Ramblers offer condolences to family of Shep Melloy

The Key West Ramblers offer their condolences to the family of Daniel "Shep" Melloy and the Bernard Indians semi-pro baseball team. Longtime coach for Bernard, Melloy died on Monday (Dec. 26) as a result of a rollover automobile crash. Melloy, of Bernard, was 61.

Deepest condolences to the semi-pro baseball community on the passing of long-time @BernardIndians manager "Shep" Melloy today.

— TH sports (@THsportsfeed) December 27, 2016

Shep brought us all together. He was the best. Never forget what he did for us. Rest In Peace 8.

— Bernard Indians (@BernardIndians) December 27, 2016

Shep had a true baseball soul and was a good man. Loved competing against him. Prayers to the @BernardIndians https://t.co/b8grtxTRNp

— Dan Spain (@coachdanspain) December 27, 2016

Sending our condolences to the family, friends, teammates of "Shep" Melloy. He was one of a kind and a great ambassador of baseball! #tribe

— Bellevue Braves (@ChetsTeam) December 27, 2016

Thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends and Bernard Indian teammates of Dan "Shep" Melloy. He will be missed.

— Gary Langel (@78Lang5) December 26, 2016

Season-in-review: Ramblers raise the bar in 2016

2016 PHOTO GALLERY

The Key West Ramblers were about as close to unbeatable as it gets over the course of the 2016 season. They exceeded a team record for wins in a single season while going 49-7 overall and 24-2 in league games. Not only that, Key West won five tournaments, placed third in two others and also finished first in the Eastern Iowa Hawkeye League during the regular season. The Ramblers outscored their opponents by a combined total of 361-151.

No single player was more reliable than Nick Woltkamp, who missed just one game all season. The product of Clarke University broke team single-season pitching records for games (23), games started (18), wins (14) and innings pitched (122.2). He was rewarded with a nod as the EIHL all-star game starting pitcher. In addition, he handled the bat exceptionally well, hitting .350 with a .432 on-base percentage while adding a team high 16 stolen bases.

Another record was broken by Ryan Siems, who enjoyed a big season in the middle of the order. His 66 hits eclipsed the former single-season standard of 65 set by Chris Briggs in 2012. Siems posted a slash line of .415/.464/.642 and hit four home runs, 18 doubles, three triples and drove in 39 runs. Siems was one of eight regular contributors that hit better than .300 for the Ramblers.

Though his season was cut short due to injury, Andrew Redman hit .439, got on-base at a .548 clip and cracked three homers, seven doubles and drove in 19 runs. His batting average and on-base figures are both new team records. There were additional big individual seasons turned in by Brett LaMere (.325, 4 HR, 48 RBI, .421 OBP), Anthony Razo (.345, 13 2B, .443 OBP), Ben Oglesby (.314, 31 RBI, 11 SB, .407 OBP) and Anthony Ruden (.345, .435 OBP). Redman and Ruden also represented the Ramblers at the all-star game.

Meanwhile, Woltkamp was the leader of a pitching staff that put up a 2.56 ERA over 373 innings. Before moving to Washington, D.C., Kenny Capesius registered a 1.32 ERA and 6-1 record while working 34 innings. Redman and Ruden were also dominant in limited work on the mound for a group of Rambler hurlers that limited opposing hitters to a .207 batting average.

As part of a memorable season, Key West put together separate winning streaks of 18 and 12. The 18-game win streak broke the team record. Along the way, the Ramblers got monkeys off their back by winning the Bellevue and Peosta tournaments for the first time ever. They also repeated titles in Dysersville (second), Farley (third) and in the Prairie League (fourth).

The 2016 campaign was a continuation of a dominant run for the Ramblers, who are now 367-210-1 since the team resurfaced in 2004. Over the past three years, Key West has gone a combined 127-35-1. The Ramblers have clearly established themselves as an elite team in Eastern Iowa semi-pro baseball.

Ramblers close 2016 with Peosta, Prairie League titles

In an unprecedented season of championships, the Key West Ramblers rattled off two more titles over the final two days of the 2016 season. As part of a grueling final stretch, Key West won twice on Saturday to wrap up the Peosta Tournament title and then twice more on Sunday to capture the Prairie League crown for the fourth time in team history (2008, 2011, 2012, 2016).

Rambler hurlers starred over the weekend, allowing just two total runs over the four wins. MVP of the Peosta Tournament, iron man Nick Woltkamp fired 13 innings on Saturday before Brett LaMere and Anthony Ruden followed with dominant performances of their own. Woltkamp blanked Cascade on just two hits in the semifinals at Peosta. A day later, Ruden struck out nine hitters in a 1-0 squeaker over Bellevue in the Prairie League championship.

