Bats silenced as Dyersville bounces Ramblers from Peosta

Dyersville starting pitcher Ben Retenmeyer barely broke a sweat in a shutout of the Ramblers Sunday night in the first round of the Peosta Tournament. Retenmeyer struck out 10 and set down the Key West lineup in order in five of his seven innings in the leading Dyersville to a 3-0 victory at A.J. Spiegel Park.

The Ramblers (38-12) threatened to score in both the second and fourth innings, but failed to come up with the key two-out hit that they needed. The last three frames saw Retenmeyer tighten the screws as he retired the final 10 Key West hitters of the game to send Dyersville to the quarterfinal round.

Shawn Parker matched zeroes with Retenmeyer until the bottom of the sixth when Dyersville finally took advantage of Parker's wildness. Parker struck out the first hitter of the inning, but back-to-back walks proved fatal when both resulted in runs later in the frame. Dyersville would then add one more tally to complete a three-run sixth inning that all but put the game away with Retenmeyer dealing on the mound.

Parker fired 6.1 innings in defeat. He allowed seven hits, six walks and three runs (all earned), while posting seven strikeouts. Sean O'Connor relieved Parker and got the final two outs in the seventh inning.

Chris Briggs, Spencer Kuehn and Justin Kuhle each singled for the only three hits of the game for the Ramblers, which featured its regular cast of heavy hitters.

Key West will be in action for the final time this season when it hosts the Prairie League Championships in Peosta. The complete schedule for the Prairie League Championships will be posted when available.

Peosta Tournament Schedule

Saturday, Aug. 18

Peosta 6, Placid 0

Zwingle 3, Bernard 1

Monticello 4, Worthington 3

Epworth 4, East Dubuque 0

Sunday, Aug. 19

Rickardsville vs. Balltown, 1 p.m.

Farley vs. Bellevue, 3 p.m.

Dubuque vs. Cascade, 5 p.m.

Dyersville vs. Key West, 7 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 20

Peosta vs. Monticello, 7 p.m.

Zwingle vs. Epworth, 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 21

Rickardsville/Balltown vs. Farley/Bellevue, 7 p.m.

Dubuque/Cascade vs. Dyersville/Key West, 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 23

Semifinals - 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 25

Consolation - 5:30 p.m.

Championship - 7 p.m.

2012 Final Prairie League Standings

The Ramblers captured the unofficial regular-season Prairie League title with a league mark of 15-1. Key West will take part in the Prairie League Championships, to be held in September, for the sixth-straight season. Pairings and times will be officially announced at a later date.

2012 Final Prairie League Standings

American League
1. Bernard	12-4
2. Dubuque	11-5
T3. Balltown	9-7
T3. Farley	9-7
5. East Dubuque	8-8
6. Placid	3-13
National League
1. Key West	15-1
2. Peosta	9-7
3. Epworth	8-8
T4. Bellevue	6-10
T4. Zwingle	6-10
6. New Vienna	0-16

Ramblers run out of gas

The Ramblers came down from the high of winning Saturday's Dyersville Tournament championship game with a sluggish performance on Sunday in the semifinals of the EIHL Championships. Key West (38-11) was vying for its third-straight appearance in the EIHL title game, but simply had little left in the tank and fell 7-2 to Cascade in the day's first semifinal matchup.

Sunday's game, which marked the seventh in the last nine days for the Ramblers, went Cascade's way from the very beginning. Cascade held Key West scoreless in the top of the first and then jumped on top immediately with four runs in the bottom half of the frame. Run-scoring singles by Tim Andrews and Reagen Takes highlighted the onslaught off of Rambler starting pitcher Spencer Kuehn.

The Reds later added a run in the third and two more in the fifth to put the contest out of reach at 7-0. Finally, Key West got on the board when Tim Carty smacked a two-run homer, his third of the season, in the top of the sixth to cap all scoring on the afternoon.

