SOLON — The varsity baseball season ended Saturday, July 9 as the Maquoketa Cardinals shocked the Spartans with a 7-5 Substate quarterfinal upset.
Solon got on the scoreboard early with two runs in the bottom of the first inning as Blake Timmons singled and came home on a Brett White double. Kinnick Pusteoska drove White home to make it 2-0 but was left stranded. Jacob Timmons singled in the second inning, moved to second on a passed ball, and came home on a Blake Timmons single for a 3-0 lead. Maquoketa plated one run in the third and threatened with two on and two outs. A short hit to Blake Timmons on the mound was tossed to Pusteoska at first to get the Spartans out of the inning. Jacob Timmons drove in a run in the bottom of the third.
The Cardinals, 12-19 entering the contest, proved to be a challenging opponent as they scored two more runs in the fourth, and one in the fifth to tie the game 4-4.
Jacob Timmons belted out a double to lead off the sixth inning and came home on a Blake Timmons sacrifice fly for a 5-4 lead but the Cardinals opened the seventh with an RBI to tie and had runners at first and third with no outs. Coach Keith McSweeney made his second pitching change of the night putting Vince Steinbrech on the mound in place of Drew Wilcox, who had replaced starting pitcher Blake Timmons in the fifth inning. A sacrifice bunt returned the lead to Maquoketa while a sacrifice fly gave them the insurance run.
Unofficially Jacob Timmons had three hits including a double with one RBI, Blake Timmons had two hits and two RBIs, Gehrig Turner had two hits, White had one hit and one RBI, and Pusteoska had one hit and one RBI.
Solon ended the season at 21-18 overall and 14-10 in the WaMaC East. Maquoketa improved to 13-19 overall and were 11-13 in the east division as they advanced to the semifinals on Monday, July 11 against 30-10 West Delaware in Manchester.
North Scott 9 Solon 8
Solon and North Scott tangled in a non-conference end to the regular season Tuesday, July 5 in Solon with the Lancers piercing the Spartans 9-8.
Brett White led Solon with three hits including one double, Gehrig Turner, Kinnick Pusteoska, Jacob Timmons, and Tyson Wheeler smacked out two hits each with a homer and three RBIs for Turner and two RBIs for “Wheels” Wheeler. Blake Timmons and Logan Gruchow had one hit apiece.
Parker Pentico was charged the loss with 2/3 innings on the mound giving up one hit and two earned runs and two walks. Drew Wilcox pitched two innings with a pair of walks, Vince Steinbrech worked two innings giving up no hits and no runs and striking out three. Blake Timmons put in one inning giving up two hits and two earned runs with one strikeout. Ty Bell had one inning giving up three hits and four runs (two earned), walked two, and struck out two. Austin Bell pitched 1/3 of an inning giving up one hit, and Brick Kabela was shown as giving up an unearned run.
The Lancers improved to 23-15 while Solon dipped to 21-17 ahead of the postseason.
Farewell to the seniors
The Spartans lose Michael Pipolo, Jacob Timmons, Kinnick Pusteoska, Colin Werner, and Parker Pentico to graduation.
Brett White throws to first with a Cardinal tucking in behind him at second base Saturday, July 9 in a Class 3A substate quarterfinal round contest.