A thrilling final weekend ran Key West's record to 49-7 -- the best mark in team history. Only two other teams in Rambler history have reached the 40-win mark: the 2015 team (44-14-1) and the 2012 edition (40-12).

Key West couldn't have asked for a better performance from LaMere in the Prairie League semifinal, which resulted in an 8-1 win over Bernard. LaMere allowed only one run over six innings while going off with the bat. He went 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles. Ryan Siems, a reliable middle-of-the-order hitter all season, collected two hits in both Prairie League contests. He knocked in the only run of the victory over Bellevue.

Ruden made that lone tally stand up by scattering four hits and three walks over a seven-inning complete game. Ruden also came around to score on the third-inning double by Siems.

"We knew this was the last day of the season, so we came out and played really relaxed," Ruden told the Telegraph Herald. "Everybody came ready to play, but I think everybody was kind of ready for the season to be done, too. It's been a long summer, but we definitely wanted to end it the right way."

The rubber-armed Woltkamp (14-2 in 2016) finished with a team record 122.2 innings pitched this season. He made 18 starts and 23 total appearances while posting a 2.57 ERA and 85 strikeouts. He tossed a shutout in the 1-0 win over Cascade on Saturday.

"My arm doesn't feel too bad actually," Woltkamp said after Saturday's action. "It just came down to focus, staying locked in and executing pitches, and I made the pitches I had to."

Key West won five tournaments and placed in two others throughout the 2016 season (see below).

2016 Tournament Placements
1st - Prairie League
1st - Peosta
1st - Bellevue
1st - Farley
1st - Dyersville
3rd - Cascade
3rd - Rickardsville
*EIHL regular-season champion/playoff qualifier

Ramblers motor past 40 wins

All Key West has done since capturing the Dyersville Tournament title is continue to win. The Ramblers have strung together 12-straight victories entering play on Monday night (Aug. 15) at the EIHL playoffs in Farley. Key West, now 41-5 overall, posted another tournament win on Sunday evening with a 5-3 triumph over the Dubuque Budweisers in the first round of the Peosta tourney.

In Sunday's win, Dan Spain tossed a complete game and was backed by Tanner Lupton and Nick Woltkamp, who both went 2-for-3. Lupton doubled twice and drove in three runs while Woltkamp tripled and scored a pair of runs. The red-hot Woltkamp is now hitting .355 with 13 extra base hits over 44 games in 2016.

In other recent action, the Ramblers pummeled both Holy Cross, 18-4, and Zwingle, 11-1. Then on Aug. 11, Key West shook off a six-run first inning by the Dubuque Packers and rallied for a 7-6 victory in EIHL action. Key West now owns league records of 12-1 in the EIHL and 9-0 in the Prairie League.

Leading hitter Ryan Siems has continued his tear. He knocked out four hits in the championship win at the Dyersville Tournament. He added another four hits in the drubbing of Holy Cross and a double and a triple in the thrashing of Zwingle. He's now slashing .441 (AVG) / .477 (OBP) / .676 (SLG) with four homers, 14 doubles and 38 RBIs.

Meanwhile, Woltkamp has surpassed 100 innings pitched for the second-straight season. The ace of the Rambler staff is now 12-1 with a 2.63 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 102.2 innings. He's tossed eight complete games while holding opposing hitters to a .229 batting average.

The team record for wins in a season was set last year when Key West went 44-14-1 overall. They've never lost fewer than 12 times in a campaign. The Ramblers entered Monday with an all-time record of 359-208-1 since returning the semi-pro circuit in 2004.

Monday's EIHL playoff semifinal was set to begin at 8:30 p.m. from Farley, where top-seeded Key West was readying to play fourth-seeded Cascade. The winner advances to Wednesday's championship game.

Ramblers reign in Dyersville

For the second time in five years, Key West has captured the Dyersville Tournament championship. Nick Woltkamp secured tournament MVP honors by earning the win on the mound as part of Saturday's 9-4 victory over host Dyersville in the championship game. With the win, Woltkamp equaled his own team single-season record for wins in a season.

The Ramblers (37-5) have won three tournaments this season and have placed third in two others. They own a record of 19-4 in bracket play.