Kuehn tossed the first four innings, giving up six hits, three walks and five runs (all earned) while fanning three. Aaron Collins, one of the heroes of Saturday's title victory, worked the final two innings and allowed two unearned runs.

Second basemen Andrew Redman, who went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles, was the only Rambler to record at least two hits in the game.

Key West is now 4-2 against Cascade this season.

The Ramblers will close the 2012 season with the Prairie League Championships and the Peosta Tournament. Pairings for the Prairie League Championships will be posted upon announcement. Key West drew Dyersville in the first round of the Peosta Tournament. That game is set for Aug. 19 at 7 p.m.


EIHL Championships Results

Semifinals:
Cascade 7, Key West 2
Dubuque 9, Rickardsville 1

Championship:
Dubuque 6, Cascade 2

Ramblers make history in Dyersville

No Key West semi-pro baseball team had ever advanced to the title game in the 62 years of the historic Dyersville Tournament. That drought ended Saturday night with the Ramblers (38-10) claiming a 4-2, 11-inning thriller over host Dyersville for the team's second tournament championship of the season and fifth in the past two years.

Aaron Collins, a Coe College product, emerged as the hero both with the bat and on the mound. Collins knocked home the tying run in the ninth inning to keep the game alive, played a key role in the game-deciding 11th inning and picked up the win with two solid innings of work in relief.

With the score tied 2-2, Collins cracked his second hit of the evening in the 11th after Cam Stewart was plunked to lead the inning off. Ryan Kelly followed with a potential double-play grounder to short that went for an error and allowed Stewart to score the go-ahead run. Tim Carty notched an RBI single two batters later to give Collins some room to breath.

Collins would then face the minimum in the bottom half of the 11th. After a lead-off single by Matt Ungs, the left-hander induced a 6-4-3 double play grounder off the bat of Beau Ellingson. The celebration was on as Aaron Becker grounded out to short to clinch the title at Jenk Field.

"We were fortunate enough to take advantage of some mistakes," Carty told the Telegraph Herald. "They played a great game and we were lucky enough to get some breaks and the ball rolled our way in the 11th."

The Ramblers never would have gotten that chance in the 11th had it not been for Collins' clutch RBI single in the ninth. Tanner Denlinger began the frame with a walk and advanced to third with one out after a pair of wild pitches. With the Dyersville infield drawn in to protect its one-run lead, Collins guided a floater into right center to force extra innings.

"It was a team effort, it was a great team win," Kelly said in an interview with the TH. "Everyone contributed in some way, whether it was at the plate, defensively or on the mound - the whole tournament."

Kelly was named the tournament's MVP after another strong performance on Saturday. The former Clarke University pitcher tossed the first nine innings, surrendering eight hits, three walks and two runs (both earned) while striking out 10. Kelly also got the win over Cascade on Wednesday when he fired a seven-inning complete game. In his two tournament outings, Kelly threw 16 innings and allowed 15 hits, five walks and three earned runs and fanned 18 hitters.

Kelly (2-for-6) was also one of five Ramblers to collect two hits in Saturday's championship. Kelly was joined by Collins (2-for-2), Denlinger (2-for-4), Briggs (2-for-6) and Dan Spain (2-for-6) as Ramblers with multiple hits.

The game also featured several remarkable defensive plays on the part of the Ramblers. Carty, Denlinger and Deon Ploessl each turned in at least one great effort with the glove to save potentially crippling runs.

Key West has a chance at another championship on Sunday when it will play Cascade at 12 p.m. in the semifinals of the EIHL Championships. The winner will play again on Sunday at 3 p.m. in the championship.

Ramblers to play for another championship

The Ramblers will play in their fourth championship game this season when they challenge host Dyersville in the title game of the Dyersville Tournament on Saturday night. Home runs by Tanner Denlinger and Chris Briggs powered Key West (37-10) to an 8-3 semifinal victory over Bellevue late on Friday night. The victory counted as a two-for-one and allowed the Ramblers to break a franchise mark for wins in a season.

