Seizing an opportunity

MARION - The game appeared to be over.As Kevin Boegert's routine ground ball rolled toward Muscatine second baseman Tyler Kovach with two outs in the bottom of the seventh Wednesday night, Muskie fans had started celebrating what they thought was a 1-0 win over Linn-Mar and a spot in the Class 4A state tournament.But Kovach's throw was in the dirt and bounded away from first baseman Max Freilinger, allowing Travis Kvach to cross the plate with the tying run. With new life, the Lions got the winning run in the bottom of the eighth when Mitch Stickney scored on a bases-loaded wild pitch from Muscatine ace Derek Burkamper, setting off a wild celebration behind the plate.The 2-1 victory sends the Lions (29-11) to the state tournament next week at Principal Park in Des Moines where they will meet Cedar Rapids Kennedy at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Muscatine closed at 26-12.Winning pitcher Nate Greve, who relieved starter Jake Stolley for four innings of one-hit baseball, striking out eight, admitted he thought the Lions were done.“I was thinking that we got lucky there,” Greve said. “It was a godsend, definitely.”It appeared that a solo homer from Muscatine's Grant McConnaha in the second inning would be the difference. Burkamper, a junior who has committed to play at Nebraska, allowed five hits.“He's one of the best we've seen,” said Lions' Coach Chad Lechner. “It was a tough one for them to lose, but we have battled all season and I knew we would never give up. When Kevin hit the grounder, my thought was that I knew he was fast.”Greve struck out the side in the top of the eighth and the heavy postseason workload for Burkamper, who pitched two-plus innings in Monday's semifinal win over Cedar Rapids Prairie, caught up with him in the eighth.Stickney led off with a walk. Austin Stroschein dropped down a bunt that Burkamper fumbled, then threw away, allowing Stickney to take third. An intentional walk to Jimmy Roth loaded the bases. Burkamper's first pitch to Stolley skipped away and the celebration was on in the Lions' final game on their home field. The team will play at a new facility next season and the old field will be the site of the school's soon-to-be-constructed swimming pool.“I can't think of a better way to finish up on this field,” Lechner said. “To win a game to go to state the way we did will be remembered for a long time.”