SOLON — The varsity boys improved to 19-15 last week with a 4-4 showing in an eight-game campaign featuring doubleheaders with WaMaC West teams Benton Community and CPU and a trip to Grand View University for the 2023 Prange Classic. This is the final week of the regular season with a trip to West Delaware, a visit from Regina Catholic, a doubleheader visit by Clear Creek Amana, and a trip to North Scott to close out the regular season.
Spartans and Bobcats split
The boys traveled to Benton Community Monday, June 19 for a WaMaC East vs. West doubleheader with the Bobcats and dropped game one 4-3 but battled back for a 7-1 nightcap win.
The Spartans scored one run in the top of the third and two in the fifth in game one but lost their 3-0 lead when Benton plated four runners in the bottom of the sixth. Blake Timmons led with two hits, Brett White, Gehrig Turner, Jackson Link, and Tyler Bell produced one hit each with a double apiece by White, Link, and Bell and two RBIs by White. Vince Steinbrech went the distance on the mound giving up five hits and four earned runs, walking four, and issuing eight strikeouts.
Solon plated one runner in the top of the second inning in game two and followed with four in the fifth and two in the seventh while containing the Bobcats to just one run in the bottom of the seventh. Timmons and Link produced two hits each with a double for Timmons. White, Turner, Nolan Seagren, Garret Stebral, Bell, and Tyson Wheeler had one hit each with a double apiece for Turner and Stebral, and two RBIs for Turner. Cole Farnsworth took the win after six innings on the mound giving up three hits, walking two, and striking out four. Timmons pitched one inning giving up one hit and one earned run and walking two.
Knights smite the Spartans in extra innings
Assumption Catholic (Davenport) visited for a non-conference game Wednesday, June 21 and went home with a 6-4 win in ten innings. Solon scored one run in the first but fell into a hole as the Knights plated four in the top of the second. The Spartans evened the score with one run in the second, third, and fourth leading to five scoreless innings before Assumption put up two runs in the top of the tenth.
Brett White, Nolan Seagren, Jackson Link, Tyler Bell, Dylan Gorham, and Tyson Wheeler produced one hit each with two RBIs by Blake Timmons. Wheeler took the loss after four innings on the mound giving up four hits and two unearned runs while striking out six. Link pitched six innings giving up five hits and four unearned runs, walked three, and struck out five.
Solon sweeps the
Stormin’ Pointers
The Spartans and Center Point-Urbana’s Stormin’ Pointers tangled Thursday, June 22 in Solon with an 8-7 and 10-0 sweep by Solon.
Game one saw the Pointers score one run in the top of the first and second innings before Jackson Link drove home courtesy runner Eddie Johnson to put Solon on the scoreboard. Three more Pointers scored in the fifth, but a six-run assault ensued in the bottom of the fifth. Solon loaded the bases and Brett White drove Garret Stebral home making it 2-5. Nolan Seagren walked in Tyson Wheeler making it 3-5, a Link two-RBI single brought in White and Blake Timmons to tie the game. Two more runs scored for a 7-5 Solon advantage. CPU threatened in the top of the sixth as they scored one run and loaded the bases with two outs. The Pointers tied in the top of the seventh when a run scored on an error. A Stebral-Seagren-White double play ended the eighth inning for CPU and left the game knotted at 7-7 as the Spartans were foiled in the bottom of the inning. Gorham became the hero of the night after he drove in the winning run with a walk off RBI single. Gorham, a freshman, was also the winning pitcher with two innings on the mound giving up two hits and walking two.
Link, Gorham, and Cole Farnsworth produced two hits each with three RBIs for Link. Timmons, White, and Seagren had one hit apiece. Kaden Hanson pitched six innings giving up nine hits and six runs (four earned), walking five, and striking out three while Gehrig Turner pitched one inning giving up one hit and one run with one strikeout.
The nightcap, in contrast, was settled in five innings as the Spartans scored three runs in the first and second and hit the ten-run mercy rule with four in the fifth. Turner led with two hits and three RBIs, Timmons, White, Seagren, Stebral, Wheeler, and Farnsworth had one hit apiece with a three-RBI homer for White. Brick Kabela pitched the full game giving up two hits, walking two, and striking out three.
Spartans reign
over the Regals
Solon visited Regina Catholic (Iowa City) Friday, June 23 and won a non-conference game 8-1. Blake Timmons and Brett White produced three hits each with two doubles for White. Nolan Seagren and two hits including one double and drove in three runs. Vince Steinbrech, and Tyson Wheeler had one hit apiece. Aidan Doyle took the win after four innings on the mound giving up one hit, walking one, and striking out one. Timmons pitched three innings giving up one earned run, walking one, and striking out one.
Two losses for Solon in
the 2023 Prange Classic
The Spartans traveled to Grand View University (Des Moines) Saturday, June 24 to compete in the 2023 Prange Classic hosted by Saydel High School and named in honor of esteemed umpire (and retired Saydel HS teacher) Brent Prange, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2002.
Gilbert defeated Solon 6-1 with Blake Timmons, Gehrig Turner, and eighth grader Maddox Kelley producing the Spartans’ three hits. Cole Farnsworth took the loss giving up seven hits and six earned runs. He walked two and struck out seven.
MOC-Floyd Valley’s Dutchmen downed Solon 6-2 after the Spartans scored one run in the bottom of the first. The Dutchmen plated one run in the top of the fourth to tie, but Solon took back the lead with one run in the bottom of the inning. After that, the Dutchmen scored one run in the fifth and four in the seventh for the win. Turner and Vince Steinbrech had Solon’s two hits with an RBI apiece as Timmons and Nolan Seagren were driven home. Kelley was charged with the loss after two innings on the mound giving up four hits and five runs (three earned), walking two and striking out two. Dylan Gorham pitched four innings giving up three hits and one earned run, walked one, and struck out three while Garret Stebral pitched one inning giving up one hit and issuing one strikeout.
Upcoming schedule
Thursday, June 29 – Home doubleheader vs. Clear Creek Amana. 5:00 p.m.
Monday, July 3 – At North Scott. 5:00 p.m. (Level 2 plays at 3:00 p.m.)
Postseason, the road
to Iowa City
The Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) was to release Class 3A and 4A postseason brackets the week of June 26-29). This year, according to the IHSAA, “No seeding meetings will be used for tournament games. Rather, through a motion from our baseball advisory committee and approved by the IHSAA Board of Control, postseason seeding will now be done through a collaboration between the IHSAA and the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association (IHSBCA) rankings committee. This committee will assemble weekly rankings throughout the season for all classes. This information tabulated throughout the season will be utilized by the IHSAA office for postseason assignments.”
WaMaC East Standings
Conf. Overall
West Delaware 13-3 19-9
Solon 13-3 19-15
Marion 12-4 21-5
Independence 10-6 14-16
Mount Vernon 6-10 8-18
Maquoketa 2-8 7-19
Nolan Seagren (8) awaits the umpire’s decision after tagging out a Stormin’ Pointer Thursday, June 22.