Season comes to end with loss at Peosta Tournament

A sometimes frustrating 2013 season came to an end on Sunday afternoon in the first round of the Peosta Tournament at A.J. Spiegel Park. Cascade topped the Ramblers 7-1 in another sloppy affair, dropping Key West to a final overall mark of 20-20 on the year.

Andrew Redman started on the mound for Key West and looked sharp in holding Cascade scoreless through the first three frames. He struck out the side in both the first and second innings on the way to a nine-strikeout game. Cascade eventually put two on the board in the fourth with the help of a giving Rambler defense.

The Reds tagged Redman for six hits over their final two innings at the plate to tack on five more runs to put the game out of the reach of a struggling Rambler offense. Key West's offensive woes in tournaments continued as Pat Weber started on the hill for the Reds.

The Ramblers only run came in the fifth when Anthony Ruden cracked an RBI double. That was one of only four hits on the game for Key West, which managed just four runs over its final four tournament games of the season.

Other than offensive struggles in big games, the Ramblers also were victimized by poor defense throughout the season. Key West let in three more unearned runs on Sunday, bringing the season total to 44. In other words, 33.6 percent of the 131 runs scored by Rambler opponents in 2013 were unearned.

Cory Davidson finished the 2013 season as the team batting champion with a .359 clip in 25 games. Chris Briggs led the Ramblers with 30 RBIs and a .462 slugging percentage. Redman paced the team in most pitching categories, including wins (6 - tied with Matt Lozano), innings (61), strikeouts (65) and lowest batting average against (.194).

After qualifying for the playoffs in both the EIHL and Prairie League the past six years running, the Ramblers failed to reach the championship bracket of either league this season.

Redman shuts out Farley as Ramblers roll

Piggy-backing on Kenny Capesius' seven scoreless innings of work on Saturday, ace right-hander Andrew Redman tossed a seven-inning complete game shutout at Farley on Monday night. That performance propelled Key West (20-19) to a 7-0 victory over Farley and pushed it back over .500 on the season. With the win, the Ramblers finished 7-7 in EIHL games.

The game remained scoreless until the fourth when Dan Spain doubled and Chris Briggs singled to drive in the Rambler shortstop. The RBI gave Briggs 30 for the year, marking his fourth-consecutive season with 30 or more RBIs.

Key West then got one in the fifth, two in the sixth and three more in the seventh to provide Redman plenty of breathing room. Matt Bedell enjoyed another nice game with two hits in four at bats. He cracked an RBI single each in the sixth and seventh to increase the cushion.

Gabe Wingert (2-for-4) and Briggs (2-for-4) joined Bedell as Ramblers with two hits in the game.

Redman held Farley to only four hits and a walk. He struck out eight on the way to boosting his record to 6-3, tying him with Matt Lozano for the most wins on the team. Redman carries a 1.96 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 55 innings this season.

After reaching the playoffs of both the EIHL and the Prairie League the last six years running, the Ramblers have failed to qualify for either championship bracket this season. Key West captured Prairie League titles in 2008, 2011 and 2012 and was runner up in 2009. The Ramblers were also EIHL runner up in 2010 and 2011.

Key West will be in action on Sunday in the first round of the Peosta Tournament - the final town tournament of the 2013 season. The Ramblers take on Cascade at 1 p.m. at A.J. Spiegel Park.

Capesius shines in first career start on mound

Behind a sterling performance by Kenny Capesius on the mound, Key West (19-19) salvaged a split of its pair of weekend games. Capesius made his first ever start on the hill and led the way for a 9-2 victory over Peosta on Saturday afternoon. That performance allowed the Ramblers to rebound from a 6-2 loss at Cascade on Friday night.

Capesius worked seven innings before being relieved by Austin Bradley for the final two frames. Capesius allowed just five hits and did not walk a single hitter. He recorded eight strikeouts in the process of keeping Peosta scoreless throughout his seven innings. The Cornell College product really got rolling in the fourth when he struck out the side during a string of four-straight strikeouts.

The Ramblers backed Capesius with plenty of offense with seven different players driving in at least one run. Most of that damage came in the fifth inning when Key West ignited for six runs to make the score 9-0. The Ramblers got four straight hits (Jose Stelluti, Matt Bedell, Trent Bollman and Ben Oglesby) from their 6-7-8-9 hitters to highlight the frame.

Bollman and Stelluti were joined by Chris Briggs and Gabe Wingert as Ramblers who posted two hits apiece. Bedell knocked in a pair of runs.

Peosta got one run each in the eighth and ninth innings off of Bradley, who also worked an inning the night before at Cascade.

Cascade 6, Key West 2
Prior to Capesius' debut as a starting pitcher on Saturday, Brian Cross donned the Rambler blue for the first time on Friday night at Cascade. He worked quickly through the first two innings, but the Reds managed to get to him the next time through the lineup.

Cross went seven-plus innings, allowing six runs (all earned) on 13 hits and five walks. He struck out four.

Cascade's Tom Andrews delivered the big blow in the game with a two-run homer to boost the Red's advantage to 5-2 in the bottom of the seventh. Key West had cut its deficit to a single run by scoring twice in the top of the seventh.

Capesius put together a solid night at the plate, going 2-for-4. He drove in both Rambler runs with a two-run single to score Chad Crabill and Stelluti. Crabill went 3-for-4 with a run.

Miss Key West wins Dyersville Queen Pageant: Halie Denlinger, the younger sister of Rambler center fielder Tanner, took home the crown at Friday's Dyersville Queen Pageant while representing Key West. She is the first Miss Key West ever to earn the distinction.

UP NEXT: The Ramblers will play Monday at Farley in an EIHL game. First pitch is slated for 7 p.m.

Hohensee goes the distance in Rambler victory

Jordan Hohensee fired a nine-inning complete game in leading Key West (18-18) to a 4-2 EIHL victory at Monticello on Thursday night.

Making just his second start of the season, Hohensee stayed in control throughout the night with impeccable command. He struck out eight and did not walk a single hitter. The Clarke University hurler allowed only one earned run on seven hits.

The Ramblers got on top immediately thanks to a first-inning error that allowed Dan Spain to score on Chris Brigg's grounder to short. Spain had singled to lead off the game.

Key West got the rest of its three runs in the sixth, highlighted by Austin Bradley's two-run triple to score both Cory Davidson and Briggs. Bradley trotted home when the next hitter, Chad Crabill, delivered an RBI grounder to second.

