Iowa City High continues recent success with hard-fought win over Ames

IOWA CITY — The victory may not have been the prettiest, but it counts the same.

Iowa City High has learned to win tough games and it has them on the cusp of the Class 4A rankings. The Little Hawks demonstrated how they have grown and made an 11-game swing from a year ago.

After an emotional victory over rival Iowa City West the night before and the evaporation of a seven-run lead, Cole Milder delivered a two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the sixth to lift City High over Ames, 11-10, Saturday at Mercer Park.

The Little Hawks have won eight of their last nine games in the span of nine days.

'We talked coming into the game it was one of those games where you had to remain mentally strong,' City High Coach Brian Mitchell said. 'We came back and we got the (win).

'We had a great week and to be able to walk away from that is great.'

The Little Hawks are 12-5 overall after an 18-22 mark last season. The Mississippi Valley Conference Valley Division co-leaders already have four wins over top-10 4A teams this year, including three during the latest stretch.

'We're starting to have success and we're starting to really swing it well,' Mitchell said. 'They understand they have to have the confidence and expectation to win.'

City High jumped to an early lead. The Little Hawks took a 2-0 advantage in the first, getting an RBI double from senior Brett McCleary. Travis Reyhons provided a boost in the second, smacking a three-run triple, increasing the City High lead to 5-0.

Bryce Frantz added a two-run single in the third, taking an 8-1 edge. Milder pinched-hit for Frantz. The No. 9 spot in the order produced four RBIs for the Little Hawks, who received at least one run or one RBI from all but one batter in their lineup.

'The top of our lineup has been really strong,' Mitchell said. 'The middle has been getting better and the bottom half we believe should be very good. Sometimes it doesn't always happen that way. They're good hitters. They have to stay aggressive and have that expectation to drive the baseball.'

Ames rallied with a seven-run fourth, sending 12 batters to the plate. Two of City High's three errors came in that frame. The Little Cyclones took a 9-8 lead on an Adam Rademacher sac fly in the sixth, making the most a leadoff walk and two hit batters.

City High blew a big early lead in a loss to Bettendorf. The Little Hawks showed their toughness and progress by overcoming Ames' threat.

'We've learned how to win and we've also learned we won't win if we don't bring it,' Mitchell said. '(Bettendorf) was a game we should have put away and we didn't. It was a really good teaching moment for us and for the kids to understand.'

City High will return to action Monday against Linn-Mar at Oak Ridge Middle School's Lowe Park.

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