Newman proves too much again for Lisbon, 7-3

DES MOINES - It was way better than the regular season, but it still wasn't good enough.Mason City Newman was too much again for the Lisbon Lions in a 7-3 Class 1A state baseball semifinal win last night at Principal Park. That's half the run total the powerful Knights put up in a regular-season game between the clubs, so you could call it a definite improvement for Lisbon, in that respect.Just not quite enough improvement.“They kind of did the same thing to us up there,” Lisbon Coach Ryan Stensland said. “They got guys on base, they're very disciplined at the plate. They got guys on base and cashed in. There wasn't much difference tonight.”Freshman Keegan Tritle's booming double high off the left-field fence sparked a two-run rally in the top of the fifth inning to help Lisbon (35-8) pull within a run at 4-3. But the Knights (35-4) got those back plus one in the bottom half, when Gabe Dunn doubled to the gap in right-center with the bases loaded.The hit plated two runs, with a third coming home on an errant throw to the middle of the infield from center fielder Jordan Bahl. That was the fourth error of the game for Lisbon.Newman will play two-time defending champ Martensdale-St. Mary's (38-5) in Saturday afternoon's 1A championship game. M-SM was down to its last strike before rallying to tie Algona Garrigan and winning in eight innings.“Those guys are good hitters,” said Lisbon pitcher Marshall Morgan (16-2). “That's a great team, a great ball team ... We came out and had errors, and that kills you. Just kills you.”“We just didn't execute at a couple of key points in the game,” Stensland said. “A team like that, when you're playing the No. 1 team in the state, they're ranked that for a reason. You can't have four errors and expect to escape and not have any damage done. I thought they took full advantage of those tonight.”Newman ended up outhitting Lisbon by only a 8-7 margin. Like Morgan, Casey Hall threw a complete game for the Knights.While it loses some top-notch players to graduation, Lisbon started five freshmen and a junior here, so the future is very bright. The four ninth-graders in the batting order (Ryan Light played right field but was designated hit for) all had good moments here.As a matter of fact, Tritle, Ryan Kortemeyer and Brock Givens combined for four hits Thursday night. Junior catcher Hunter Caspers also had one.“Next year we should be firing on all cylinders, like we did this year,” Tritle said. “If we don't make it back here, it'd be a shame. But it wouldn't surprise me if we make it.”

Here is the game boxscore:

Mason City Newman Vs