Cascade handles Beckman for substate crown

FARLEY - Cascade's Derek Lieurance had experienced plenty of postseason disappointment at the hands of Dyersville Beckman.

The Cougars have had three of the last four seasons ended by the Blazers with the other season coming to an abrupt end in Dyersville.

The Cascade senior pitcher turned the tables and then overturned on top of the rival program.

Lieurance was superb on the mound, striking out 13 in a one-hit shutout, as the top-ranked Cougars thumped No. 3 Beckman, 10-0, in six innings Tuesday night at Farley Park. Cascade (37-3) claimed the substate title and berth to the Class 2A state tournament next week in Des Moines.

'It's unbelievable,” Lieurance said. 'This is my fourth time going through districts (and) they have beaten me three times. It meant a lot, beating a great team like that.”

Cascade Coach Roamn Hummel said his team was focused more on the game than the opponent. The Cougars' last loss came at the hands of the Blazers, but they have now won 19 straight games since, earning a fourth state berth in program history and the first since 2004.

'We told ourselves it doesn't matter what is on their jersey,” Cascade senior Nolan Weber said. 'We just have to play our game. Play fast and free and we did. We were aggressive all night and it turned out well for us.”

The aggressive approach at the plate helped build an early lead. The Cougars jumped to a 2-0 advantage on back-to-back RBI singles from Mitch and Luke Recker in the top of the first. The cushion allowed Lieurance take the mound relaxed.

'It took so much stress off me,” Lieurance said. 'There is nothing better to go out on the mound with a lead.”

Lieurance (7-1) mowed down the Blazers. He struck out at least one batter in each inning and multiple hitters in all but one. He tallied four strikeouts in the third when one reached on a dropped third strike.

The hard-throwing right hander thrived with a strong slider.

'I was able to throw it at any point, any count,” Lieurance said. 'That pitched really helped me.”

Even though the two-run lead was plenty for Lieurance and the Cougars, Nolan Weber provided a big boost in the top of the second. With the bases loaded and two out, he turned on an inside pitch, roping it down the right-field line for a three-run triple, giving Cascade a 5-0 lead.

'That at-bat was just hard work the last five years, paying off,” said Weber, who also had an RBI single in the fourth. 'We stayed on the gas pedal all night. We didn't let up

'We kept scoring and kept rolling. It was awesome.”

Every Cougar batter had at least one hit and No. 9 hitter in the lineup, Bryce Simon, had three hits. Cascade added one run in the third, when Evan Simon scored on a double steal. They scored three in the sixth, receiving an RBI single from Kurt Trumm and capitalizing on two Blazer errors.

Cascade has played in state competitions in other sports. The seniors will get to cap their careers with their first chance to play at Principal Park in Des Moines.

'It's a great feeling,” Hummel said. 'These guys have had the same opportunity in football and basketball, and now they get to do it in baseball. It's tremendous for them.”

Beckman (23-17) couldn't get the key hit or make the big play to get out of innings. The loss snaps a three-year state tournament streak, reaching the finals in each and winning titles in 2012 and 2013. The Blazers don't plan on a long hiatus.

'The string is broke now, but we'll plan to start another one next year,” Beckman Coach Tom Jenk said. 'We're not going to stay away from Des Moines too long.”

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