SOLON– On Wednesday, July 7, there was a shootout in Solon as the Class 3A fourth-ranked Spartans’ varsity baseball team, at 24-9 entering the contest, exchanged shots with non-conference-challenger Iowa City West High Trojans, 19-12 prior. The crack of the bats was heard loud and often during the seven-inning affair, at the Solon Recreation and Nature Area, as the Spartans fell to the Trojans, 18-17, on Solon’s Senior Night.
The Spartans took the first inning 3-1, and the second inning went scoreless before the third when the Trojans knotted things, 4-4, with their own 3-1 scoring inning. West edged Solon in the fourth inning scoring five to the Spartans’ four. Solon surged in the fifth plating two more runs after silencing the Trojans at the top of the fifth and padded their lead to 13-10 at the close, heading into the seventh and final inning courtesy of a two-out, two-run single by Blake Timmons.
Timmons led the Spartans in a 16-hit assault by the Spartans, four-for-four hitting two doubles, earning three RBIs and plating three times.
However, an eight-run rebound the seventh inning for West, throttling the Spartan scoring to just four runs in the bottom of the seventh, propelled West High to a one-point victory over Solon, 18-17.
West High’s Marcus Morgan, a University of Iowa recruit, had three hits and was responsible for ten of West’s season-high 18 runs. His double and homerun elevated the Trojans to their third win in four games. Morgan’s three-run homer to right in the third and two-run double to center in the fourth gave West High a 9-4 lead at the top of the fourth.
The Spartans positioned the winning run on first during the bottom of the seventh inning following an RBI single by Timmons made the score 18 West High, 17 Solon before Trojan Nathan Stephens manipulated Brett White into skipping an out to the shortstop ending the game.
West High senior Schuyler Houston was credited for the win after 1.2 innings on the mound credited for allowing two hits and seven runs- three earned, hitting two batters and striking out one.
Spartan senior Austin Schwake pitched three innings to take the loss allowing five hits, nine runs- seven earned, walking five and striking out two.
The loss dropped Solon to 24-10 following a double-victory in a double header, 17-2 and 16-5, over Vinton-Shellsburg on Monday, July 5, and a 14-2 loss to Cedar Rapids Xavier on Tuesday, July 6. And splitting the night with a 15-2 win over the Maquoketa Cardinals and a 4-3 loss in the night cap of the double header gave the Spartans a 25-11 record on Thursday, July 8.
Solon hosted Mount Pleasant on Monday, July 12, at home, in the Solon Recreation and Nature Area; traveled to Washington High School on Tuesday, July 13, and competes Friday, July 16, at 7 p.m., at home, against the Newton Cardinals in a Class 3A Substate 5 first round game.
I.C. West High Trojans 18, Solon Spartans 17
Solon
Hits– Timmons 4, Kinnick Pusteoska 4, Carson Shive 2, Ben Cusick 2, Brett White 1, Gehrig Turner 1, Jackson Ryan 1.
Singles– Pusteoska 3, Timmons 2, Shive 2, Cusick 2, Ryan 1.
Doubles– Timmons 2, White 1, Pusteoska 1, Turner 1.
RBI– Turner 4, Timmons 3, Pusteoska 2, Cusick 2, White 1, Brady Jeworrek 1, Cade Chapman 1.
Runs– Timmons 3, Brady Jeworrek 3, Pusteoska 3, Shive 3, Ryan 2, White 1, Cusick 1, Chapman 1.
Pitching– Austin Schwake (L) 3 IP, 5 hits, 9 run, 5 walks, 2 strikeouts; Drew Turner 3.8 IP, 5 hits, 9 runs, 3 walk, 2 strikeouts; Ben Cusick .2 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts.

Gallery • 7 Photos

Jeff Hess

Spartan senior Carson Shive is called safe at second due in part to a late tag by Trojan shortstop, sophomore Ben Hoefer.