Xavier Catholic 2 Solon 1
SOLON — Cedar Rapids Xavier Catholic visited Tuesday, May 25, for a Mississippi Valley Conference (MVC) vs. WaMaC non-conference game and left with a 2-1 win.
Junior Hayden Detra scored in the bottom of the third to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead. Solon defense held through the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings before the Saints plated two in the top of the seventh.
Senior Jackson Link put up Solon’s only hit, a single, and went the distance on the mound giving up four hits and two earned runs while issuing six strikeouts.
Spartans split with Mt. Vernon 8-9 and 5-1
SOLON — Solon’s archrival Mount Vernon visited for a double-dip Wednesday, May 28, with the Mustangs taking the opener 9-8 and the Spartans winning the nightcap 5-1.
The Mustangs struck first in the top of the first inning in game one, plating one run. Jackson Link drove in Maddox Kelley to tie in the bottom half of the inning after Kelley knocked a single and made it to second on an error before sprinting to third on a passed ball. Two more maroon and black-clad Mustangs galloped across the dish in the second to go up 3-1 while four scored in the third to make it 7-1 for the visitors.
The Spartans loaded the bases in the bottom of the third with a single by Kelley, Ty Bell walking, and Link smacking a single. Carson Kidwell brought Kelley home while Luke Merrick’s sacrifice fly brought Bell home to cut the gap to 7-3. Mount Vernon went up 9-3 with two more runs in the top of the fourth before a five-run effort by Solon in the bottom of the fourth.
Hayden Detra, who got on base with a single, scored on an error and Kelley drove in Dylan Gorham with a base hit to make it 9-5. With Kelley and Bell at first and second, Link faced a 3-2 count and drew the walk to load the bases. A line drive by Kidwell brought Kelley home while Merrick nailed a base hit to bring in Bell making it 9-7. Link scored Solon’s final run scampering in on a passed ball.
Kelley and Kidwell led at the plate with three hits, Link produced two, and Merrick and Detra had one apiece. Luke Deike was charged with the loss after three innings on the mound. He gave up nine hits and seven runs (five earned) with two strikeouts. Merrick pitched two innings with two strikeouts while Hunter Knorr and Beau Martin pitched one inning apiece. Mullen gave up one hit and two unearned runs with two strikeouts.
Sophomore Brady Wick went the distance in the nightcap giving up two hits and one earned run as the Spartans won 5-1. The Mustangs scored their run in the top of the second on an RBI triple by Kellen Haverback.
The Spartans plated three in the bottom of the third. Mullen took a 3-2 count and hit a single before taking second on a balk. A line drive put Nolan Seagren on first and Kelley drove both men in with a double before coming home on a wild pitch. Detra smacked a two-RBI single in the fourth scoring Link and Bell (who bunted his way to first) to make if 5-1.
Link and Detra had two hits each with one apiece by Seagren, Kelley, Kidwell, Bell, and Merrick.
Spartans dominate the Demons 12-2
WASHINGTON — Solon’s batters had a field day Friday, May 30, with a baker’s dozen hits and a 12-2 nonconference win over the Washington Demons.
Nolan Seagren, Maddox Kelley, Jackson Link, Dylan Gorham, and Luke Merrick put up two hits each with a double for Kelley and four RBIs for link. Ty Bell, Hayden Detra, and Brady Wick produced one hit apiece. Freshman Tate Miller went the distance giving up four hits and two unearned runs with seven strikeouts.
Spartans top the Trojans 6-4
SOLON — Iowa City West High’s Trojans, in their first season under head coach Jamie O’Meara (following the retirement of legendary West High coach Charlie Stumpff) visited the Spartans Saturday, May 31, for an MVC vs. WaMaC non-conference game with Solon prevailing 6-4.
The Trojans plated one in the top of the first and second before the Spartans answered with a run in the bottom of the second. Two more West High runners scored in the third with Solon answering with one for a 4-2 deficit. Four Spartans scrambled over the dish in the bottom of the fifth.
Maddox Kelley and Luke Merrick put up two hits each with a double and two RBIs for Kelley and two RBIs for Merrick. Nolan Seagren, Carson Kidwell, and Brady Wick had one hit each.
Dylan Gorham took the win after two innings on the bump. He gave up one hit and struck out two. Seagren pitched one inning walking one and striking out one. Beau Mullen, Hunter Knorr, and Luke Merrick worked 1-1/3 innings apiece with Mullen giving up one hit and two earned runs with three strikeouts, Knorr giving up two hits and striking out one, and Merrick giving up one hit and two earned runs with one strikeout.