Chris Umscheid
Brady Wick, a sophomore, sign signals an out ending the Stormin’ Pointers’ half of the seventh inning of game two Thursday, June 26 at home after gunning down CPU’s Geovanni Perez on a dive back to second base.
SOLON — Dylan Gorham, a junior, achieved hero status last Thursday evening as he smacked an RBI double, scoring courtesy runner Tyler Greazel, breaking a 5-5 tie with the Stormin’ Pointers, and delivering a 6-5 win over Center Point-Urbana (CPU) in game two of a varsity doubleheader for a WaMaC East sweep.
The Spartans took game one, a late afternoon affair with storms forecast for later, 13-0 with four runs in the bottom of the first inning, three in the second, and five in the fourth. Sophomore Maddox Kelley led with three hits (including a homerun and a double) while freshman Luke Merrick, Gorham, and senior Jackson Link had two hits each with a double for Merrick. Senior Nolan Seagren and sophomore Brady Wick produced one hit each. Link drove in three runs with two RBIs for Kelley, Gorham, and sophomore Luke Deike. Merrick and Wick drove in one run each.
Freshman Tate Miller pitched the one-hit, five inning game walking two and striking out three.
Merrick put the Spartans on the scoreboard first in the nightcap with his first homerun, a two-run effort, in the bottom of the third. Merrick drove Seagren home with the dinger after Seagren walked, stole second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch.
Gorham smacked a base hit in the fourth but headed to second on an overthrown ball at first base and made it all the way to third on the Stormin’ Pointer error. Deike brought Gorham home with an RBI sacrifice for a 3-0 lead. The Spartans loaded the bases as junior Hunter Knorr walked and stole second, Link smacked a base hit, and Seagren was hit by a pitch. With three on and two out, Kelley flew out ending the inning.
CPU tied with three runs in the fifth and scored twice in the top of the seventh. Junior Carson Kidwell tied the game with a two-RBI double scoring Seagren and Kelley and setting the stage for Gorham.
Kelley led at the plate with two hits while Seagren, Merrick, Kidwell, Gorham, Deike, and Link produced one apiece. Deike started on the mound and pitched 4-2/3 innings giving up three hits and three unearned runs with one walk and three strikeouts. Gorham relieved Deike for 1-1/3 innings giving up three hits, no runs, and striking out three with Merrick taking the win with one inning giving up one hit and two earned runs with one strikeout.
The win improved Solon’s record to 15-10 overall and dropped CPU to 6-16.
Benton Community 7 Solon 5
The week opened with one half of a varsity doubleheader Monday, June 23 at Benton Community. The Bobcats won 7-5 with game two postponed to Wednesday, July 2 due to weather.
The Spartans opened with three runs in the top of the first, but the ‘Cats clawed out two runs in the bottom half to cut the lead. Both teams plated one runner in the fourth with one more Spartan crossing the dish in the fifth ahead of a four-run effort by Benton in the bottom of the inning.
Carson Kidwell produced two hits including a double with one hit each from Nolan Seagren and Luke Merrick. Kidwell drove in two runs with an RBI each for Seagren, Dylan Gorham, and Ty Bell.
Brady Wick went the distance giving up seven hits and seven runs (six earned) with one walk and three strikeouts.
Assumption Catholic 8 Solon 5
The Spartans hosted the Knights from Assumption Catholic Wednesday, June 25 and fell 8-5 despite scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning and holding a 4-1 lead until the top of the fourth when four Knights crossed home plate for a 5-4 lead. Solon scored one run in the fifth to tie the game but three more Assumption runners scored in the sixth.
Luke Merrick and Brady Wick led at the plate with two hits each with a double for Merrick. Nolan Seagren, Maddox Kelley, Carson Kidwell, Dylan Gorham, Ty Bell, and Luke Deike had one hit each with a double for Bell. Seagren, Kidwell, Bell, Wick, and Hayden Detra drove in one run each.
Tyler Greazel took the loss after 3-1/3 innings on the mound giving up three hits and three earned runs walking one and striking out two. Jackson Link pitched 3-2/3 innings giving up eight hits and five earned runs walking three and striking out one.
Upcoming schedule
Clear Creek Amana (CCA) visits for a WaMaC East vs. WaMaC West varsity doubleheader Thursday, July 3 starting at 3:00 p.m.
Monday, July 7 Solon travels to North Scott for a 5:00 p.m. non-conference game and finishes the regular season Tuesday, July 8 with a trip to North Liberty and a 7:00 p.m. non-conference varsity game against Liberty High School.
Postseason play begins next Friday
Eight teams – Marion, Vinton-Shellsburg, Mount Vernon, Central DeWitt, Assumption Catholic, Washington, Solon, and Grinnell make up Class 3A Substate No. 5 with all eight opening postseason play Friday, July 11. Marion will host Vinton-Shellsburg while Mount Vernon will host DeWitt in the top half of the bracket with Assumption taking on Washington and the Spartans hosting Grinnell at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets for the first round game must be purchased in advance and will go on sale Tuesday, July 8 at 9:00 a.m. at www.iahsaa.org/tickets/.
Winners advance to the semifinals Monday, July 14 at 7:00 p.m. at sites to be determined while the Substate Final, with a spot in the Class 3A State Tournament in Sioux City on the line, is set for Wednesday, July 16 at 7:00 p.m. (site to be determined).
The 2025 State Tournament is set for Monday, July 21-Friday, July 25 at Lewis & Clark Park in Sioux City. The 3,800-seat stadium is host to the minor league Sioux City Explorers. The 3A State Tournament returns to Cedar Rapids next year.