Ramblers pull away late in victory at Epworth

The Ramblers were locked in a tight 3-3 battle with Epworth heading into the top of the seventh when Key West burst open the game with a five-run frame on the way to a 10-5 Prairie League road victory on Sunday afternoon. Key West (28-5) remained unbeaten in the Prairie League with a spotless 10-0 mark.

Tim Carty led off the seventh by getting drilled by a pitch prior to a Chris Briggs walk. Spencer Kuehn followed with an RBI single to edge Key West in front, 4-3. Andrew Redman then doubled in a pair of runs, Kenny Capesius singled home Redman and Dan Spain, Saturday's All-Star Game MVP, drove a sacrifice fly to center field to complete the five-run inning.

A bases loaded walk by Capesius and an RBI single by Austin Bradley in the eighth gave the Ramblers their final 10-5 cushion after Epworth had drawn back to within three with a run each in the seventh and eighth innings.

Spencer Kuehn earned the win in by firing the final four innings in relief of starter Ben Cottrell. Kuehn allowed two runs (one earned), five hits and two walks and struck out six. Cottrell worked the first five innings, showing dominant stuff with eight strikeouts, although he struggled with his control (six walks).

Third baseman Tim Carty had perhaps his best game of the season with a 3-for-5 day that included a double and his first home run of 2012. Carty also scored three runs and had an RBI. His solo shot to lead off the fifth briefly gave Key West the lead at 3-2.

Andrew Redman joined Carty with three hits of his own, including a double. Redman scored twice and drove in two runs. Chris Briggs continued his hot hitting with a 2-for-4 effort. Briggs' third-inning RBI single gave him 36 runs driven in for the season, eclipsing his own team record of 35 RBIs in 2010.

Key West has now won 13 of its last 14 games, a stretch that dates back to June 14. The Ramblers will put their unblemished Prairie League record on the line again on Thursday when they play Peosta at A.J. Spiegel Park at 7 p.m.

Spain named All-Star Game MVP

On the bright stage amongst the best semi-pro players of the tri-state area, Rambler shortstop Dan Spain showed why he's one of the top players in either area league. Spain collected two hits and reached base four times in earning MVP honors as he led the Eastern Iowa Hawkeye League to a 13-6 victory over the Prairie League on Saturday at Cascade's Legion Field.

With the victory in the 26th annual Telegraph Herald Semi-Pro All-Star Game, the EIHL improved to 6-4 in the 10 years of the league versus league format. Monticello pitcher A.J. Reuter picked up the win on the mound for the EIHL.

"This group of guys plays with intensity every time they play," Spain told the TH. "It wasn't the score we expected, but we come out expecting to win every time we play.

"Guys take it very seriously. It's an honor to be here, and we put it all together tonight."

Key West first baseman Chris Briggs and left fielder Cory Davidson also joined Spain in the starting lineup for the EIHL. Briggs went for 1-for-3 with a double while Davidson was 0-for-2.

Spain was the only member of the EIHL to record at least two hits. Ryan Hoerner (2-for-4) and Topher Scheeler (2-for-3) led the way for the Prairie League, which also got a home run from third baseman Chet Knake.

The EIHL put the game out of reach with a seven-run top of the seventh that made the score 13-2. The EIHL sent 12 hitters to the plate in the frame.

Statistics for Rambler All-Stars heading into Saturday's game:
Briggs: .414 AVG, 7 HR, 35 RBI, .472 OBP, .730 SLG
Davidson: .374 AVG, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 7 SB, .491 OBP, .462 SLG
Spain: .373 AVG, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 8 SB, .432 OBP, .525 SLG

2012 All-Star Game Rosters:

Eastern Iowa Hawkeye League
Coach: Jeff Hoerner (Dubuque)

Starters
Pitcher: A.J. Reuter (Monticello)
Catcher: Eric Banwarth (Rickardsville)
First base: Chris Briggs (Key West)
Second base: Alex Timmerman (Dubuque)
Shortstop: Dan Spain (Key West)
Third base: Kevin Carkeek (Dubuque)
Left field: Cory Davidson (Key West)
Centerfield: Marty Sutherland (Cascade)
Right field: Mike Canavello (Dyersville)
Designated hitter: Chris Kerper (Farley)

Reserves
Cascade: Tim Andrews, Pat Weber
Dubuque: B.J. Juergens
Dyersville: Austin Brown
Farley: Travis Olson
Rickardsville: Mike Leibfried, Tim Felderman
Worthington: Mitch Gotto


Prairie League
Coach: Ryan Hoerner (Epworth)