Key West's Shawn Parker and Bellevue's Dave Smith traded zeroes on the mound through the first two frames of the affair until the Ramblers busted loose for four runs in the top of the third. Denlinger spurred the outburst with a solo shot, his first of the season, to lead off the inning and make the score 1-0.

Two batters latter Cory Davidson walked and Dan Spain followed with an RBI double. Tim Carty and Justin Kuhle added RBI singles in the inning to boost the lead to 4-0.

Chad Crabill cracked a run-scoring triple in the top of the sixth and then scored on a wild pitch to give Key West a commanding 6-1 lead with Parker appearing to cruise on the hill.

But back-to-back singles by Mike Griebel and Chet Knake to begin the bottom of the sixth sparked a two-run Bellevue rally to get within 6-3.

Briggs then provided plenty of breathing room in the top of the seventh by belting a two-run blast to push the Rambler advantage back up to five runs at 8-3. The homer was Briggs' 11th of the season and upped his season RBI total to 49.

Bidding for a perfect seventh and final inning, Parker allowed a two-out single to Cole Reeg in Bellevue's last gasp. Parker ended the game by getting Griebel to fly out to center field.

Parker surrendered seven hits, two walks and three runs (one earned) and struck out six in his first career start with Key West.

Spain led the way at the plate with a 3-for-4 night in which he scored a run, drove in a run and stole two bases. Six Ramblers notched one hit apiece as part of the team's nine-hit attack.

Saturday's Dyersville Tournament Championship will be held at 7:30 p.m. The Ramblers will then shift their focus to Sunday's EIHL Championships. Key West takes on Cascade in the first semifinal game at 12 p.m.

Pairings set for EIHL Championships

The Ramblers will appear in the EIHL Championships for the sixth-consecutive season when they take the field in Cascade on Sunday for the semifinals. Key West (37-10) will play top-seeded Cascade in the first game of the four-team playoff. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.

Dubuque and Rickardsville will battle at 1:30 p.m. in the other semifinal with the two winners advancing to the championship game at 3 p.m.

The Ramblers seek their first-ever EIHL title after losing in the championship final in each of the last two seasons. Key West has two Prairie League championships to its credit (2008 and 2011).

Late rally lifts Ramblers to Dyersville semifinals

A day after taking a 16-5 bludgeoning from Cascade in EIHL play, the Ramblers rebounded with a 4-3 win over that same Cascade team in the quarterfinals of the Dyersville Tournament. Key West (35-10) got a strong performance from starting pitcher Ryan Kelly and Cory Davidson came through at the plate Wednesday evening at Jenk Field.

Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth against Cascade pitcher Pat Weber, Davidson sparked a three-run rally with a one-out triple. After back-to-back hit batters and a wild pitch tied the score at 2-2, a Chris Briggs' sacrifice fly and a Kelly RBI single put the Ramblers ahead 4-2.

Key West maintained its two-run lead until the top of the seventh when Cascade tried to stage a comeback. Tom Andrews led off with a single and scored on a one-out double by Calvin Rea. But Kelly retired Tim Andrews on a pop out on the mound and then struck out Dan Lynch swinging to end the game.

Kelly got his fourth win of the season in a complete seven-inning outing. He allowed seven hits, two walks, three runs (one earned) and struck out eight.

Davidson broke out of his slump with a 2-for-3 effort that included a double, a triple and a run. Briggs finished 1-for-1 with a walk and an RBI.

The Ramblers advance to Friday's semifinals when they play Bellevue at 8:30 p.m. Dyersville and Zwingle will battle at 6:30 p.m. in the other semifinal matchup. Bellevue topped Rickardsville 8-5 on Wednesday.

