SOLON — The varsity baseball team improved to 12-12 on the season Wednesday, June 15 with a non-conference shutout win over Fairfield. The Spartans hammered the Trojans 15-0 in four innings.
Gehrig Turner drilled an RBI single in the bottom of the first inning to score Brett White for the first run, and Jacob Timmons hammered a two-RBI single with the bases loaded. An RBI single by Jackson Link made it 4-0. White knocked out a double in the second inning and came home on a sacrifice by Turner making it 5-0. Michael Pipolo scored in the third on a wild pitch and Blake Timmons put up an RBI single making it 7-0. With no outs and the bases loaded, White blasted a grand slam homerun for an 11-0 advantage. Link, a freshman, belted out a solo homerun, his first varsity dinger, for a 12-0 lead in the fourth. Blake Timmons, White, and Kinnick Pusteoska all singled to load the bases and Timmons walked home after Turner was hit by a pitch for a 13-0 lead. White and Pusteoska headed for home on an RBI single by Logan Gruchow with White scoring, and Pusteoska getting gunned down just short of home plate. Turner would then score on another wild pitch for the game ending run.
White, a sophomore, led at the plate with four hits and four RBIs including a pair of doubles and the super dinger. Blake Timmons, Jacob Timmons, and Link had two hits each, Pusteoska, Turner, Gruchow, and Pipolo had one hit apiece. Blake Timmons pitched all four innings giving up three hits, no runs, walking four, and striking out five.
24 runs in sweep of South Tama
Solon opened the week with a WaMaC east vs. west home doubleheader against South Tama Monday, June 13, sweeping the Trojans 11-1 and 13-0.
The Trojans’ scored in the top of the first inning in game one while the Spartans plated one run in the bottom of the inning, two in the third, four in the fifth, and four in the sixth. Turner and Gruchow had two hits each with three RBIs for Gruchow and a double and an RBI for Turner. White, Pusteoska, and Jacob Timmons had one hit each with a double and an RBI for White, two RBIs for Pusteoska, and two RBIs for Jacob Timmons. Adam Smith also drove in two runs. Drew Wilcox pitched all six innings giving up two hits and one earned run. He walked four and struck out five.
Six Spartans scampered across the plate in the bottom of the first in game two followed by one in the second, four in the third, and two (including the game-ending run) in the fourth. Blake Timmons, White, Pusteoska, Pipolo, Jacob Timmons, Link, and Tyson Wheeler all had one hit each with a double for White and Pusteoska, and two RBIs each for Pusteoska, Pipolo, and Jacob Timmons. Vince Steinbrech took the win with five innings on the mound giving up two hits, walking four, and striking out seven.
Spartans sweep Hawks
The varsity traveled to Manchester Thursday, June 16 for a doubleheader against West Delaware and swept the hawks 10-3 and 9-6.
Solon produced nine hits in game one with three from Jacob Timmons (with three RBIs), two by Pusteoska (one RBI), and one apiece from Blake Timmons (solo homerun), White, Turner, and Link (two RBIs). Parker Pentico pitched six innings giving up five hits and three runs (two earned), walked four, and struck out four. Brick Kabela worked one inning giving up one hit.
It was another nine-hit effort for Solon in the nightcap with four from White including a homerun and three RBIs. Pusteoska, Turner, Gruchow, Pipolo, and Link had one hit apiece with a double for Turner and Gruchow, two RBIs for Pipolo, and one RBI each for Gruchow and Jacob Timmons. White pitched one inning giving up one hit and three earned runs and walking three. Gruchow also spent one inning on the mound giving up one hit. Ty Bell, a freshman, pitched six innings giving up four hits, three runs (two earned), walking three, and striking out two.
Solon improved to 14-12 overall, 11-7 in the WaMaC East while West Delaware dipped to 18-9 overall, 9-7 in the East.
Falcons fall to Spartans
The week ended with a long trip to Council Bluffs and St. Albert Catholic High School for the Falcons’ varsity tournament. Solon blasted the Falcons 13-5 with eight runs in the top of the first inning, four in the fourth, and one in the seventh. St. Albert’s scored one in the first, second, and fifth innings, and two in the seventh.
Solon’s 11 hits came from White, Turner, and Pipolo with two each including a double for White and three RBIs for Turner, and one hit apiece by Blake Timmons (a three-RBI triple), Gruchow, Jacob Timmons, Link, and Colin Werner. Wilcox pitched five innings giving up five hits and three runs (one earned), Nolan Seagren pitched one inning giving up three hits and two earned runs, walking one, and striking out one, while Steinbrech worked one inning walking one and striking out one.
Upcoming games
Rival Mount Vernon visits for a 5:00 p.m. doubleheader Thursday, June 23 for Pack the Ballpark night. All Solon Youth Baseball players will be admitted for free. Iowa City Regina visits Friday, June 24 for a 7:00 p.m. varsity game, and the Spartans take on WaMaC West rival Clear Creek Amana in Tiffin Monday, June 27 in a 5:00 p.m. doubleheader. The Spartans and Regals meet again Wednesday, June 29 at 7:00 p.m. at Regina High School.
Gehrig Turner narrowly escapes the tag at Homeplate Wednesday, June 15 in a non-conference game against Fairfield.