Dyersville Tournament Results
1st Rd vs. Cascade - W, 5-4
Quarterfinals vs. Rickardsville - W, 15-5
Semifinals vs. Bernard - W, 4-2
Championship vs. Dyersville - W, 9-4

2016 Tournament Placements
1st - Bellevue
1st - Farley
1st - Dyersville
3rd - Cascade
3rd - Rickardsville

Ramblers run record to staggering 35-5

The Ramblers are back on a roll, winning six-straight games since a loss in the semifinals of the Rickardsville Tournament. Key West continues to go deep into bracket play having advanced to the semis of the Dyersville Tournament following a 15-5 drubbing of Rickardsville in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. The Ramblers are now 35-5 overall and have clinched their fifth tournament placement of the 2016 season.

Brett LaMere enjoyed a monster day in the rout of Rickardsville. He went 3-for-4 with a double, triple and five RBIs out of the No. 7 spot in the lineup. He highlighted a 14-hit attack for the Ramblers, who used three different pitchers to navigate the seven-inning affair.

Key West reached the quarterfinals by first squeaking by Cascade, 5-4, in the first round on Sunday (July 31). Nick Woltkamp fired a seven-inning complete game while striking out eight. Ryan Siems went 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Siems is now hitting .421 with a team-high tying four home runs and a Rambler best 33 RBIs. Siems and LaMere connected for back-to-back home runs to pull off a come-from-behind win as part of a doubleheader sweep at Monticello on Monday.

Trey Ertmer also played a starring role in the twin bill at Monticello. He put out a sixth-inning fire by getting a strikeout and a double play to end a bases-loaded threat and preserve a one-run victory. Ertmer then tossed a six-inning, one-hit shutout in game 2. Ertmer struck out nine Monticello hitters in the process of picking up his second win as a Rambler.

Thursday's scheduled league game at Farley was postponed due to rain. Key West will resume action at the Dyersville Tournament on Friday when it battles Bernard. First pitch is slated for 7:30 p.m.

Ramblers finish third at Rickardsville Tourney

Due to postponements, Key West ended up playing all four of its Rickardsville Tournament games in span of four days (July 22-25). The Ramblers ultimately finished third amongst the field of 19 teams at Rickardsville, marking Key West's fourth tournament placement of 2016. In Monday's consolation game, the Ramblers toppled Bernard, 4-1, behind a complete game outing from Dan Spain in his first start on the mound this season.

Prior to Monday, Nick Woltkamp started each of Key West's first three games in Rickardsville. He pitched a gem in the quarterfinals, surrendering just a single hit over seven innings in a 3-2 win over Peosta. He also earned the win in a 10-6 decision over Dubuque in the first round. That victory avenged a semifinal loss to Dubuque in the Cascade Tournament.

Chris Briggs homered in the win over Dubuque. Woltkamp did the same in the 7-5 defeat at the hands of Bellevue in the semifinals. Woltkamp fired 11 innings on Sunday before giving way to the Key West bullpen, which, along with a sloppy defense, failed to hold the lead versus Bellevue. Woltkamp also went 5-for-12 at the plate during the four-game tournament run.

The Ramblers (30-5) are now 15-4 in tournament action this season. They own tourney titles at Bellevue and at Farley.

Forever a Rambler: Kenny Capesius

When Key West returned to the semi-pro baseball circuit in 2004, Kenny Capesius was there. Then just a youngster, Capesius regularly attended Rambler games, serving as a bat boy and chaser of foul balls. It seemed it was his destiny to some day become a Rambler himself.

His hopes of wearing Key West royal blue became reality in 2007 when Capesius appeared in his first game for the Ramblers. Little did anyone know, it was just a start for the La Motte, Iowa, native, who went on to play baseball at Dubuque Senior High School before becoming a fixture out of the bullpen for NCAA Division III Cornell College in Mount Vernon.

"Kenny Cat," as some teammates refer to him as, may never play again for the Ramblers after manning left field in the 8-3 win over Bernard at the Cascade Tournament on Saturday. The next day Capesius packed up and embarked on a new journey, one that will take him to Washington, D.C., where he will work as a paralegal at a law firm. It will be a precursor to law school for the bright-minded Capesius.

An avid Cubs fan, Capesius displayed an unwavering passion for the game of baseball and a positive attitude matched by few. His talents go beyond the baseball diamond. At Cornell Capesius busied himself as class president of the student senate and as a member of mock trial. He was academic all-conference every season while throwing a total of 38.1 innings for the Rams.

With a career record of 18-3 with Key West, Capesius possesses the best winning percentage of any pitcher in Rambler history. This season Capesius allowed just a single earned run over his first 31 innings while putting together an all-star worthy season as a right-handed sidewinder. Capesius has gone 6-1 with a 1.32 ERA in 2016.

