Manternachs help Monti to strong postseason start

DYERSVILLE - Baseball is a family affair for Monticello's Manternach family.

Twin brothers, Matt and Derek, are middle infielders atop of Monticello's batting order, while younger brother, Jacob, is the starting catcher. Their cousin, Ryan, also plays.

Holidays have hosted plenty of baseball and basketball contests.

'Those are big in our house,” Panthers shortstop Matt Manternach said. 'We had a lot of knockout games for basketball and whiffle ball in the backyard.”

They have played their part in helping ninth-ranked Monticello knock out opponents. The brotherly trio combined for five hits, six runs and five RBIs, leading the Panthers to a 13-0 win in five innings over MFL MarMac in a Class 2A District 7 first-round game Saturday night at Commercial Club Park.

Matt Manternach led Monticello with three hits, smacking two doubles in a seven-run fourth. Derek Manternach scored three times to lead the Panthers, and Matt and Jacob Manternach each had two RBIs.

Sharing the pastime with each other and their teammates is special.

'It's great,” Matt Manternach said. 'We've been playing since we were young. We know what each other is doing, even our whole team is close throughout this. It's great to have them all behind me and support the whole team.”

Baseball calls for sure-handed players through the center of a defense. The Manternachs fill those roles well.

'We always build our team from the inside out,” Monticello Coach Josh Soper said. 'Jesse Iben is a talented athlete and a strong center fielder as well. We're strong up the middle. Teams have to beat us. We are not going to give them a whole lot.”

Monticello (20-10) scored five in the opening frame, sending 10 batters to the plate. After Matt and Derek Manternach opened with a single and walk, Iben hit an RBI double followed by Mason Newhard's run-scoring single. Jacob Manternach added an RBI double, taking a commanding lead.

'We were aggressive,” Soper said. 'We had a big first inning. Anytime you can score first and get the other team down that always works in your favor.”

Eleven Panthers stepped to the plate in the fourth, setting up the mercy rule. Matt and Derek Manternach started the rally with a double and single. Iben added another RBI double. Strong camaraderie helps the Panthers feed off each other's success.

'It's a really tight-knit group of kids,” Soper said. 'They pull for each other. They are all in it for each other.”

One run was plenty for senior pitcher Parker Kray. He was dominant, striking out 10 with eight coming in the final three innings. Kray (5-2) faced 19 batters on only 66 pitches, throwing 11 first-pitch strikes. MFL MarMac managed to put just seven balls in play.

'Parker Kray had another nice outing,” Soper said. 'He threw the ball hard. He had the fastball and curveball working well.”

Monticello returns to Dyersville Tuesday, facing Mount Vernon in a district semifinal at 5 p.m. Soper said he expects to see strong pitching and a potent offense, but the regular-season slate has prepared them for a tough postseason.

'We look at it as an opportunity,” Soper said. 'We feel we're battle-tested. We're excited to keep playing. We love playing in July.”

The season comes to a close for MFL MarMac, finishing with an 11-20 mark. The Bulldogs received singles from Andrew Zeeh and Bryce Burke.

CLAYTON RIDGE/CENTRAL 4, ANAMOSA 3

Colin Connelly pitched a complete game and scored the winning run on a throwing error in the bottom of the fifth, powering the Wareagles to the Class 2A District 7 win Saturday night at Commercial Club Park in Dyersville.

Jace Moore accounted for the first two Wareagle runs. He led off the first with a single, stole second and scored on on Derek Ehrhardt's triple. Moore added a solo home run in the third.

Anamosa trailed 3-1 in the fifth, but Drew Beall belted a two-run homer to tie the game.

The Wareagles were 3-for-8 with runners in scoring position, while the Raiders were 0-for-6.

Anamosa ends the season 7-26.

Clayton Ridge/Central (18-12) advances to face third-ranked Dyersville Beckman (21-16) at Commercial Club Park on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

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