Starters
Pitcher: Eric DeSousa (Bernard)
Catcher: Matt McCollough (Bernard)
First base: Bobby Bean (Balltown)
Second base: Kyle Harris (East Dubuque)
Shortstop: Corbin Ploessl (Bellevue)
Third base: Chet Knake (Bellevue)
Left field: Ryan Hoerner (Epworth)
Centerfield: Travis Lyons (Zwingle)
Right field: Bill Albee (East Dubuque)
Designated hitter: Lincoln Gibbs (Epworth)

Reserves
Balltown: Ben Urbain
Bellevue: Pete Bonifas
Epworth: Don Grosser
Peosta: Aaron Hopson, Topher Scheeler
Placid: Jon Powers, Shawn Swenson
Zwingle: B.J. Althoff

Ramblers notch back-to-back EIHL wins

An EIHL victory on both Tuesday and Wednesday bumped the Ramblers to 27-5 overall and 9-1 in EIHL play. Key West knocked off Farley 4-1 on Tuesday and then followed that performance with a 6-3 win over Dyersville on Wednesday.

Rambler starting pitcher Spencer Kuehn pushed his mark to 4-0 with six stellar innings of work on Tuesday versus Farley. The right-hander allowed only one run and struck out 10 batters to go against four hits and one walk surrendered. Kuehn gave way after six to Cottrell, who pitched the final three innings to pick up the save.

First Baseman Chris Briggs continued his torrid hitting with a 2-for-4 effort that included an RBI single in the second inning. Briggs was the only Rambler to post multiple hits against Farley starter Casey Tauber.

Spencer Kuehn got Key West on the board in the first with an RBI single of his own. Spain then added an RBI base hit in the second prior to Briggs' run-scoring single. The Ramblers added an insurance run in the eighth inning.

On Wednesday, Briggs picked up where he left off with a 2-for-3 night that powered Key West to victory over host Dyersville. Briggs' eighth-inning blast put the Ramblers in front 4-3 and tied his own single-season record in both home runs (7) and RBIs (35). The game-winning homer also allowed Briggs' to break his own record of 78 total bases in a season set in 2010. He now has 81 total bases this season.

Andrew Redman improved to 7-0 in Wednesday's affair as the Ramblers moved to 3-0 versus Farley in 2012. Redman went seven innings allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks to go with his seven strikeouts. Spain earned the save with a scoreless eighth inning in relief.

At the plate, Redman helped his own cause with a 2-for-3 performance that included a pair of runs scored. Catcher Chad Crabill also went 2-for-3 in his first game serving as the lead off hitter.

Key West is back in action on Sunday at 1 p.m. when it travels to Epworth for a Prairie League game. The Ramblers are 9-0 in Prairie League play.

Sixth-inning outburst keys win over Zwingle

The absences of several key players from the Key West lineup on Sunday failed to stop the Ramblers from getting back into the win column. Designated hitter Sam Thies, a local prep standout, delivered the game-winning two-run single in the bottom of the sixth in a five-run frame that allowed Key West to rally for an 8-4 victory over visiting Zwingle at Table Mound Field.

A four-run fifth inning, punctuated by Travis Lyons' bases-clearing three-run double, edged Zwingle in front, 4-3. That lead held up until the sixth when Thies, playing in his first-ever game as a Rambler, sent Kenny Capesius and Deon Ploessl to the plate with a base hit to make the score 5-4. Both Capesius and Ploessl reached on walks to begin the inning.

After a Cory Davidson ground out, Key West (25-5) exploded for three more runs with two outs. Andrew Redman drove home Thies with a double, Dan Spain followed with an RBI single and Chris Briggs crushed a triple to deep right field to plate Spain and cap the Ramblers' scoring output on the day.

Davidson, working in his second inning in relief of starter Aaron Collins, sandwiched in a hit batter in a scoreless top of the seventh on the way to picking up his first victory of 2012. It was his second appearance on the mound this season.

Key West got on the board first with an RBI ground out from Austin Gasper. Spain then came through with the first of his two RBI singles in the third inning prior to Davidson's run-scoring single in the fourth.

Collins went five innings in his third appearance on the hill this season. He allowed five hits, three walks, four runs (three earned) and struck out four. Davidson tossed two shutout innings and fanned three.

Spain powered the Rambler attack with a 3-for-4 day that included two RBIs, a run and a stolen base. Davidson went 2-for-4 with one RBI, a run and a stolen base.

Briggs' sixth-inning RBI tied Spencer Kuehn for the team lead with 32. Briggs also leads the squad with six home runs, just one off his own team single-season record of seven homers in 2010.

Key West, now 9-0 in Prairie League play, returns to action on Tuesday when it hosts Farley at A.J. Spiegel Park in Pesota at 7 p.m.

Nine-game win streak snapped at Rickardsville Tournament

For the sixth time since May 13, the Ramblers took the field against Dubuque. Saturday's first round meeting in the Rickardsville Tournament resulted in a 6-3 loss as Blues' starting pitcher Mark Hennessy went the distance in a seven-inning complete game.