Hohensee worked out of trouble in the eighth inning to secure the two-run advantage. With one run already in, Monticello placed runners on first and second with just one out. Hohensee then induced a strikeout and a fly out to center to extinguish the threat on the way to earning his first victory as a Rambler.

Bradley (2-for-4) and Davidson (2-for-5) collected two hits apiece for the victors.

Key West returns to action on Friday when it travels to Cascade to take on the Reds in an EIHL duel. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.

Dubuque eliminates Key West from Dyersville Tournament

In a battle of aces in the first round of the Dyersville Tournament, Dubuque's Mark Hennessy got the best of the Ramblers' Andrew Redman as the Blues shut out Key West, 2-0, on Sunday evening. The Ramblers (17-16) fell once again to Dubuque despite holding a 6-4 advantage in the hit column.

The Blues got on top in the first with Andy Danna's sacrifice fly and then added a third-inning run thanks to Kevin Carkeek's RBI single. Redman shut down Dubuque the rest of the way, but the Rambler bats failed to cash in with runners in scoring position.

Key West had opportunities with two men on base in each of the second, sixth and seventh innings. Back-to-back two-out walks in the seventh by Cory Davidson and Dan Spain gave the Ramblers life, but Tim Carty was fanned to end the threat.

Davidson continued his fine work in the leadoff spot. His first inning single extended his stretch of reaching base to 10-straight plate appearances over four games (6-for-6 with four walks). That streak was snapped in the third when he struck out. Davidson finished 2-for-3 with a walk.

Redman threw all six innings, allowing two runs (both earned) on four hits and three walks. He struck out six.

Bernard 6, Key West 4

The Ramblers also fell on Saturday to Bernard in a Prairie League game played at Cascade. Bernard got all six of its runs in the first inning and held on for a 6-4 victory.

Kenny Capesius' excellent outing (5.1 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 2 BB, 5 K) in relief gave the Ramblers a chance despite the nightmarish start.

Key West made things interesting with a pair of runs in the seventh after entering the inning down 6-2. However, Gabe Wingert and Austin Bradley were retired to end the game while representing the tying run.

Three Ramblers collected two hits apiece: Matt Bedell (2-for-2), Austin Bradley (2-for-4) and Anthony Ruden (2-for-4).

UP NEXT: The Ramblers hit the road to take on Dyersville at 7 p.m. on Monday in an EIHL two-for-one battle.

Pitching leads Ramblers to pair of league victories

Key West continued its hot late-season play by grabbing league victories on Tuesday and Wednesday - both at A.J. Spiegel Park in Peosta. The Ramblers (17-13) defeated Worthington, 8-1, in an EIHL game on Tuesday prior to a 3-0 Prairie League victory over Balltown on Wednesday. The wins moved Key West to 5-3 in the EIHL and 9-3 in the Prairie League.

A three-run first allowed Key West to quickly take control in the triumph over Worthington. Dan Spain and Chad Crabill collected an RBI each in the inning and Chris Briggs drilled a triple. Briggs would finish 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run.

That would prove to be all the run support lefty Matt Lozano would need. He went the distance for his fifth complete game of the season and struck out 10. He surrendered one run (earned) on six hits and a walk on the way to pushing his record to 6-1. He leads the team with 55.2 innings this season.

Left fielder Corey Davidson enjoyed an excellent game in the leadoff spot. He reached base all four times, going 2-for-2 with a pair of walks. He also scored twice.

In addition, right fielder Austin Bradley collected his second-straight two-hit game. He singled twice and was hit by a pitch.

Seven different Ramblers notched at least one hit as part of a 10-hit attack.

Key West 3, Balltown 0

The Ramblers returned to action the next night and rode the powerful right arm of Andrew Redman. The Clarke University standout tossed five innings and faced just two over the minimum, allowing two hits (both singles). Redman pushed his record to 5-2 in his seven starts this season.

The game stayed scoreless until the bottom of the fourth when Briggs doubled home Davidson. Crabill's ground out to short plated the second run of the frame to make it 2-0.

The Ramblers added one more run in the sixth and then watched Spain lock down his third save of the season. Spain faced only six hitters over his two innings in relief of Redman.

Davidson again went 2-for-2, while also working a walk. He has now reached base in nine-straight plate appearances, spanning three games. He is 5-for-5 with four walks during that stretch.

Matt Bedell went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles.

UP NEXT: The Ramblers are getting ready to take on Bernard on Saturday at 1 p.m. The game will be played in Cascade.

Parker shuts out Rickardsville as Ramblers continue series dominance

The Ramblers continued their recent run of dominance in the series against Rickardsville, winning for the eighth time in the last nine meetings between the two squads. Key West defeated Rickardsville 2-0 on Sunday night behind a masterful performance on the mound from Shawn Parker (pictured). The Ramblers (15-13) ran their EIHL mark to 4-3.

Parker went all nine innings on the way to a six-hit shutout in Rickardsville. He had little trouble with most of the Rickardsville lineup except for No. 3 hitter Ryan Jantz, who went 3-for-4. Parker allowed more than a single hit in an inning just once and struck out seven of the 33 hitters he faced. He walked only three.

First baseman Chris Briggs came through in a starring role at the plate with a 3-for-3 night that included an RBI, a run and a walk. He added an insurance run with an RBI single in the fifth inning.

Crabill plated the game's first run with a run-scoring fielder's choice in the second inning to give Key West a lead it would never surrender against Rickardsville hurler Aaron Schwoebel.

Monday: Farley 8, Key West 2

Farley remained hot and tagged Rambler starter Anthony Ruden for eight runs to pick up an 8-2 victory over Key West in a Prairie League matchup at Farley on Monday. The Ramblers' Prairie League record dropped to 8-3.

Key West mustered only two runs despite piling up nine hits in the seven-inning affair. Austin Bradley busted loose for a 2-for-3 game with two doubles. He scored a run and nearly drove home a run, but Crabill was cut down at the plate in the sixth on Bradley's second double.

A key play came in the top of the fifth with Key West trailing 4-2 with the bases loaded and Briggs in the batter's box. Briggs lined right to the second baseman, who completed a double play (4-6) by catching Spain off of second to end the threat.

The Ramblers went down 1-2-3 in the seventh to finish the game.

Both Craig Kerper (2-for-2) and Mike Pudlo (2-for-4) collected two hits for the victors.

UP NEXT: The Ramblers return to EIHL play on Tuesday as Worthington visits A.J. Spiegel Park in Peosta for a 7 p.m. tussle.