The Key West Ramblers wish Kenny the best of luck in Washington, D.C.

Ramblers take third place at Cascade

Bouncing back from a rough semifinal loss to Dubuque, Key West salvaged a third-place finish with an 8-3 victory over Bernard on Saturday evening in the consolation game at the Cascade Tournament. The Ramblers (26-4) jumped out to an 8-0 lead by taking advantage of sloppy defensive play by Bernard while riding the dependable right arm of Nick Woltkamp.

Woltkamp, now 8-1 as a pitcher, also came through with the bat, delivering a two-run double that increased Key West's lead to 5-0 in the fifth inning of Saturday's contest. Chris Briggs had broken a 0-0 draw in the fourth with an RBI single. Ryan Siems also supplied a run-scoring base hit in the fifth. Three unearned runs came across in the sixth thanks to three-straight infield errors committed by Bernard in the sixth.

Making his ninth start on the mound, Woltkamp held Bernard scoreless until the sixth inning. The righty workhorse worked all seven innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks while striking out four. Woltkamp owns a 2.15 ERA over 62.2 innings this season.

Brett LaMere (2-for-4) and Ben Oglesby (2-for-3, two runs) both collected two hits apiece. Playing his final game for the foreseeable future as a Rambler, Kenny Capesius drove in a run with a fielder's choice in the fourth.

Key West will get another shot at the Dubuque Budweisers, the Cascade Tournament runner up, on Tuesday (July 19) when it begins play at the Rickardsville Tournament. First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m.

LaMere homers, drives in four to power win at Worthington

Brett LaMere broke open a tight game in the top of the ninth with a three-run homer that helped lift Key West to its 24th victory over its past 25 games. LaMere drove in four runs on Thursday evening as the Ramblers topped host Worthington, 7-3, in an EIHL contest. Key West (25-3) is now 9-1 in EIHL action.

Worthington had cut into a 3-0 Rambler lead in the bottom of the seventh when back-to-back walks to begin the frame led to a pair of runs. Key West then opened up a five-run lead after Nick Woltkamp singled in a run and LaMere followed with his three-run blast to left. LaMere also knocked in a run with a fielder's choice in the top of the first.

The Ramblers notched a total of 13 hits and frequently missed out on opportunities to pad what became a tenuous advantage. Andrew Redman (3-for-3, two walks), Woltkamp (2-for-4), Anthony Razo (2-for-5) and Anthony Ruden (2-for-5) each recorded at least two hits. Redman (.431 average in 2016) also scored twice on a night when he reached base in all five plate appearances.

On the mound, Art Martinez picked up his second win of the season. He went six innings, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks. He was lifted after walking the first two hitters in the seventh. Austin Bradley then got the final nine outs of the game and earned his fourth save of the year, breaking a team record for saves in a single season.

The Ramblers will return to Cascade on Friday (July 15) for the semifinals of the Cascade Tournament. Key West must defeat the Dubuque Budweisers to advance to Saturday's championship. Friday's first pitch is slated for 8:30 p.m.

Ramblers collect 12 hits, advance to Cascade semifinals

Behind starting hurler Nick Woltkamp, Key West raced out to a 5-0 lead and held on for a 6-3 victory in Wednesday night's second round action at the Cascade Tournament. By way of eliminating Peosta, the Ramblers (24-3) have advanced to the semifinals of the Cascade Tournament for the first time in team history as they continue to seek their first-ever title in the town of Cascade.

Behind a run-scoring double by Brett LaMere and a two-run double by Anthony Razo, Key West vaulted itself to a 3-0 lead in the top of the second. The Ramblers got two more off Ryan Kelly in the top of the second courtesy of a passed ball and Chad Crabill RBI single. Key West's final run came in the fourth when Andrew Redman doubled in Dan Spain.

Woltkamp and reliever Trey Ertmer effectively scattered nine hits, three walks and two hit batters over the seven-inning contest. Woltkamp (7-1) routinely wiggled out of jams during his five innings of work. He allowed six hits and two walks but surrendered just a single run while striking out four.

Chris Briggs, Razo and Anthony Ruden each went 2-for-4 for the Ramblers. Nine different Key West hitters registered at least one hit on the evening.

The Ramblers are back in action tonight (July 14) with an EIHL game at Worthington  (7 p.m.). They resume action from the Cascade Tournament on Friday when they take on the Dubuque Budweisers at 8:30 p.m. in the semifinals. Key West has won 23 of its last 24 games.

