SOLON– It just wasn’t enough. Freshman Brett White drilled a two-run homer Wednesday, July 21, against Cedar Rapids Xavier Catholic in the bottom of the seventh inning of a Class 3A Substate Final. White’s dinger looked as if it might spark a late rally by the Spartans, but the Saints held on for a 6-3 win advancing to the State Tournament.
Xavier struck first with two runs in the top of the first inning but the Spartans answered back in the bottom half as Brady Jeworrek drove in Blake Timmons with a base hit, making it 2-1. The Saints’ lead grew in the second as a run scored on a passed ball, while a base hit drove in another for a 4-1 advantage. Head Coach Keith McSweeney pulled Drew Turner off the mound and put Jacob Smith into the breech with two on and one out. Xavier loaded up the bases but a fly out to Jackson Ryan ended the inning, limiting the damage.
McSweeney changed pitchers again in the third, putting Timmons on the mound. A strikeout and fly out ended the inning with two stranded Saints. Two more Xavier runs went up in the fourth for a 6-1 lead. Solon threatened in the fifth, Timmons singled and White hammered a double with two outs. A Jeworrek strikeout left them stranded, however. In the sixth, they tried again as Carson Shive and Ben Cusick singled. Again the Saints defense left them out on the bases.
Timmons picked up a base hit in the bottom of the seventh with one out when White stepped to the plate and drilled a dinger, but strikeouts for Jeworrek and Kinnick Pusteoska sealed Solon’s doom.
Timmons led at the plate with three hits, while White had two. Turner was charged with the loss after 1.1 innings on the mound, giving up three hits and four runs, two earned, while Timmons worked 4.2 innings giving up three hits and two runs with five strikeouts on the evening.
Solon finished the season 29-12, while the Saints improved to 26-12.
It was the final performance for seniors Austin Schwake, Cade Chapman, Westen Stiegelmeyer, Jeworrek, Cusick, Shive, Bo Janssen, Smith, Drew Turner, Mario Villegas and Isaac Milliman.
The loss followed an 11-1 Spartan shelling of Carlisle in the Second Round on Monday, July 19. Cade Chapman led Solon with three doubles in the contest while Brayden Rickertson went the five-inning distance, giving up two hits and one earned run with six strikeouts.
Cedar Rapids Xavier 6, Solon 3
Hits— Blake Timmons 3, Brett White 2, Brady Jeworrek 1, Carson Shive 1, Ben Cusick 1.
Singles— Timmons 3, Jeworrek 1, Shive 1, Cusick 1.
Doubles— White 1.
Homerun— White 1.
RBIs— White 2, Jeworrek 1.
Runs— Timmons 2, White 1.
Pitching— Drew Turner (L) 1.1 IP, 3 hits, 4 runs (2 earned), 5 walks, 2 strikeouts. Timmons 4.2 IP, 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts. Jacob Smith 1.0 innings, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout.
Solon 11, Carlisle 1
Hits— Cade Chapman 3, Kinnick Pusteoska 1, Gehrig Turner 1, Ben Cusick 1, Jackson Ryan 1.
Singles— Cusick 1, Ryan 1.
Doubles— Chapman 3, Pusteoska 1, Turner 1.
RBIs— Pusteoska 2, Brett White 1, Turner 1, Cusick 1, Chapman 1, Ryan 1.Runs— Brady Jeworrek 3, Cusick 2, Chapman 2, Ryan 2, Blake Timmons 1, Michael Pipolo 1.
Pitching— Brayden Rickertson 5.0 IP, 2 hits, 1 earned run, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts.
Blake Timmons earned Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association (IHSBCA) Southeast District First Team as a second baseman.