Tournament pairings revealed for Dyersville, Peosta

Pairings for the final two town tournaments of the 2013 season have been revealed. In the first round of the Dyersville Tournament, Key West will take on Dubuque at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 4. In the opening round of the Peosta Tournament, the Ramblers draw Cascade at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 18.

Check out the complete Peosta bracket HERE. The Dyersville Tournament bracket will be posted when available.

Ramblers split two on the week

The Ramblers got a dose of both EIHL and Prairie League action this past week as they split a pair of games. After falling 6-1 to Farley on Tuesday, Key West (14-12) rebounded with an 11-1 pounding of East Dubuque (2-for-1) on Thursday for its seventh win in its last 10 games. The Ramblers are now 8-2 in Prairie League contests and 3-3 in EIHL play.

Led by an 11-hit attack, the Ramblers piled up a big early lead thanks to a six-run second inning against East Dubuque. Every single hitter in the Key West lineup recorded at least one hit on the day with Matt Bedell (2-for-4) and Dan Spain (2-for-5) leading the way. Both Spain and Cory Davidson drove in two runs.

Matt Lozano worked all seven innings on the mound to move to 5-1 with a 2.40 ERA in a team high 48.2 innings on the season. He limited East Dubuque to one run (earned) on five hits and two walks while striking out three.

Earlier in the week, Key West fell to a hot Farley team in EIHL play. The Ramblers got their only run in the first inning before going silent with the bats the rest of the way. No Rambler notched more than a single hit as Key West tallied just four hits as a team.

Jordan Hohensee appeared for the second time this season on the mound for the Ramblers and threw all seven innings. He allowed six runs (three earned) on eight hits and two walks. He fanned two.

The week was a microcosm of the season as Key West has now scored 10 or more runs eight times this season and two runs or less on nine occasions.

Matt Knabel went 1-for-2 with a walk in Tuesday's game to raise his average above .300 to .305. He is 6-for-11 over his last three games.

The Ramblers now look forward to Sunday's 7 p.m. EIHL battle at Rickardsville.

Schedule Note: The Ramblers have rescheduled a game with Monticello and will now play at Monticello on Aug. 8 at 7 p.m.

Ramblers fall from Cascade Tourney; defeat New Vienna

The Ramblers' offensive struggles in tournament play continued on Friday night as Bellevue edged Key West, 2-1, in the first round of the Cascade Tournament. Rambler hurler Andrew Redman fell for the second-straight time despite firing another solid six innings.

Bellevue got its only runs in the bottom of the third, answering Key West's (12-11) lone run in the top half of the frame. Bellevue ignited with three-consecutive hits from its Nos. 2 through 4 spots in the lineup to plate the pair of runs. Redman allowed just five hits, but four of them came in the second inning.

The Ramblers briefly held the lead when Dan Spain's RBI ground out made it 1-0 in the third. Spain had come to the plate with runners on second and third and one out following a single by Jose Stelluti and a double by Tanner Denlinger. Denlinger ended up stranded on third base after Bellevue's Pete Bonifas got Tim Carty to chop out to third to close the inning.

Redman (4-2, 2.43 ERA) finished with three strikeouts while limiting Bellevue to five hits and one walk.

Bonifas earned the victory, holding Key West to only four hits.

Key West 9, New Vienna 2

The Ramblers returned to action for a Sunday matinee and despite a sluggish start, posted a 9-2 Prairie League victory. With the win, Key West ran its Prairie League mark to 6-2 as it looks to defend its 2012 league title.

New Vienna scored a run apiece in the first and third innings to jump out to a 2-0 advantage after three innings. The Ramblers did not score until the fourth and did not grab the lead until pulling in front, 3-2, in the fifth.

Key West finally exploded for six runs in the top of the seventh to put the game away. The inning featured seven Rambler hits, punctuated by Deon Ploessl's home run that made it 8-2 with two outs in the game's final inning.

Even with the slow offensive start, Key West managed to pound out 18 hits as six Ramblers collected two or more hits. Jason Hinrichsen led the way with a 4-for-5 effort out of the leadoff spot. Other Ramblers with two or more hits included: Matt Bedell (3-for-4), Matt Knabel (3-for-5), Chris Briggs (2-for-4), Ploessl (2-for-4) and Justin Kuhle (2-for-5).

On the mound, Jose Stelluti got his first career start with the Ramblers and did not allow a single earned run in his seven-inning complete game. He struck out 10 and allowed only three hits and three walks.

UP NEXT: Key West will shift to EIHL action on Tuesday night when it hosts Farley at 7 p.m. at A.J. Spiegel Park in Peosta.

Offense explodes as Ramblers pummel Cascade

The Ramblers put behind a frustrating loss to Dubuque in the Rickardsville Tournament and won going away over Cascade in Peosta on Tuesday evening. A hot Cascade team that has enjoyed a resurgent season could not recover from Key West's six-run second inning as the Ramblers (11-10) won 13-3 in six innings.

Cascade actually jumped out to a 2-0 lead after two innings, but Key West then struck with a big inning that set the tone for the game. Eleven Ramblers came to the plate in the second as part of a six-run, four-hit frame that included two walks and two hit batters. Tanner Denlinger and Chris Briggs both notched RBI doubles to help get the Rambler offense back on track.

Key West then added three runs in the third, one in the fourth, two in the fifth and one in the sixth to end the game by the 10-run rule. The Ramblers tallied at least one run in every inning except for the first in support of starting pitcher Matt Lozano (pictured).

Dan Spain (2-for-3, one run, one RBI), Denlinger (2-for-4, three runs, two RBIs) and Matt Knabel (2-for-4, one run, two RBIs) each recorded two hits for Key West. Briggs went 1-for-1 with three walks and three RBIs.

Lozano threw all six innings move to 4-1 while picking up his third complete game of the season. He allowed three earned runs on seven hits and a walk. He struck out eight, bumping his team leading punch out total to 47 in 41.2 innings.

Both McCullough (3-for-3) and Dan Lynch (2-for-3) registered multiple hits for visiting Cascade.

The Ramblers have now scored 10 or more runs on seven occasions this season. On the other hand, Key West has been held to two runs or less seven times.

The Ramblers are back in action on Friday night in the first round of the Cascade Tournament. Key West will challenge Bellevue with first pitch slated for 8:30 p.m.

Ramblers climb above .500

Surprisingly, Sunday marked the first time all season that the Ramblers have been above .500 overall. Key West pounded both East Dubuque (12-2 on Saturday) and Placid (13-3 on Sunday) to push its record to 10-9. The win over East Dubuque advanced the Ramblers to the quarterfinals of the Rickardsville Tournament, while the victory over Placid bumped Key West's Prairie League record to 5-2.