Key West (24-5) led 2-1 entering the fifth inning, but that's when Dubuque shortstop Andy Danna struck for a two-run homer that gave the Blues the lead for good as Patrick Kelly (brother of Ryan) made his debut on the mound for the Ramblers. Dubuque added two more runs in the sixth, taking advantage of back-to-back walks issued by Kelly to begin the frame. The Blues then pushed across their final tally in the top of the seventh on a solo shot by Aaron Wulfekuhle to put the game out of reach at 6-2.

After Kelly cut through Dubuque by facing the minimum in the top of the first, Key West drew first blood with Chris Briggs' team-high sixth home run in the bottom of the inning. The two-run blast was Briggs' third of the season against the Blues.

Left fielder Cory Davidson tried to spark a two-out rally in the seventh when he sent a 1-2 pitch from Hennessy over the wall for his first homer of the season. But Hennessy struck out Justin Kuhle swinging to end the game and advance Dubuque to the second round in Rickardsville.

Patrick Kelly went five-plus innings in his first semi-pro start, allowing five hits, four walks and five runs (all earned). He also struck out four in a losing effort. Ryan Kelly relieved his brother and recorded the final six outs for the Ramblers.

Briggs went a perfect 3-for-3 for Key West in bumping his season batting average over the .400 mark to .410. Davidson, Patrick Kelly and Matt Knabel each collected one hit as part of the team's six-hit effort.

The Ramblers were without two key bats with the absences of Dan Spain and Tim Carty on Saturday.

Wulfekuhle led the way for Dubuque, going 3-for-4 including a homer and a double. Danna finished 2-for-4.

The loss snapped a nine-game winning streak for the Ramblers, whose last defeat came on June 12 to Dubuque. Four of the team's five losses this season have come at the hands of the Blues, with three of those defeats occurring in tournament action. The two semi-pro heavyweights will meet again July 21 in the first round of the Cascade Tournament.

The Ramblers will look to get back to their winning ways on Sunday in a 1:30 p.m. contest versus Zwingle at Table Mound Field.

Schedule Notes

Three league make-up dates have been announced. Please make note of the following new dates and times:

-Saturday, July 28 at Balltown, 2 p.m.
-Monday, Aug. 6 at Farley, 7 p.m.
-Tuesday, Aug. 7 vs. Cascade (at Peosta), 7 p.m.

In addition, two first-round tournament dates have been announced. The Ramblers drew Dubuque in the first round of the Rickardsville Tournament. That game will be played on July 7 at 2 p.m. Key West will again battle Dubuque in the first round of the Cascade Tournament on July 21 at 8:30 p.m. The Ramblers are 2-3 versus the Blues this season, including a 1-2 record in tournament meetings.

To view the complete 2012 schedule, click here.

Ramblers take Worthington

For the first time since Key West's rebirth in 2004, the Ramblers are champions of the Worthington Tournament. After heart-breaking losses in each of its first two tournament championship game appearances this season, Key West used an offensive outburst on Saturday night to claim a 10-5 victory over Peosta in the title game.

"This was more of a relief championship than anything else," Dan Spain told the Telegraph Herald. "We're having one of the best years this team has ever had, we're 24-4, and it seems like most of those losses were in championship games. It's a relief to get over the hump.

"We don't even get to this game if it wasn't for the way Andrew Redman pitched (Friday night in a 5-0 semifinal victory over Dubuque). Dubuque has a stacked lineup, and that was one of the best-pitched games I've ever seen."

Redman fired complete-game shutouts in the Ramblers' 1-0 first-round win over Balltown and in the team's semifinal triumph over Dubuque. The right-hander's 14 innings of scoreless work in Worthington made him an easy choice for the tournament's Outstanding Pitcher award.

On Saturday, Ryan Kelly earned the win on the mound. He was backed by 2-for-4 nights by Nick Baldocchi and Spencer Kuehn. Spencer Radabaugh took the loss for Peosta.

The title at Worthington marks the team's fourth tournament championship since last season when the Ramblers claimed titles at the EIHL Preseason Tournament, the Farley Tournament and at the Prairie League Championships.

Key West advanced to tournament championship games this season at both the EIHL Preseason Tournament and at Bellevue, only to suffer walk-off losses in each instance. But Saturday, the moment belonged to the Ramblers once again.

"The key all tournament long was we scored runs in bunches," Kelly told the TH. "It's pretty impressive to score five runs against a team like Dubuque, then come back and score 10 more tonight.

"Then, it's just a matter of pounding the strike zone and letting your defense do the work behind you."

Key West's next scheduled game is July 8 versus Zwingle at Table Mound Field. First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m.