Bradley homers twice; Woltkamp earns all-star W

Key West has now won 22 of 23 after going 4-0 this past week. In Saturday's 15-2 trouncing of Balltown, Austin Bradley connected for the first two home runs of his Rambler career while also picking up the win on the mound. Two days earlier, Key West (23-3) toppled Farley, 4-0, to advance to the second round of the Cascade Tournament.

The Ramblers got out to a massive early lead thanks to a 10-run first inning versus Balltown. During the frame, Key West sent 13 hitters to the plate and took advantage of six walks. Included in the outburst was Andrew Redman's third home run of the season. Bradley then added to the lead with a solo blast in the third and a grand slam in the fourth. He also fired 2.1 innings without allowing a single hitter to reach base. Bradley went 3-for-4 in powering the offensive attack. In addition, Nick Woltkamp went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI.

In the tournament win over Farley, Redman and Kenny Capesius combined to shut out the Hawks, who were limited to four hits. Redman tossed the first five innings before giving way to Capesius. Owner of a near perfect 0.29 ERA, Capesius received credit for the win by throwing scoreless sixth and seventh innings.

The game's only runs were pushed across in the bottom of the sixth when run-scoring singles were delivered by Ryan Siems, Woltkamp and Brett LaMere. Both Redman and Siems went 2-for-3 in the win. Key West is aiming for its first-ever Cascade Tournament title. The Ramblers have won a total of 13 tournament titles since the start of 2011.

Key West returns to action at the Cascade Tournament on Wednesday (July 13) when it takes on Peosta in the second round. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.

Woltkamp earns all-star win
Nick Woltkamp got the nod as the starting pitcher for the Eastern Iowa Hawkeye League in Saturday's annual Telegraph Herald Semi-Pro All-Star Game. Woltkamp routinely worked out of jams while throwing five shutout frames in helping the EIHL to a 4-2 win over the Prairie League. Andrew Redman and Anthony Ruden also represented the Ramblers in the all-star game that took place at Farley Park. John Knabel served as coach of the EIHL.

Ramblers push league winning streak to 11

While Key West's overall 18-game win streak fell by the wayside at last week's Worthington Tournament, the Ramblers have extended their winning streak in league action to 11 by taking games over both Epworth (July 3) and Farley (July 5) this week. Key West (21-3) is now 8-1 in the Eastern Iowa Hawkeye League and 4-0 in Prairie League action.

In Sunday's 6-2 win at Epworth, the Ramblers did most of their damage in the third inning when they scored five times. Key West pushed across six runs in the contest despite being limited to six hits. Dan Spain went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs out of the No. 2 spot in the lineup and Austin Simmons fired four innings and improved to 3-0 this season.

Then on Tuesday night, the Ramblers returned to Peosta and drubbed Farley, 8-0, behind six shutout innings from all-star game starter Nick Woltkamp, who tops the team with six victories this season. He tossed six innings, allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out two. At the plate, Woltkamp went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs as part of the five-run second inning. Andrew Redman also went 2-for-4 and Anthony Ruden added two RBIs.

In relief of Woltkamp, Capesius worked a scoreless seventh inning, lowering his sparkling ERA to 0.31 in 29 innings this season. Capesius has surrendered only 15 hits, eight walks and three total runs and sports a record of 5-0. Woltkamp (6-1), Capesius (5-0), Redman (3-0) and Simmons (3-0) each have three wins or more.

Tournament action is scheduled to resume on Thursday night with Key West opening up with Farley in the first round of the Cascade Tournament. First pitch is slated for 8:30 p.m. View the full bracket HERE.

Three Ramblers picked for 2016 all-star game

A total of four team members, Coach John Knabel and three players, will represent the Ramblers at the annual Telegraph Herald Semi-Pro All-Star Game set to take place on Saturday, July 9 at Farley Park. This year's Key West all-stars are Andrew Redman and first timers Anthony Ruden and Nick Woltkamp.

Redman gets the nod as the Eastern Iowa Hawkeye League's second baseman for the third-straight season. The Clarke University product entered this weekend hitting .386 with two home runs, five doubles and 13 runs driven in over 18 games. He's already scored 23 runs and sports an on-base percentage of .514 and slugging percentage of .614. On the mound, Redman is 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 17 innings.

Woltkamp will take the hill for the EIHL in his first appearance as an all-star. The workhorse has logged 44.2 innings so far this season after breaking the team single-season record by hurling 108.1 frames in 2015. In 2016, Woltkamp is 5-1 with a 2.42 ERA and 34 strikeouts. He's tossed three complete games and has held opposing hitters to a .257 batting average.