Four Ramblers tallied at least two hits as Key West won decisively in the first round at Rickardsville. Catcher Jose Stelluti (pictured) led the way with a 3-for-3 effort that included a pair of RBIs. Meanwhile, Chris Briggs ended a power drought by drilling a two-run homer (team-leading second homer) in the third inning that gave Key West a 4-2 lead.

The Ramblers put the game well out of reach with a seven-run fourth inning that featured an RBI double from Briggs and run-scoring hits by Tim Carty, Matt Knabel, Stelluti and Dan Spain.

The outburst helped make a winner out of lefty starting pitcher Matt Lozano. He threw all five innings in the run-rule shortened affair to move his mark to 3-1. He allowed two runs (both earned) on seven hits and a walk while striking out two.

Key West 13, Placid 3 (7 innings)

The Ramblers continued the weekend run-scoring binge by clubbing Placid in another game decided by a run rule. Key West wasted little time in jumping out to a 4-0 lead by batting around in the first inning that was aided largely by the wildness of Placid pitching and shaky defense.

The Ramblers tacked on two more runs in the second and four in the third for a comfortable 10-1 advantage. Both Spain and shortstop Andrew Redman turned in three-hit days in what was Redman's first start this season other than on the mound.

Left fielder Cory Davidson stayed hot, connecting for a double and a triple to fuel a pair of RBIs. Trent Bollman made his Rambler debut and went 2-for-2 while reaching base in all four plate appearances.

Spain took the ball on the mound and navigated six innings despite giving up six hits and five walks. He flashed outstanding stuff as evidenced by his 10 strikeouts. He got his first win of the season.

Key West has now scored 10 or more runs six times this season. The Ramblers are averaging 6.2 runs per game through 19 contests. They have now won five of six games, during which they have out-scored opponents 39-18.

Up Next: The Ramblers get another shot at rival Dubuque on Tuesday night in the quarterfinals of the Rickardsville Tournament. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. from Rickardsville. Dubuque advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Epworth 7-0 on Saturday night. Mark Hennessy pitched a seven-inning complete game shutout for the Blues. With Hennessy throwing on Saturday, Aaron Saeugling would appear to be the likely starting pitcher for Dubuque on Tuesday. Key West will counter with ace Andrew Redman.

Carty and Spain selected to semi-pro all-star game

Both Tim Carty and Dan Spain will represent the Ramblers in the 26th annual Telegraph Herald Semi-Pro All-Star Game. Carty and Spain will both hold down spots in the starting lineup for the Eastern Iowa Hawkeye League, as announced on Tuesday. The game will be played Saturday, July 13 at 6:30 p.m. at A.J. Spiegel Park in Peosta.

At last season's all-star contest, Spain took home MVP honors after collecting a pair of hits in a 13-6 victory over the Prairie League at Cascade's Legion Field. Chris Briggs and Cory Davidson also appeared in the all-star game for Key West in 2012. In addition, both Briggs and Davidson garnered selections in the 2011 all-star game along with former Rambler Jared Munson.

ALL-STAR ROSTERS

Eastern Iowa Hawkeye League

Coach: Jeff Hoerner, Dubuque

P: Russ Bolibaugh, Dyersville

C: Ben Ogden, Worthington

1B: Aaron Wulfekuhle, Dubuque

2B: Brian Miller, Farley

3B: Tim Carty, Key West

SS: Dan Spain, Key West

LF: Noah Mahlik, Dubuque

CF: Nathan Hall, Rickardsville

RF: Mitch Monk, Monticello

DH: Tim Andrews, Cascade

Reserves:

Roamn Hummel, Cascade

Andy Danna, Dubuque

Austin Brown, Dyersville

Ben Zitelman, Dyersville

Andy Seabrooke, Farley

Travis Olson, Farley

Connor Grant, Rickardsville

Eric Banworth, Rickardsville

Prairie League

Coach: Gary McAndrew, Peosta

P: Pete Bonifas, Bellevue

C: Matt McCullough, Bernard

1B: Brett Featherston, Epworth

2B: Ben Urbain, Balltown

3B: Chet Knake, Bellevue

SS: David Rodriguez, Bernard

LF: Ryan Lehmann, Peosta

CF: Bill Albee, East Dubuque

RF: Ryan Jantsch, Zwingle

DH: Travis Lyons, Zwingle

Reserves:

Steve McDonough, Balltown

Jared Koos, Bellevue

Carlo Rivera, Bernard

Kyle Harris, East Dubuque

Jaime Ballesteros, Epworth

Aaron Hopson, Peosta

Zack Brautigam, Peosta

Shawn Swenson, Placid

Bizarre play pushes Ramblers to victory over Farley

A soft grounder to the right of the pitcher's mound proved to be the most important play in the Ramblers' 6-2 victory over Farley on Sunday afternoon at Farley Park. Key West (8-9) won for the third time in the last four games, riding the dominant right arm of starting pitcher Andrew Redman (4-0, 1.08 ERA) once again.

Farley actually edged in front 1-0 with an unearned run in the top of the fourth, but the Ramblers quickly answered with four runs in the bottom half. After Gabe Wingert's (pictured) sacrifice fly knotted the game, Key West struck for three runs on a single play thanks to several Farley defensive miscues.

With two out and two on, Key West right fielder Austin Bradley hit a dribbler down the first base line that Farley pitcher Matt McKinney fielded and fired over the first baseman's head. Chris Briggs scored easily while Matt Knabel chugged around third and trotted home as the throw to the plate sailed over the catcher's head. The speedy Bradley then sprinted to the plate as another errant throw missed the mark. Suddenly the Ramblers led 4-1.

The three-run lead provided plenty of cushion for Redman, who moved to 12-1 in his last 13 starts. The powerful right-hander did not give up a single earned run in seven innings. He limited Farley to four hits and struck out nine while not issuing any free passes.

Farley mounted a rally in the eighth with a run to get within 4-2. Kenny Capesius, who entered the game in the seventh, cracked a two-run single off of reliever Will Petrosky to give the Ramblers some more breathing room. Capesius delivered the two-out base hit through the left side of the infield in the bottom of the eighth, capping all scoring for the day.

Lefty Matt Lozano then completed the victory with a 1-2-3 ninth. Lozano got the save for his work in the eighth and ninth innings. He and Redman combined for a dozen strikeouts.

Redman has been near unhittable once again in 2013, limiting opposing hitters to a .143 batting average in 25 innings this season. He has allowed only 13 hits and three walks all year.

