Spencer Wiskus walk-off homer salvages Iowa City West split with Prairie

IOWA CITY - The Iowa City West lineup would inspire fear in most opposing pitchers, but the third-ranked Trojans had no such luck against Darren Kilpatrick.

The Cedar Rapids Prairie junior pitched a three-hit complete game and had more than enough run support to carry the No. 5-ranked Hawks to a 5-1 victory in Game 1 of the doubleheader.

The third-ranked Trojans' only run came on a solo homer by Connor McCaffery with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning. The line drive jumped the 290-foot right-field fence but was not enough to spark the Trojans.

Kilpatrick retired six of the next seven batters against a lineup that features some of the state's top hitters.

'It was just hung so far down the middle. I mean it's short fences. I kind of moved on pretty quickly. I know I got a strike out the next pitch and just kept working,” Kilpatrick said.

He did strike the Trojans' Oliver Martin out looking, but Kilpatrick's one run, three hit, complete game would not have been possible without the defense behind him.

The Prairie outfielders made several catches to rob the Trojans of extra base hits and committed no errors.

The game ended with Hawks third baseman Cooper Reittinger snaring a line drive by Nate Barnes.

'I was thinking to myself, I wanted that play,” Reittinger said. 'I kind of saw it coming. I was going to make the play for my team no matter what happened.”

He made that play, and knocked a two-RBI single to extend the Hawks' lead to 3-0 in the top of the third inning.

Kilpatrick walked one batter in the sixth, before inducing back-to-back ground outs. He returned for the seventh inning despite his coach's intentions.

'Going into the sixth inning we had decided that was going to be his last inning, and then it was like he found another gear,” Prairie Coach Todd Rima said. 'When he came off he wanted the ball, he was still at a low pitch count and we stuck with him. glad we did.”

Rima's faith in Kilpatrick was rewarded, as he finished off the Trojans with two outs to Reittinger and a strikeout.

'I always know they have my back so I can keep throwing strikes and not have to worry about it,” Kilpatrick said.

The Trojans returned to form in the second game, chasing Prairie starter Tyler Nunemaker after two innings. Nunemaker was charged with four earned runs.

Nate Barnes hit a three-run homer over the left field fence in the bottom of the fifth to push the Trojan lead to 8-2.

The Hawks nearly stole the sweep, however. Nunemaker hit a grand slam with two outs in the top of the seventh to tie the game at 8-8.

Spencer Wiskus played hero for the Trojans, hitting a walk off two-run homer to center field to win the second game 10-8 and split the doubleheader.