Ruden is listed as a utility player and will come off the bench for the EIHL. He's currently hitting .346 in 10 games. Over 13 innings as a pitcher, Ruden is 1-0 with 16 strikeouts and a 2.08 ERA. Last season Ruden batted .324 with 12 doubles and 10 stolen bases.

In addition, Nate Ramler, who's appeared in 10 games with Key West, will play third base for the Prairie League while representing Peosta. In only 37 at bats as a Rambler, Ramler has a team high four home runs. Trey Ertmer will play shortstop as an East Dubuque representative. Ertmer has played recently in three games with Key West.

2016 ALL-STAR ROSTERS

Eastern Iowa Hawkeye League
Coach: John Knabel
P: Nick Woltkamp, Key West
C: Ben Ogden, Worthington
1B: Joey Lehmann, Rickardsville
2B: Andrew Redman, Key West
3B: Connor Klosterman, Dyersville
SS: Austin Gehl, Cascade
LF: Nate McMullen, Cascade
CF: Craig Kerper, Farley
RF: Logan Kelleher, Dubuque Buds
DH: Kyle Huxford, Monticello

Reserves
Trent Bollman, Farley
Mike Canavello, Dubuque
Mike Leibfried, Rickardsville
Travis Rahe, Worthington
J.J. Reimer, Dubuque Buds
Anthony Ruden, Key West
Nate Thomas, Dyersville
Jacob Thompson, Monticello

Prairie League
Coach: Dan Melloy, Bernard
P: Dave Smith, Bellevue
C: David Janes, Zwingle
1B: Brett Featherston, Epworth
2B: Alex Dupont, Balltown
3B: Nate Ramler, Peosta
SS: Trey Ertmer, East Dubuque
LF: Cody Reimer, Peosta
CF: Austin Brown, Bernard
RF: Austin Clemens, Dubuque Packers
DH: Matt McCullough, Bernard

Reserves
Kyle Behnke, Balltown
Tommy Crohan, New Vienna
Dylan Kramer, Epworth
Drew Richard, Holy Cross
Jordan Ries, Bellevue
Cory Schulz, East Dubuque
Brandon Slaats, Zwingle
Alex Steines, Dubuque Packers
Kevin Tucker, Placid

Win streak halted at 18

The team record win streak of 18 finally came to an end on Wednesday night when Dubuque handed Key West a 6-3 defeat in the quarterfinals of the Worthington Tournament. The Ramblers (19-3) had won nine-consecutive tournament games having won Bellevue and Farley titles.

In Wednesday's loss, Brett LaMere belted a two-run homer that briefly gave Key West a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning. That advantage evaporated in the bottom half of the frame and Trey Ertmer was tagged with the loss. On the other side, Mark Hennessy fired a complete game and struck out 10. He surrendered five hits and two walks.

The Ramblers advanced to the quarterfinals at Worthington by drubbing Farley, 12-1, on Sunday. Key West played long ball in the blowout victory, getting a home run each from Nate Ramler, Ryan Siems and Dan Spain. Ramler has connected for a team high four home runs this season while Siems has three.

Even with Wednesday's loss, the Ramblers have outscored their opponents by a combined total of 157-61 on the season. They are batting .327 as a team while their foes are hitting just .196.

Key West is scheduled to return to action on Sunday when it will play a Prairie League contest at Epworth. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.

Ramler, Ramblers rock Rickardsville

The win streak grew to 15 on Tuesday night as Key West thrashed Rickardsville, 12-1, in EIHL action in Peosta. No. 5 hitter Nate Ramler tore apart Rickardsville with a 4-for-5 night that included an eighth-inning three-run homer that enacted the 10-run rule. The Ramblers (16-2, 6-1 EIHL) have not lost since a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Farley on May 15.

Ramler, who drove in five runs, played the part of the ringleader for a potent offensive attack that generated 13 hits on Tuesday. Other Ramblers with multiple hits were Ben Oglesby (2-for-3), Nick Woltkamp (2-for-3), Chris Briggs (2-for-5) and Dan Spain (2-for-5). Woltkamp doubled, tripled and knocked in a pair of runs. He's now hitting .391 on the year.

On the mound, Art Martinez pitched five solid frames (three hits, one run allowed) while earning his first win of the season. Austin Bradley received credit for the save by working scoreless sixth, seventh and eighth innings. Rickardsville's lone run came on a Mike Leibfried sac fly in the third inning.