Wingert finished 2-for-3 in his seventh career game with Key West. Briggs got back on track with a 3-for-4 effort that included a pair of runs.

The Ramblers will have nearly a week off before returning to action on Saturday, July 6 when the Rickardsville Tournament gets underway. Key West will play East Dubuque at 6 p.m. in the first round at Rickardsville.

Key West draws Bellevue in Cascade Tourney

The Ramblers will play Bellevue in the first round of the 67th annual Cascade Tournament on Friday, July 19. Game time is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. The two teams have met just once so far this season with Bellevue winning 4-2 in a Prairie League game.

View the complete bracket below.

Ramblers fall hard to Cascade

The Ramblers failed to carry over the momentum they gained from Sunday's thrilling extra-inning victory over Rickardsville, falling 8-0 to Cascade in the quarterfinals of the Worthington Tournament on Wednesday night. Key West (7-9) had hoped to defend its 2012 Worthington title.

Cascade got on top right away with Tom Andrews solo homer in the first off of Rambler starter Aaron Collins. The Reds tacked on at least one run in every inning on the way to a comfortable victory. Roamn Hummel added another solo shot with a blast over the center field wall in the third.

Key West struggled all night at the plate against Cascade's Brett Poffenburger. The Ramblers were limited to two hits in the six-inning, run-rule shortened game. Poffenburger allowed just one runner to advance into scoring position all evening.

Collins fired the first two innings before being lifted for reliever Dan Spain. Kenny Capesius also appeared on the mound late in the game for Key West.

The Ramblers will return to action on Sunday when they host Farley in a Prairie League game. First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m. from Farley Park.

Rickardsville bracket pairs Ramblers with East Dubuque

The 35th annual Rickardsville Tournament bracket, announced Sunday evening, matches Key West with East Dubuque in the first round of the 16-team bracket. The Ramblers will begin play in the tournament on Saturday, July 6 at 6 p.m.

The entire tournament will play out July 5 - 14. The championship game will be held Sunday, July 14 at 6:30 p.m. Check out the complete bracket below.

Key West has yet to play East Dubuque this season. A game scheduled for earlier this season between the two teams was wiped out by rain.

Redman outduels Cottrell; Ramblers take two

A dramatic pitcher's duel between Key West starter Andrew Redman and former Rambler Ben Cottrell resulted in a thrilling 4-1, nine-inning victory for Key West (7-8) on Sunday night. The Ramblers rallied from a 1-0 deficit and eventually broke loose in the ninth off of Cottrell to bounce Rickardsville from the Worthington Tournament. Key West also defeated Zwingle 4-2 in a Prairie League game earlier in the day.

But Sunday's night cap is what brought life back to a Rambler team that struggled to get out of the first round in recent tournaments. Dan Spain's looping RBI single to right field just in front of a diving Mike Leibfried plated Matt Knabel to break the 1-1 tie in the top of the ninth. Red-hot Cory Davidson then smoked a two-run double into the left-center gap to bring in two more runs and put an exclamation point on a much-needed victory.

For a while, Cottrell looked like he may make Rickardsville's first-inning run stand up. The right-hander, who threw nearly 200 innings over four seasons as a Rambler, did not even allow a Key West runner to advance past first base until the sixth inning.

That's when Tanner Denlinger singled up the middle to lead off the frame. Spain followed with a sacrifice bunt to move Denlinger up to second. Davidson's grounder to first went underneath the glove of the Rickardsville first baseman, putting runners on the corners with one out. Chris Briggs then hit a medium-deep fly ball to center that allowed Denlinger to score just ahead of a strong throw to the plate.

Redman's typical dominance on the mound helped the Ramblers force extra innings. The Clarke University product balked in Rickardsville's only run when he illegally feinted a throw to third base. The rest of the way Redman befuddled the opposition. He gave up just four hits and a walk while striking out five over eight innings. He is now 11-1 in his last 12 starts.

Spain then relieved Redman in the ninth. With the help of an outstanding play in the hole at short by Redman, Spain fired a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his second save of the season.

While Briggs did not record a hit on Sunday, his work with the glove at first saved several potential errors. Briggs used outstanding footwork to pick throws out of the dirt on at least four occasions.

Cottrell pitched the entire game for Rickardsville and took the loss. Ironically, it was Cottrell who grounded out to end the game in the bottom of the ninth.

Key West will return to action in the Worthington Tournament on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. when it takes on Cascade, which defeated Balltown earlier on Sunday evening.

Key West 4, Zwingle 2

A short rain shower delayed the start of Sunday's Prairie League matinee a few minutes, but it didn't stop Key West from getting off to a fast start. The Ramblers scored two in the first, one in the second and one in the third.

Matt Lozano emerged as the biggest story of Sunday's first game. He struck out 12 in a seven-inning complete game. He surrendered only four hits and a walk and did not give up a single earned run. He ended the game with five straight punch outs.

Davidson continued his fine work in the three spot in the lineup. He doubled in the first run of the game and also drew a bases loaded walk in the second to force home a run. The Ramblers led 4-0 after three innings.

Sloppy Key West defense in the sixth inning made for some tense moments. Three errors helped load the bases with one out and Zwingle down just 4-2. But Lozano would not be denied the win as he began his strikeout binge to preserve the two-run lead.

Davidson went 2-for-2 with two RBIs, a run and two walks. Knabel registered a 2-for-4 effort with a pair of infield singles.

The Ramblers are now 3-2 in Prairie League games. Lozano moved to 2-1. He sports a 1.88 ERA in a team high 28.2 innings this season.

Blues continue dominance of Ramblers

Key West fell to 0-3 this season against rival Dubuque as the visiting Blues came away with a 5-3 Prairie League victory on Tuesday night in Peosta. The Ramblers (5-7) have lost four games already by two runs or less in 2013.

Jeff Hoerner's second inning sacrifice fly looked like it might cap off the game's scoring, but the Blues struck for four more in the top of the seventh to make it 5-0 in support of winning pitcher Alex Timmerman.

Key West finally got something going offensively with three runs in the bottom of the seventh (final inning) in a last ditch attempt. Tanner Denlinger's RBI single cashed in on a defensive miscue to get the Ramblers on the board. A passed ball later scored Denlinger prior to Jayson Hinrichsen's run-scoring single to make it 5-3. Dan Spain represented the tying run with Key West down to its final out, but Spain popped out to third to end the game.

