Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SIOUX CITY – Dom Salibi was hitless in his previous six postseason at bats entering Thursday’s Class 4A state semifinal.

The City High senior third baseman was 0-for-3 in a substate final win over Indianola and went without a hit in a quarterfinal win over Waukee on Tuesday.

In the biggest at bat of his career, on the state’s grandest stage when City High needed it most, Salibi delivered.

Salibi hammered a three-run triple that punctuated a five-run Litle Hawk third inning as City High advanced to the state title game for the first time since 1995 with a 6-3 win over Cedar Rapids Prairie on Thursday at Lewis & Clark Park in Sioux City.

“Dom Salibi, when it counted, he came through,” City High coach Brian Mitchell said. “I told the guys next to me, ‘he’s going to clear the bases’ and he did. He was due, he’s a really good hitter and he made it happen.”

Salibi joined senior Drew Nye with two hits on Thursday as fourth-ranked City High (32-9) hammered seven hits while advancing to the state title game.

City High will face eighth-seeded Bettendorf (29-12) in the 4A title game on Friday at 2:30 p.m.

None of the hits were bigger than the bases-clearing triple by Salibi in the third that City High a 4-1 lead.

“It’s a lot of pressure right there, bases loaded two outs,” Salibi said. “We needed a big hit and I’m happy I could come through for the team.”

Cedar Rapids Prairie (30-10) scored a run in the top of the first inning on a bunt single by Tait Tierney, a walk, a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly by Collin McClintock.

City High took control for good in the third.

Blaine Heick drew a lead off walk and came around to score on an RBI triple to deep right field by Paxton Bell.

“I knew he was going to throw me a fastball so I knew I was getting my pitch,” Bell said. “I was trying to take it to the opposite field because if I can get a fly ball and score a run that’s huge.”

Singles by Jaxton Schroeder and a walk to Talon Young set to the stage for Salibi.

The senior ripped a fastball from Prairie starter Jordan Woodhouse just inside the foul line in right field for a three-run triple that gave City High a lead it would never let go.

“It means a lot,” Salibi said. “I am just happy for the coaching staff and for our team honestly. I means a lot for the program.”

Nye added an RBI single to cap the five-run Little Hawk third inning.

The win for City High avenged a regular season doubleheader sweep at the hands of Cedar Rapids Prairie.

“When they come into your turf and sweep you, you have to come at them the next time you play them,” Nye said. “We had a winning mindset and we expected to win that game. We had nothing else on our mind.”

City High starter Drake Obermueller allowed two runs on three hits in three innings.

Nick Meredith, Adam Bowman and Owen Hicks combined to allow just one hit and one unearned run in four innings of relief.

Nye drove in two runs and Bell drove in a run while Schroeder and Heick scored runs. “It’s huge, this is what everyone wants and what we work for every day,” Bell said. “It’s a huge thing for our program.”

CR Prairie                 100  100  0  –  3  4  0

City High                   005  010  x  –  6  7  1

W – Adam Bowman                           L – Jordan Woodhouse           SV – Owen Hicks

2B – CRP: Michael Day

3B – ICH: Paxton Bell, Dom Salibi

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