Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SOLON – Sometimes in sports you just need to get your swagger back.

That is exactly what Solon did in a doubleheader sweep of Maquoketa on Monday.

Solon hammered seven extra-base hits including three home runs while earning wins of 7-0 and 9-3 over Maquoketa (4-30) in a WAMAC East division doubleheader at the Solon Nature and Recreation Area.

“It was huge for us just to our confidence back and our swagger back,” Solon freshman Cam Miller said. “It was important to get two quality wins going into the next couple of weeks.”

At 20-12 on the season Solon hasn’t been lacking for swagger often this season.

After ending a 1-4 week with a pair of 4-0 losses to 3A fifth-ranked Marion last Friday and managing just four hits in the process the Spartans came into Monday in need of a rare swagger boost.

Solon got that and then some on Monday.

Luke Ira hit a home run in each game and Zach Wegmann homered in the nightcap as Solon finished with 16 hits in the doubleheader.

“This is a huge night confidence wise,” Wegmann said. “This got us going a little bit and hopefully we can carry this over to next week.”

Solon did more than just hit.

Five Solon pitchers limited Maquoketa to two hits in the doubleheader, as three Spartans combined for a no-hitter in the nightcap.

Miller and Tyler Linderbaum combined on a two-hit shutout in game one and Eric Weetman, Nick Hofsommer and Spencer Wegmann teamed up to hold the Cardinals hitless in the nightcap as Solon improved to 16-8 in WAMAC play.

“Our pitchers hold them to no hits and that’s not easy to do,” McSweeney said. “We made some good defensive plays but Eric (Weetman) and Miller really threw the ball well.”

Miller tossed five strong innings in the opener, striking out seven without a walk.

Ira went 3-for-4 with a three-run homer and two doubles as Solon snapped its two-game losing skid.

Ira drove in five runs as Solon scored more than four runs for just the second time in six games.

“I was seeing the ball well and I think a lot of guys were,” Ira said. “It was important for us to have some games like this.”

It was more of the same for the Spartans in the nightcap.

Solon scored all nine runs and had six of its eight hits in the first three innings.

Ira ripped a solo home run just inside the leftfield foul pole in the second inning to put Solon up 4-0.

Two batters later Payton Bandy double doff the leftfield wall to score Tyler Linderbaum to make it 5-0.

Solon put the game out of reach in the third with Zach Wegmann driving a two-run home run to right center to make it 7-0.

“He was throwing a lot of first-pitch fastballs and I was looking for my pitch,” Wegmann said. “He threw it and I got lucky I guess.”

Ira finished 2-for-4 with an RBI while Wegmann drove in three runs.

Bandy had two hits and scored a run as eight different Spartans crossed the plate.

“Marion stole some hits from us and we were a little disappointed in our offensive performance there,” McSweeney said. “Tonight was good, our guys saw the ball and they drove it and they had a good approach and we got some runs.”

Weetman tossed four no-hit innings to earn the win, allowing just a leadoff walk to Justin Snyder in the fourth inning.

The junior right-hander struck out three and walked one before giving way to Hofsommer and Spencer Wegmann.

“We recognize as a team it’s time to start coming together and you can’t make mistakes late in the year,” Wegmann said. “We are starting to narrow our focus.”

Game 1

Maquoketa     000  000  0  –  0  2  0

Solon               130  102  x  –  7  8  2

W – Cam Miller                    

2B – SOL: Luke Ira (2), Zach Wegmann

HR – SOL: Luke Ira

Game 2

Maquoketa     000  000  0  –  3  0  3

Solon               324  000  x  –  9  8  1

W – Eric Weetman     L – Andrew Thomas

2B – SOL: Payton Bandy

HR – SOL: Luke Ira, Zach Wegmann