Since the start of the 2012 season, Key West has won 14 of 17 meetings with Rickardsville. The Ramblers are set to return to action on Sunday with two games. First up is a Prairie League matchup in Peosta with New Vienna at 1 p.m. Key West then sets its sights on the Worthington Tournament where it will take on Farley at 7:30 p.m. in a semifinal contest.

Ramblers win third Farley title

For the third time in team history, the Ramblers are champions of the Farley Tournament. On Sunday Key West (15-2) extended its team record win streak to 14 by edging host Farley, 3-2, in the title game. As part of the 16-team bracket, the Ramblers defeated Dubuque, Bellevue and Cascade in making their way to the Father's Day championship tilt. Key West also won Farley titles in 2011 and 2014.

Andrew Redman earned a tournament MVP award for the second time this season by going 8-for-11 over the four games at Farley. He was also the MVP of the Bellevue Tournament, which the Ramblers won on June 4.

Trey Ertmer played the role of hero on Sunday. He recorded the last 11 outs in relief of Nick Woltkamp and then delivered a walk-off RBI single that scored Redman in the bottom of the ninth. It was Ertmer's first-ever game as a Rambler. Redman cracked two more hits a day after reaching base in all four plate appearances in the semifinal win over Cascade.

Redman was far from a lone wolf in Farley. Chris Briggs set the tone in the 13-2 blowout of Bellevue with a first-inning grand slam. Ryan Siems then surfaced with the key hit in the semifinals when he crushed a three-run homer in the fourth inning versus Cascade. On the mount, Woltkamp was a horse, working all seven innings against Cascade on Saturday and then 5.1 frames in Sunday's championship.

Prior to this season, Key West's longest win streak was a 10-game unbeaten run in 2014. The team's 15-2 start equals the 2012 squad for best record after the first 17 games of a season. That Rambler edition finished the year at 40-12 overall.

2016 Farley Tournament results
First Round - W, 8-0 (5 inn.) vs. Dubuque
Quarterfinals - W, 13-2 (5 inn.) vs. Bellevue
Semifinals - W, 7-4 vs. Cascade
Championship - W, 3-2 vs. Farley

Siems, Key West rally for 10th-straight win

Late leads are not safe for opponents of the Ramblers. On Tuesday night Key West rallied from a 3-1 deficit to record its 10th-straight victory. The latest outing resulted in a 6-4 victory over Cascade in an Eastern Iowa Hawkeye League affair. The Ramblers moved to 11-2 overall (5-1 EIHL) while tying a team record set by the 2014 squad for most consecutive victories.

Down 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Key West put up a trio of runs after Ben Oglesby (single) and Anthony Razo (walk) set the table to begin the frame. Nate Ramler drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and a Cascade error and a base hit by Siems brought home two more. After Cascade tied the game in the top of the sixth, the Ramblers responded with two more runs to provide the winning margin.

Siems went 2-for-3 on Tuesday and is now a blistering 20-for-35 (.571) on the year. He helped back a pitching staff that used Austin Bradley (4.2 innings) and Kenny Capesius (2.1) to navigate the seven-inning contest. Although Capesius allowed his first earned run of the season, he improved to 4-0 this season and is now 16-2 in his career with the Ramblers.

Key West is now off until Sunday's first round action at the Farley Tournament. The Ramblers will take on Dubuque in Farley at 1:30 p.m. Key West won Farley titles in 2011 and 2014.

Key West conquers Bellevue

For the first time in team history, Key West celebrated a Bellevue Tournament championship. The Ramblers shook off a 4-1 deficit with a four-run eighth inning and claimed a 5-4 victory over host Bellevue in Saturday's title game. Key West has now won eight-straight games and sits at 9-2 overall (heading into Sunday's action).

The red-hot Ramblers advanced to the championship game by earning wins over Farley, 6-5, Peosta, 5-3, Cascade, 9-4, and Bellevue while making their way through the bracket. In Friday evening's semifinal triumph, Nick Woltkamp tossed a complete game for his third win of the season. At the plate, Andrew Redman went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs, Ryan Siems went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and Dan Spain connected for a monster solo homer in the third.

The win over Cascade set the stage for the team's first tournament title of 2016. Redman, named the MVP of the Bellevue Tournament, continued his big early season performance with two more hits in the championship. His two-run double in the eighth was part of a run of five-straight Key West hits that vaulted it into the lead. Redman also knocked in the game's first run with a sacrifice fly to score Anthony Razo, who led off the game with a triple.