Left-handed starter Matt Lozano gave the Ramblers 6.2 strong innings on the mound. Lozano allowed just a single unearned run heading into the seventh. He gave up a leadoff single before inducing the next two hitters to ground out. However, the Blues chased Lozano with an RBI double. Dan Spain relieved Lozano and struggled with control as Dubuque padded its lead.

Lozano gave up four runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks. He struck out four.

Denlinger paced the offensive attack with a 2-for-3 night that included a run and an RBI.

The Ramblers will get another shot at Dubuque on Thursday night when the two teams meet at Petrakis for a 7 p.m. EIHL battle.

Power surge leads to blowout victory

After scoring just one combined run in their two previous games, the Ramblers responded with their second 18-run outburst of the season on the way to an 18-0 drubbing of host Worthington on Sunday evening. Key West (5-6) got five shutout innings from starter Andrew Redman and a trio of Ramblers connected on a home run apiece to snap a two-game losing streak.

After getting on top with one unearned run in the first, shortstop Dan Spain set the tone for the rest of the game by smacking a three-run homer with one away in the second. Four batters later center fielder Tanner Denlinger crushed a three-run shot of his own to make the score 7-0.

But the Ramblers weren't done there. Rambler newcomer Jayson Hinrichsen clubbed yet another three-run homer as part of a five-run third inning that put the game out of reach early. Key West led 12-0 after three and then ballooned the score to 18-0 with two runs each in the fourth, fifth and sixth frames.

Spain enjoyed a monster game as he added a two-run double in the fourth and a sacrifice fly in the fifth to give him six RBIs for the game. Denlinger drove in four.

A total of six Key West batsmen cracked two hits or more: Hinrichsen (2-for-3), Capesius (2-for-3), Deon Ploessl (2-for-3), Spain (2-for-4), Cory Davidson (2-for-6) and Denlinger (2-for-6). The Ramblers totaled 14 hits while also taking advantage of six Worthington errors.

Redman gave up just a single hit in his five innings of work. He struck out six on the way to improving to 10-1 since the start of the 2012 season. Spain fired two scoreless frames in relief of Redman.

Key West also won 18-0 over Holy Cross on June 6. The Ramblers have scored 10 or more runs four times this season.

Key West is back in action Tuesday night when Dubuque visits the Ramblers in Peosta for a Prairie League contest. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.

Ramblers rough up Holy Cross

Key West put up four first-inning runs fueled by catcher Gabe Wingert's three-run homer on the way to an 18-0 drubbing of visiting Holy Cross on Thursday night. The Ramblers piled up 15 hits in a game that was originally scheduled to take place in July. Because of the abundance of rain outs in recent weeks, Key West moved up the date with Holy Cross to get a game in.

Leading 8-0 in the sixth, the Ramblers (4-4) poured it on with a 10-run sixth inning to help take away from the frustration of early-season postponements and close losses. Second baseman Jayson Hinrichsen led the attack at the top of the order with a 2-for-4 night that included three runs and two RBIs.

Nine different Ramblers recorded at least one hit and eight notched one or more RBIs as part of the offensive onslaught. The 18 runs were the most for Key West since drilling Dyersville 22-4 on June 19 of last season.

Third baseman Spencer Kuehn continued his hot early-season run with a 2-for-5 effort. He leads the team with a .435 batting average. Meanwhile, first baseman Chris Briggs drove in another three runs to push his team high total to 10 on the season.

Matt Lozano picked up his first win as a Rambler by firing five shutout innings. He struck out 10 Holy Cross hitters and allowed only three hits. Aaron Collins pitched the final two frames and struck out two. Collins has not allowed an earned run through his first eight innings this season.

Other Ramblers with two-plus hits included: Cory Davidson (2-for-2, run, RBI), Matt Knabel (2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBIs) and Briggs (2-for-4, 3 RBIs, 3 runs).

Key West will be back in action on Saturday when it is scheduled to take on Dubuque at the Farley Tournament. First pitch is slated for 7:30 p.m.

Ramblers slated to play Rickardsville in Worthington first round

Key West will begin its defense of the 2012 Worthington Tournament championship when the 2013 event gets started later this month. The Ramblers will take on Rickardsville on Sunday, June 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the 65th annual tournament's first round. (Full bracket below)

In last season's Worthington Tournament, Key West defeated Balltown (1-0), Rickardsville (4-2), Dubuque (5-0) and Peosta (10-5) to capture the Worthington title for the first time in team history. Andrew Redman tossed two shutouts to earn the tournament's Outstanding Pitcher award.

Dubuque ousts Key West in Bellevue

Dubuque got the best of Key West on Saturday evening in the first round of the Bellevue Tournament in the first of many meetings this season between the two titans of area semi-pro baseball. The Blues used the long ball to blow open a comfortable margin in the third inning on the way to a 7-1 victory. Dubuque has now won seven of the last 10 games against the Ramblers, who fell to 3-4 on the season.

Blues' shortstop Andy Danna cracked a three-run homer with one out in the third inning off of Key West starter Spencer Kuehn to boost their advantage to 5-0. Aaron Saeugling then belted a solo shot off Kuehn in the fourth to make it 6-0, providing more than enough support for Dubuque starting pitcher Mark Hennessey.

Kuehn was lifted for reliever Aaron Collins after four innings of work. Kuehn struck out six and allowed four earned runs on six hits and three walks. Collins fanned four Blues' hitters in his two innings on the mound.

The Ramblers got their lone run in the sixth inning when first baseman Chris Briggs plated shortstop Jayson Hinrichsen with a sacrifice fly. Briggs leads the team with seven RBIs on the season.

Hinrichsen went 2-for-2 with a double and a walk in his Key West debut. The Ramblers have now used 23 different position players already this season, while Kuehn became the sixth different player to start on the mound for Key West in 2013.

Dubuque got on top in the first inning with a pair of unearned runs, continuing an early-season theme. Rambler pitchers sport a solid 3.05 staff ERA, but they have suffered from a leaky defense that has allowed 13 unearned runs through the season's first seven games.

Key West will get two more shots at the Blues in the upcoming week. The two clubs will meet on Tuesday (7 p.m.) in a EIHL game in Peosta. They will then face off in another first-round tournament matchup on Saturday (7:30 p.m.) at the Farley Tournament.

