Iowa high school baseball: 5 takeaways from district finals

The district baseball finals for Class 1A and Class 2A are complete. The winners advance to Tuesday’s substate finals with a chance to earn a trip to Carroll for the state tournament July 17-21. Here are a few takeaways from Saturday that set the next stage.

OMG GMG!

Cinderella resides in Garwin. Or maybe Green Mountain? Either way, GMG is one more upset away from a state berth. The Wolverines started district play with an 8-14 record, beating third-seeded Montezuma, 8-3, and No. 2 seed Gladbrook-Reinbeck, 7-2. GMG, now just 11-14, claimed the 1A District 7 title with an 8-4 victory over BGM, which beat fifth-ranked and top seed Don Bosco by a run in the semifinals.

GMG used a three-run fifth to help pull away. Noah Teske and Rider Kupka each had a couple of hits and drove in at least one run for the Wolverines. Colin Teske pitched five innings for the win and Brayden Duden threw two scoreless innings of relief for GMG.

Things get much harder for the Wolverines, who play No. 9 Lisbon in the Substate 4 championship at Solon. The Lions (24-4) edged Easton Valley, 4-3 in 11 innings, to return to the substate finals. Lisbon is attempting to reach state for the third consecutive season.

Williamsburg advances

Williamsburg spent most of the season in the rankings, but hit a midseason skid, losing eight straight and dropping 13 of its last 16 regular-season games. The Raiders opened the postseason with a bye and then plundered East Marshall 13-3. They followed that with a 5-1 win at No. 10 Pleasantville Saturday for the 2A District 14 championship.

Williamsburg reached the substate finals for the first time since 2015. The Raiders tallied eight hits with all five runs earned, including a home run by Madox Doehrmann. Nile Sinn tossed a three-hitter for the victory.

This is the Williamsburg team many expected. The Raiders (19-19) face No. 8 West Marshall Tuesday at Pella, vying for their fourth state appearance and first since 2013.

Dubuque County rivals roll

Cascade and Dyersville Beckman form one of the best high school baseball rivalries in the state. Many years their postseason paths intersected, but that hasn’t happened for a few years. Both teams reached the state tournament last season and are one win away from returning.

No. 3 Beckman and No. 7 Cascade rolled to their respective 2A substate games. Beckman (21-9) handled Camanche, 11-1, in five innings. Dylan Recker had two hits and three RBIs, while Luke Sigwarth had a home run, triple, three runs and three RBIs for the Blazers. Rob Kronlage allowed four hits in 4 1/3 to get the win for Beckman, which plays Anamosa (19-12) at Manchester. Anamosa beat Hudson, 12-2, and has scored 20 runs in two postseason games.

Cascade posted its second straight 10-0 victory, downing Denver for the District 5 title. The Cougars’ offensive barrage led to 11 hits, including two each from Mason Otting, Will Hosch, Mick Hoffman and Nathan Schockemoehl. Otting had three RBIs and Hoffman added two. Jase Reinke earned the win. Cascade will play MFL MarMac at Cedar Falls.

MFL MarMac Bulldogs bite New Hampton

Speaking of MFL MarMac, the Bulldogs captured the District 6 title Saturday, knocking off No. 9 New Hampton, 4-3, in a thriller on the road. MFL MarMac trailed by two in the seventh, rallying for three runs in the top half and holding the Chickasaws scoreless to close it.

The Bulldogs were led by Jacob Schellhorn’s three hits. Jaxon Millage and Bryce Radloff each had a single and scored. Ben Krambeer and Elias Hatt drove in one run apiece. Three Bulldog pitchers scattered eight hits and limited the Chickasaws to three runs with Krambeer working three innings for the win.

MFL MarMac opened the postseason with a lopsided win over North Fayette Valley and edged Waukon 7-6 in the district semifinals. The Bulldogs have not been to the state baseball tournament since 1977.

This and that