one each from Jacob Wagner, Devon Willis, Ethan Sahr, Gage Walshire, Brennen Kreel, and Tadan Lange.

Knights Lose Doubleheader With Comets Despite Scoring 9 Runs
  BELLEVUE — The North Cedar Knights traveled to Bellevue last Thursday to play the Comets at Cole Park. There, the Comets beat North Cedar by scores of 9-5 and 14-4 in ve innings. The nine combined runs in a RVC doubleheader is the more than any of the Knights doubleheader combined runs all of last year.
  North Cedar saw a 5-3 lead evaporate in the fth inning of game one. A 6-run fth by Bellevue was enough to get past North Cedar 9-5. North Cedar tied the game at 1-1 in the second and took their rst lead with a four-run fourth to set the score at 5-2. Bellevue’s 6-run fth put the game out of reach for North Cedar as the Comets led 8-5 with two innings left.
  North Cedar had 12 hits in its season opener with three players collecting multi-hit games. Tyler Jackson and Ethan Sahr each were 3-for-4 at the plate while Devon Willis was 2-for-2. Ja- cob Wagner, Tyler Thurston, Gage Walshire, and Brennen Kreel each had hits. Thruston had 2 RBI’s while Wagner and Walshire each had 1 RBI.
  Ethan Sahr started and went four innings. He struck out ve, walked three and gave up ve runs on four hits. Chase Miller took the loss after an inning of relief work. Tyler Thurston also pitched in the game.
  Bellevue won game two 14-4 in ve innings. North Cedar led 1-0 after the rst inning before Bellevue scored four straight runs over two innings to take a 4-1 lead. North Cedar’s bats came alive in the top of the fourth when they scored three runs to tie the game at 4-4.
  Tadan Lange started the game and pitched three innings. He gave up four runs, two of which were earned. He struck out ve, walked ve and gave up one run. Alex Woodward took the loss after not recording an out, but giving up ve runs.