Farley Tournament matches Key West with Dubuque

As the top dogs on the Eastern Iowa semi-pro circuit, Key West and Dubuque are all too familiar with meeting up in the first round of town tournaments. The two teams will battle once again when they begin play in the Farley Tournament on June 8. First pitch is slated for 7:30 p.m. (Full bracket below)

Dubuque defeated Key West 7-1 in the first round of the Bellevue Tournament on Saturday evening. Out of the seven town tournaments the Ramblers participated in last season, they were pitted against the Blues in the first round of three of those brackets. Key West went 3-6 against Dubuque in 2012.

Bellevue Tournament first round postponed until Saturday

Inclement weather has pushed the Bellevue Tournament first round back once again. The Ramblers are now scheduled to play Saturday (June 1) versus Dubuque at 5 p.m. The winner will then play again on Saturday night in the next round of the bracket.

The original tournament bracket had Key West pegged to play in Bellevue on May 26, but heavy rainfall in Eastern Iowa has wrecked havoc on the area semi-pro baseball schedule. The Ramblers have not played since May 21.

Tue/Wed/Thu games postponed; Bellevue Tourney moved to Friday

Updated: 8:56 p.m.

Key West's first game with Dubuque at the Bellevue Tournament has been pushed back again. The Ramblers will play the Blues at 8:30 p.m. on Friday. This is the only scheduled game this week due to postponements of games originally scheduled on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Tuesday and Wednesday road league games have been postponed due to rain. The fields at both Farley and Dyersville have been deemed unplayable. In addition, Thursday's scheduled home game with Balltown has been postponed.

Schedule update

Heavy rainfall over the last several days continues to push back the Bellevue Tournament. The Ramblers are now scheduled to play in the first round in Bellevue on Thursday at 7 p.m. against Dubuque. Key West has not played since beating Rickardsville 10-8 on May 21.

With the postponement of the Bellevue Tournament, the Ramblers' scheduled EIHL game with Farley on Tuesday night is back on. The infield at Farley Park is covered by a tarp, meaning the game will be played if the weather clears.

This week's schedule:
Tuesday: at Farley, 7 p.m.
Wednesday: at Dyersville, 7 p.m.
Thursday: vs. Dubuque (at Bellevue Tournament), 7 p.m.

Ramblers top Rickardsville in high-scoring affair

Key West took advantage of a sloppy Rickardsville defensive effort and piled up double-digit runs for a second-straight game on the way to a 10-8 victory on Tuesday. The Ramblers improved to 3-3 overall and avenged their 3-2 loss to Rickardsville over the weekend.

Key West struck for four first-inning runs on the benefit of only two hits. Four Rickardsville errors in the frame staked Rambler starting pitcher Zane Ridings to a 4-1 lead at the end of the first.

Ridings, who allowed an unearned run in the first, pitched scoreless frames in the second, third and fourth until tiring in the middle innings. He went six innings, surrendering five runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks, as he moved to 2-0 in his first season with Key West.

The Ramblers led 8-5 when Ridings was pulled after six. First baseman Chris Briggs added a two-run triple in the fourth to provide a 7-1 cushion at the time. With the lead cut to 8-6, Key West tallied two more runs in the eighth thanks to back-to-back doubles from Matt Knabel and Luis Reyes.

Rickardsville threatened with two runs in the ninth off of reliever Brian McCabe. Dan Spain came in with one out and finally shut the door with the bases loaded.

Jose Stelluti (2-for-4), Briggs (2-for-5) and Tanner Denlinger (2-for-5) each notched two hits for Key West.

The Ramblers return to action on Wednesday when they take on East Dubuque in a Prairie League game at 7 p.m.

Key West reschedules game with Placid for July 7

Key West's home Prairie League game with Placid has been rescheduled for Sunday, July 7 at 1 p.m. The game will take place at A.J. Spiegel Park in Peosta. The contest was originally postponed due to a conflict with a tournament date.

The complete schedule can be viewed HERE.

Ramblers rebound from tournament loss, thrash Epworth

The Ramblers fell on Friday and Saturday at the EIHL Preseason Tournament before rebounding for an 11-3 victory over Epworth in a Prairie League game on Sunday. Key West, which fell 3-2 to Rickardsville in the EIHL consolation game on Saturday, improved to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in Prairie League action with Sunday's victory.

Andrew Redman, a first team All-Midwest Collegiate Conference performer at Clarke University, made his season debut on Sunday. He threw five innings and struck out nine on the way to picking up a victory. Redman did not allow a hit until Epworth struck for three runs on four hits in the fifth inning.

Aaron Collins impressed over the final four innings. The Coe College hurler held Epworth scoreless in his first outing to earn the save in relief of Redman. Collins struck six as he and Redman combined on a total of 15 punch outs.

The duo got plenty of support from the Key West offensive attack, which was led by center fielder Tanner Denlinger, who went 3-for-6 with a double and five RBIs. Denlinger cleared the bases with a three-run double in the top of the second to get the Ramblers on the board first.

The top four hitters in the Key West lineup - Denlinger, Trent Bollman (2-for-6), Dan Spain (2-for-4) and Chris Briggs (2-for-6) - all notched at least two hits. Third baseman Luis Reyes also tallied two hits as part of a 16-hit splurge for the Ramblers.

The win took some of the sting out of losing two nailbiters by a single run at the EIHL Preseason Tournament. Key West defeated Dyersville 4-2 in the first round of the tournament prior to a 10-inning, 5-4 defeat to Cascade in the semifinals on Friday and a 3-2 loss to Rickardsville in the consolation game on Saturday.

Key West got solid outings on the mound in both losses. Clarke product Matt Lozano (pictured) fired eight quality innings, giving up three runs versus Cascade. Spain then took the ball on Saturday and did not allow a single earned run in a seven-inning complete game.

Among Ramblers who have played in at least three of the team's first five games, Briggs leads the team with a .412 batting average. Key West's pitching has sparkled, turning in a 1.76 ERA in 41 innings thus far. No pitcher has started more than one game.

The Ramblers return to action on Tuesday to take on Rickardsville in Peosta at 7 p.m. in an EIHL duel.

Briggs' two-run blast powers first Rambler victory of 2013

A strong wind that blew in had nothing to say to Chris Briggs' monster two-run homer that broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning and led Key West to a 4-2 victory over Dyersville on Monday night. With the victory, the Ramblers (1-1) advanced to the semifinals of the EIHL Preseason Tournament. Key West will take on Cascade at 7 p.m. when the tournament resumes in Rickardsville on Friday.

Much like the season-opening loss, the Ramblers fell behind early as Clarke University pitcher Zane Ridings gave up two first-inning runs. Ridings, a Columbia Falls, Mont., native, buckled down the rest of the way and threw a seven-inning complete game to pick up the victory on the mound.