Afterwards Redman told the Telegraph Herald, "We didn't always make the plays behind our pitchers, but they stayed positive and kept battling. And we just kept chipping away until we won. We had to come from behind late to beat Farley, and we had to do it again tonight against Bellevue."

Anthony Ruden tossed six solid innings, but got a no decision despite striking out 10. He retired the first nine hitters he faced and surrendered just one earned run. Austin Bradley (winning pitcher) worked the seventh and eighth innings and gave up one unearned run. Redman then pitched in with a 1-2-3 ninth to earn the save.

Redman (2-for-3), Chris Briggs (2-for-4) and Razo (2-for-5) each had two hits in the title game for the Ramblers. Key West totaled nine hits as a team.

The Ramblers were back in action Sunday with a 1:30 p.m. Prairie League contest at AJ Spiegel Park in Peosta scheduled.

Ramblers advance to Bellevue semifinals, push win streak to six

Winner of 44 games a year ago, Key West has gotten on a roll again after dropping two of its first three games to begin 2016. Thanks to their latest win, a 5-3 Bellevue tournament quarterfinal win over Peosta on Wednesday, the Ramblers (7-2) have won six-straight games. In the victory over Peosta, Key West followed the lead of Andrew Redman on the mound and the hot bat of Ryan Siems.

A Clarke University standout, Siems went 3-for-4 and sparked a two-run second inning that put the Ramblers on top. Siems (now a scorching 13-for-21 on the season) delivered a one-out single and then scored on Nick Woltkamp's triple. Key West then got a run apiece in the third, fifth and sixth inning to provide enough cushion for Redman, who earned his 21st career win as a Rambler.

Redman tossed all seven innings and allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out 10. It was his first appearance on the mound since early in 2015. Last season Redman fired 24 innings without surrendering a single earned run, lowering his career ERA to 1.71.

In other recent action, Key West stacked wins over Rickardsville, 6-5 (May 24), Farley, 6-5 (May 29) and Dyersville, 9-1 (May 31). The triumph over Farley came in the opening round of the Bellevue tournament. In addition to Redman's fine work, Kenny Capesius has run off 17-straight innings without giving up an earned run to begin the season. He owns a perfect 3-0 record.

A spot in the Bellevue title game will be on the line on Friday when the Ramblers take on Cascade at 8:30 p.m. The other semifinal matchup (7 p.m.) features host Bellevue against Epworth. The two winners will meet at 7 p.m. on Saturday in the championship game. Key West has never won the Bellevue tournament, but has finished runner up (2012) and in third place (2015) in the bracket in recent seasons.

Ramblers cruise past East Dubuque in Prairie League opener

With the bulk of its standouts back in place on Sunday evening, Key West rolled to a 17-6 victory over East Dubuque in the Prairie League-opening contest. The Ramblers racked up 19 hits while getting multiple hits from five different players.

Anthony Razo led the hit parade from the leadoff spot with a 4-for-6 day that included two runs and two RBIs. Three Ramblers piled up three hits apiece: Ben Oglesby (3-for-6), Ryan Siems (3-for-5) and Nick Woltkamp (3-for-4). In addition, Andrew Redman homered for the first time this season and Chris Briggs drove in three runs.

Kenny Capesius threw five scoreless innings to move to 2-0 on the season. He walked two and allowed two hits while striking out four East Dubuque hitters. Woltkamp got the final nine outs of the eight-inning affair played at Petrakis Park.

The Ramblers (3-2) had entered Sunday's game with a combined total of just eight runs scored over their first four games. Key West now owns wins over Dyersville, Dubuque and East Dubuque.

The 2016 season is scheduled to continue on Tuesday (May 24) with an EIHL battle at Rickardsville. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.

Ramblers release 2016 schedule

The 2016 schedule has been released. The slate includes 14 EIHL and 13 Prairie League games. Tournament dates will be added as they come available. View the complete schedule HERE. The permanent link to the schedule is available at the top right of the website.

The 2016 season will get started on May 2 when Key West plays at Dyersville at 7 p.m. The 2015 team finished the year with an overall record of 44-14-1, setting a new team record for wins in a single season.

Ramblers to host steak dinner fundraiser

The Key West Ramblers will host a steak dinner fundraiser at Kalmes Restaurant in St. Donatus from 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 2. The cost is $15 for a 10 oz ribeye steak and several sides. Tickets can be purchased at Airline Inn, Happy's Place, Kalmes Restaurant, The Wharf or by calling John Knabel (563-543-0781).