Your Prep Sports

West Branch didn’t need to wait long to bounce back from a doubleheader sweep at the hands of River Valley Conference rival Regina.

A day after dropping both ends of a conference double dip to the Regals West Branch used a three-run fifth inning to rally for a 4-2 win over Highland in a non-conference contest in Riverside.

West Branch improved to 8-13 on the season while Highland dropped to 15-10.

Matt Paulsen tossed a complete game five-hitter to earn the win.

Paulsen struck out five and walked one while improving to 3-2 on the season and also had a double and scored a run.

Pete Espensen went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs for West Branch while Tanner Lukavsky had a hit and scored a run and Mitchell Knoop drove in two runs. 

West Branch   000  130  0  –  4  4

Highland        001  100  0  –  2  5

W – Matt Paulsen

2B – WB: Pete Espensen, Matt Paulsen

Clear Creek Amana Ends Busy Week with Loss to No. 10 Fairfield

Clear Creek Amana came up just short of putting an exclamation point on a grueling week on Friday.

The Clippers led Class 3A tenth-ranked Fairfield 5-4 after five innings but couldn’t hang on falling 8-6 in a non-conference contest in Tiffin.

Clear Creek Amana dropped to 14-15 on the season and closed the week 4-3 after opening with back-to-back road WAMAC sweeps of Center Point-Urbana and Maquoketa.

Fairfield improved to 22-5 on the season with its sixth consecutive win.

Clear Creek Amana hammered out 14 hits in the loss as Sam Young and David Jensen each had three hits.

Jensen went 3-for-3 with a double, two runs and an RBI while Young went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

Cody Ogden went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI and Ben Swails, Camden Armstrong, Jordan Wolfe and Tyler Schrepfer all had a hit and drove in a run.

Camden Smyka took the loss allowing six runs on nine hits while striking out one and walking four.

Fairfield                   100  302  2  –  8  11  0

Clear Creek Amana   100  400  1  –  6  14  4

W – Caden Jones        L – Camden Smyka

2B – CCA: David Jensen, Camden Armstrong

HR – FAI: Tristan Waugh

Regina Rallies Past Liberty High

Blake Berns capped a seven-run sixth-inning with a grand slam as Class 2A third-ranked Regina rallied for a 10-3 with over Liberty High in a non-conference contest on Friday in Iowa City.

The win was the sixth in seven games and third straight for Regina which improved to 20-7 on the season while Liberty High dropped to 8-16.

Liberty High led 3-0 before Regina pulled even on a two-run, two-out single by Ryan Schott that capped a three-run Regal fourth inning.

Regina broke the tie sending 10 batters to the plate in a seven-run sixth inning that featured five extra-base hits.

Jayden Kies, Ryne Schooley and Schott provided three consecutive doubles to turn a 3-3 tie into a 6-3 Regina lead.

Berns put the game out of reach with a grand slam that was his fourth home run of the season.

Kies tossed two innings of hitless relief to earn the win after Schott allowed three runs on four hits in five innings.

Schott went 3-for-4 with two RBI to lead Regina while Schooley had a hit, drove in two runs and scored two runs.

Tyler White took the loss for Liberty High allowing seven runs on seven hits in 2 1/3 innings of relief.

Isaac Bender, Nolan Frey, Sam Funke and Cayden Duhaime all had hits for Liberty High.

Bender, TJ Kimm and Duhaime drove in runs for the Lightning.

Liberty High    001  200  0  –   3   4  1

Regina            000  307  x  –  10  9  0

W – Jayden Kies         L –Tyler White

2B – ICR: Trent Hoogerwerf, Ryne Schooley, Evan Suchomel, Kayden Kies; ICL: Sam Funke

HR – ICR: Blake Berns

West High Splits Doubleheader at Linn-Mar

West High and Linn-Mar split a pair of Mississippi Valley Conference games that came down the seventh inning on Friday in Marion.

Linn-Mar scored in the bottom of the seventh to take the opener 9-8 and Class 4A fifth-ranked West High rallied from a 2-0 deficit with four runs in the seventh to take the nightcap 4-2.

West High improved to 21-9 on the season and 12-8 in MVC play with the game two win while Linn-Mar dropped to 17-11 and 11-9.

In the opener West High scored two runs in the seventh to tie the game at eight but the Lions responded in walk-off fashion.

Noah Aanestad took the tough luck loss for West High in the opener after allowing one unearned run on one hit in 3 2/3 strong innings of relief.

Lucas Karwal and Austin Curtiss each had two hits in game one while Trevor Byers had a hit and drove in two runs.

Alex Schwickerath, Owen McAreavy and Nick Biancuzzo all had a hit and drove in a run in the loss.

Marcus Morgan picked up the win in the nightcap allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits while striking out six in six innings.

Connor Greer worked a scoreless inning to secure the save.

Biancuzzo went 3-for-4 with a run to lead West High while Austin West had two hits.

Braden Houston drove in three runs for West High and Jayson Barnes had a hit and scored a run.

Game 1

West High      040  200  2  –  8  11

Linn-Mar        006  200  1  –  9  11

L – Noah Aanestad

2B – ICW: Austin Curtiss, Marcus Morgan, Ian Gluesing

Game 2

West High      000  000  4  –  4  8 

Linn-Mar        010  001  0  –  2  4

W – Marcus Morgan   SV – Connor Greer

Solon Rolls Past Marion

Class 3A fourth-ranked Solon hammered 25 hits and scored 29 runs to sweep a WAMAC doubleheader from Marion on Friday evening in Marion.  

Solon won the opener 12-0 in six innings and took the nightcap 17-2 in five innings to improve to 23-8 on the season and 19-5 in WAMAC play.

Marion dropped to 15-13 and 12-8.

Cam Miller struck out nine in a three-hit shutout and Solon hammered 13 hits in a 12-0 win in game one.

Kendrick Harris, Luke Ira, Zach Wegmann, Payton Bandy and Miller all had two hits for the Spartans.

Harris doubled twice and drove in a run while Bandy and Jackson Pipolo each had a pair of RBI.

Ira, Bandy, Spencer Wegmann and Ryan Geistkemper all scored twice in the win.

Solon exploded for 11 first-inning runs in the nightcap and never let up in a 17-2 win.

Ira earned the win striking out seven and allowing two runs on four hits in five innings.

Chris McSweeney and Ben Krutzfeldt joined Ira with two hits in the nightcap while Harris scored four runs and Adam Bock and Zach Wegmann each drove in two.

Game 1

Solon            112  233  –  12  13

Marion           000  000  –   0    3

W – Cam Miller

2B – SOL: Kendrick Harris (2), Tyler Linderbaum, Payton Bandy

Game 2

Solon               (11)10  14  –  17  12

Marion                002  00  –   2    4

W – Luke Ira

2B – SOL: Luke Ira