Key West knotted the score off of Dyersville pitcher Russ Bolibaugh by getting a pair of runs in the third - one by way of an error and one via shortstop Dan Spain's RBI single. Center fielder Tanner Denlinger, who finished the game 2-for-2, scored the tying run.

The score remained the same until the sixth when right fielder Spencer Kuehn led off the frame with a double. That set the stage for Briggs' game-winning homer. It was the first of the season for the powerful lefty, who set a team record with 11 homers in 2012.

Dyersville got a lead-off single to begin the seventh, but Ridings retired the next three hitters - two on flies to the outfield and the final one on a grounder to short.

Key West also debuted a new catcher on Monday as Jose Stelluti handled duties behind the plate. Stelluti walked and scored a run in the third. Third baseman Luis Reyes played for the Ramblers for the first time as well.

In addition to the EIHL Preseason Semifinals on Friday, Key West will also play Saturday and Sunday as part of a busy weekend. Wednesday's scheduled EIHL game at Monticello has been postponed.

Ramblers fall in season opener

The 2013 season opened up on Saturday as visiting Bellevue defeated the Ramblers 4-2 at AJ Spiegel Park in Peosta. Key West dropped the season opener despite not giving up a single earned run. The Ramblers begin the campaign at 0-1 in the Prairie League after winning the league title with a 15-1 record last season.

Bellevue got all four of its runs in a nightmare of a first inning for Key West. Bellevue took advantage of a pair of Rambler errors and a base on balls to take control early. A run-scoring double off of Key West right-hander Shawn Parker with two outs proved to be the big blow in the frame.

The Ramblers chipped away with a run each in the first and second innings, but the Bellevue pitching combo of Dave Smith and Pete Bonifas shut the door the rest of the way. Key West threatened in the ninth by putting two on with two out before Spencer Kuehn struck out to end the game.

The Ramblers got an RBI single apiece from Chris Briggs and Dan Spain. Briggs (2-for-4), Kuehn (2-for-5) and Spain (2-for-5) all notched multiple hits on the day. Key West out-hit Bellevue 10-5.

Parker took the loss in his season debut. He fired five innings and surrendered four hits and a walk while striking out five. Clarke University hurler Jordan Hohensee pitched scoreless ball over the final four innings and gave up just a single hit and two walks. He also struck out five.

Hohensee and other Clarke products Johhny Kruick and Anthony Razo all made their Rambler debuts on Saturday. Hohensee went 3-3 with a 4.36 ERA in 43.1 innings as a Crusader in 2013.

Key West will return to action on Monday night to take part in the EIHL Preseason Tournament. The Ramblers will battle Dyersville at 7 p.m. in Rickardsville. The game was originally scheduled to take place Friday night but was postponed due to rain.

2013 schedule released

The 2013 Key West Ramblers schedule has been released. Key West will open the season on Friday at the EIHL Preseason Tournament against Dyersville. That game will be held in Rickardsville at 7 p.m.

The slate includes 15 Prairie League games, 14 EIHL contests and two tournament games that have already been scheduled. Additional tournament games will be added to the schedule as the brackets are released.

View the 2013 schedule HERE. The schedule link will be available throughout the season at the top right of the page.

Fake-to-third, throw-to-first abolished

In accordance with Major League Baseball's adoption of rule 8.05b, both the Eastern Iowa Hawkeye and Prairie Leagues have agreed to ban the fake-to-third, throw-to-first pick off move. This action may or may not be allowed at town-hosted tournaments depending on the discretion of tournament officials. The adoption of this new rule is mandated for all league games.

Major League Baseball rule 8.05b (Page 77: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/downloads/y2013/official_baseball_rules.pdf):

"If there is a runner, or runners, it is a balk when the pitcher, while touching his plate, feints a throw to first or third base and fails to complete the throw."

EIHL Preseason Tournament bracket released

Key West will begin play in the EIHL Preseason Tournament on Friday, May 10 at 7 p.m. The third-seeded Ramblers will take on sixth-seeded Dyersville in the first round. Key West went 3-1 against Dyersville in last season's four meetings. The entire tournament will unfold in Rickardsville.

View the rest of the bracket HERE.

Bellevue Tournament pairings announced

The Ramblers will meet a familiar foe when they begin play in the Bellevue Tournament on Sunday, May 26. Key West has drawn Dubuque in a first-round matchup set to begin at 1:30 p.m. The Ramblers went 3-6 last season in nine meetings with the Blues.

Check out the entire bracket below. The complete 2013 schedule will be released at a later date.

2013 Key West Ramblers program

Click the graphic to view the 2013 Rambler program

Redman off to hot start for Crusaders

Right-handed pitcher Andrew Redman has carried over his mound dominance from last summer as a Rambler to this spring as a Clarke University Crusader. Redman has won all four of his starts in 2013 - his first year as a Crusader. He was recently named the Midwest Collegiate Conference Pitcher of the Week.

Through 20 innings of work, Redman has fanned 25 hitters and allowed only five runs on 15 hits and five walks. The junior, a former Iowa Central Community College hurler, sports an ERA of 1.35. His 10.71 strikeouts per nine innings rank 20th among all NAIA pitchers nationally.

Last summer Redman starred as one of the top pitchers on the Eastern Iowa semi-pro circuit. He went 8-1 with a 1.35 ERA in 60 innings pitched. He allowed only 35 hits and 20 walks to go along with 62 punch outs.

Dan Spain, a member of the Ramblers since 2007, is in his first full season as head coach at Clarke. Another Rambler, Sean O'Connor, serves as the Crusader pitching coach.

Rambler steak fundraiser to support 'Ride for Kids'

Not only will the Key West Ramblers' steak dinner fundraiser support team financial needs, it will also raise money for Ride for Kids. The Ride for Kids organization serves to "eliminate the challenges of childhood brain tumors by funding medical research and family support programs."

As part of the April 7 fundraiser at Kalmes Restaurant, Rambler players will tend bar with all tips going to Ride for Kids. The steak dinner fundraiser is set to run from 4-8 p.m. See additional details in the previous blog post.

Rambler steak dinner fundraiser set for April 7

The Key West Ramblers will hold a steak dinner fundraiser on Sunday, April 7 at Kalmes Restaurant in St. Donatus. Tickets cost $16 and can be purchased at several area establishments, including the Airline Inn, Budde's, Happys Place, Kalmes and The Wharf. Tickets can also be purchased by calling John Knabel at 563-543-0781.

The dinner will last from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will feature rib-eye steak with a variety of sides.