The winners will play in the championship game at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. The losers challenge each other in the consolation game at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

NOTES: Key West's win over Cascade on Wednesday also counted as an EIHL victory for a game originally scheduled on July 20 between the two teams. With the wins, the Ramblers tied their franchise mark of 35 victories in a season. Key West finished at 35-13 in 2011 ... The Ramblers are seeking their first Dyersville Tournament championship in team history. Earlier this season they won the Worthington Tournament for the first time ever ... Chris Briggs now has 47 RBIs on the season, a figure that shatters his previous team record of 35 RBIs (2010) in one season. Briggs has also broken records for home runs (10) and total bases (103) in 2012 ... The final town tournament for Key West in the 2012 season will be the Peosta Tournament. Pairings have not yet been announced.

Dominant pitching fuels perfect weekend

Behind a pair of masterful pitching performances the Ramblers notched three wins over the weekend, including a 1-0 pitcher's duel over Farley at the Dyersville Tournament. That victory also counted as a Prairie League win, meaning Key West (33-9) will have Monday off.

Andrew Redman continued his incredible 2012 season on Saturday in the first round triumph at the Dyersville Tournament. Redman, despite developing a blister on his pitching hand, fired six shutout innings while limiting Farley to only two hits and two walks. The right-hander is now 8-1 with a 1.35 ERA.

Sean O'Connor got the final three outs in the seventh inning to get the save. O'Connor has yet to allow an earned run in 19 innings of work this season.

Andy Seabrooke was nearly as good as Redman on the other side, but the Ramblers got the only run they would need in the very first inning when Chris Briggs' sacrifice fly brought home Dan Spain, who reached on a double. Seabrooke took the loss despite giving up only four hits.

On Sunday another Key West starting pitcher turned in a sparkling performance as Aaron Collins shined in a 3-1 victory over Bernard. Making his fourth start of the season, Collins threw six innings, surrendering four hits, four walks and one earned run to go with a pair of punch outs. Collins' fourth win of the season was preserved by Shawn Parker, a former Simpson College pitcher, who earned the save with a scoreless seventh inning.

The Ramblers got two runs in the second and one in the third off of Bernard pitcher Eric DeSousa. Parker started the game in left field in led the way with a 2-for-3 day that included a run scored.

Key West is back in action on Tuesday when it hosts Cascade at A.J. Spiegel Park in Peosta at 7 p.m. in an EIHL game. The Ramblers will play Cascade again on Wednesday when they resume play in the quarterfinal round of the Dyersville Tournament.

Dubuque tops Ramblers again

Fueled by a clutch two-run homer by Tim Carty in the bottom of the eighth, the Ramblers rallied back for a 4-4 tie before falling 5-4 to Dubuque on Tuesday night in Peosta. For the sixth time in eight meetings this season, Dubuque got the best of Key West in a battle of area powers.

Dubuque designated hitter Aaron Sauegling singled off of reliever Ryan Kelly with one out in the top of the ninth and ultimately scored on a wild pitch for the game's deciding run. The loss was the Ramblers' fourth in their last five games and their third straight against the Blues.

Key West (30-9) got on top early with a pair of runs off Doug Eisenman in the first inning, highlighted by an RBI single delivered by Chris Briggs. The Ramblers were able to take advantage of two Dubuque errors in the frame.

That lead held up for Rambler starting pitcher Spencer Kuehn until the fourth inning when Dubuque capitalized on back-to-back one-out walks and an error to push across two unearned runs to knot the score at 2-2.

Kuehn gave way to Kelly at the end of six innings with the score still tied. Kuehn struck out seven and surrendered only two hits and no earned runs, but did struggle at times with control (five walks).

More wildness proved problematic in the seventh when Dubuque scored twice to take a 4-2 lead. Kelly issued back-to-back walks with one out and later relinquished an RBI double to Kevin Carkeek. Kelly's own error allowed another unearned Blues run.

Carty's late-inning heroics gave the Ramblers a shot at ending their struggles against Dubuque. But Kelly could not hold the Blues scoreless in the ninth and Key West failed to cross the plate in the bottom of the ninth despite a one-out double from Chad Crabill. Crabill ended the game stranded at third base.

The Ramblers get back to tournament action on Saturday when they play Farley at 6 p.m. as part of the Dyersville Tournament.