Cedar Rapids Prairie wins substate baseball thriller over Cedar Rapids Kennedy

CEDAR RAPIDS — Maddux Frese demonstrated the ice in his veins on the mound.

Brandon Vlcko did the same at the plate to drive in Frese and produce a cool walk-off victory to extend the high school baseball season one more week.

Vlcko rapped a bases-loaded single to score Frese in the bottom of the ninth, capping third-ranked Cedar Rapids Prairie’s 2-1 win over Cedar Rapids Kennedy in a Class 4A Substate 4 final thriller at Prairie. The Hawks advance to state for the second straight season and fifth time overall.

“That was fun,” Prairie Coach James Nelson said. “Kennedy is a really good team. I was more nervous today than I had been in a long time, knowing what we were up for.

“I knew it was going to be a dogfight and I told the kids.”

Frese sparked the winning rally, leading off the ninth with his first hit — a stand-up double to left.

“I was just trying to hit a line drive,” Frese said. “He gave me one a little inside, down the middle, and I smoked it right down the line.”

Sullivan was intentionally walked to set up a force out and Noah Day drew another walk that loaded the bases with Vlcko at the plate.

The all-state catcher lined a base hit to right through a five-player infield. He threw his arms in the air as he ran to first and Frese reached the plate. The team mobbed Vlcko and celebrated.

“It felt good afterward but I didn’t feel too much pressure or stress because I knew I had a lot of good teammates behind me that were going to pick me up,” Vlcko said. “I just tried to put a barrel on it. Once I saw it through, I knew I had to step on first and we were going to be going to state.”

Everything came together for the Prairie (31-8) in the ninth. The Hawks had their leadoff batter to set the table and cleanup hitter with a chance to end it.

“That is just a guy being confident and the moment not being too big for him,” Nelson said. “We’re fortunate to have a bunch of guys who have been in and around it. We are calm in those moments.”

The game was a pitcher’s duel between Kennedy starter Jace Scott and Frese. Both went the equivalent of a complete game.

Scott pitched seven innings of two-hit ball before being replaced by Grant Mather for the final two frames.

Sullivan followed Frese on the mound. He retired the Cougars in order to close Frese’s masterful performance and set up the late heroics.

“I even wanted to go out there in the ninth,” said Frese, who threw 109 pitches and could have faced one more batter. “I just reached my pitch count. I knew I had Cal behind me so it’s a pretty good feeling to have.”

The Hawks received a gem from Frese, who allowed just three hits and one unearned run. He also struck out eight, painting the outside corner to right-handers with a mix of change-ups and fastballs.

“Phenomenal,” Nelson said about Frese. “Just him being a dog today. They’re a good team offensively. Throughout the year, they almost have better numbers than we do and we’re one of the better teams, offensively.”

Scott was equally as effective, giving up just two hits through seven. He opened with five shutout innings and finished with five strikeouts.

“He’s our best and has been our best all year,” Kennedy Coach Bret Hoyer said. “You saw why.”

Prairie trailed 1-0 through 5 1/2 innings. Mason Behn put Kennedy ahead with his legs of all things.

Behn walked to lead off the fourth and advanced to second on Matthew Stoltenberg’s one-out sacrice bunt. With a 2-2 count on Scott, Behn caught the Hawks napping and stole third. The late throw was hit and skimmed off the third baseman’s glove, going into shallow left field and allowing Behn to scamper home.

Kennedy (26-15) didn’t have another runner reach second base and was retired in order in the sixth, eighth and ninth innings. Gavin Smith had two hits to lead the Cougars, who stranded two on in the second.

“You’ve got to capitalize when you can when you face a team of that caliber with that caliber of pitching and defense,” Hoyer said. “You’ve got to make a timely hit here or there and have to make a stand.”

Prairie forced extra innings thanks to a run in the bottom of the sixth. Kade Knock opened the inning with an opposite-field triple to left center. Two batters later, Sullivan roped a liner to left field for a sacrifice fly that scored the No. 9 batter.

“He’s really another leadoff guy that hits ninth,” Nelson said of Knock. “He’s a top of the order guy, so we put him there for that reason.”

The Cougars’ defense kept them in the game. The turned two crucial double plays in extra innings that thwarted Prairie’s attempts to win in the seventh and eighth.

“I’m super proud of them,” Hoyer said. “They showed they belonged with one of the best teams in the state. They were right there with them.”

Prairie returns to the state tournament at Duane Banks Field in Iowa City. The Hawks were a semifinalist last season, falling to eventual state champion Pleasant Valley by one.

“We have quite a decent number of guys that came back,” Vlcko said. “There’s been a sour taste in our mouth and I think a lot of the younger guys on the team now understand that. They know what it takes to get back.

“Everyone has been ready and waiting for this since the loss last year.”