All-star game wiped out by rain

Key West Ramblers played a big role in the EIHL gaining a 4-0 lead before play was halted in the fourth
inning of Saturday's Telegraph Herald Semi-Pro All-Star game. Heavy rain and lightning forced the contest to be canceled. It will not be made up.

Dan Spain, who started at third base and batted second in the EIHL lineup, had already collected two hits before the rain came. Spain doubled in a run in the first and singled in another in the third in support of starting pitcher Jordan Hohensee, who also represented Key West.

Making his first career all-star appearance, Hohnesee shut out the Prairie League through his first four innings of work and was on track to earn the victory. In nine appearances this season for Key West, Hohensee has a 7-1 record and 1.25 ERA to go along with 60 strikeouts in 65 innings.

Andrew Redman, the Ramblers' leading hitter, started at second base and batted fourth in the lineup.

Sunday's game at Holy Cross postponed: Because of Saturday's heavy rains, Holy Cross postponed Sunday's scheduled Prairie League game. A make-up date is to be determined.

Friday's Result: Key West 15, Monticello 3 (7 innings)

On Friday the Ramblers tallied 17 hits on the way to pummeling Monticello, 15-3, in Peosta. Key West got four runs in the first and five more in the third to take a commanding 9-0 lead. The win bumped the Ramblers to 22-6 overall and 7-1 in EIHL action. During the team's current seven-game EIHL win streak, Key West has outscored its opponents 93-18.

Six Ramblers notched two or more hits in the win over Monticello: Chad Crabill (3-for-3), Brett LaMere (3-for-3), Dan Spain (3-for-5), Chris Briggs (2-for-4), Tony Ebel (2-for-4) and Anthony Ruden (2-for-5). Eight of the team's nine starters had at least one hit.

Spain moved to 3-0 on the mound by working the game's first six innings. He scattered seven hits and three runs (all earned) while striking out three. He was relieved in the seventh by Ruden, who threw a scoreless frame.

Up next: The Ramblers host Dubuque in an EIHL game at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Key West has won each of the last three meetings with Dubuque.

Capesius tosses one-hit shutout; Rambler bats supply firepower

Key West put up five runs in the bottom of the eighth to end the game early in a 10-run rule, 10-0 home win over Peosta on Thursday night. Kenny Capesius frustrated Peosta hitters and fired a one-hit shutout to move to 5-0 on the season. Key West is now 21-6 overall and 7-1 in the Prairie League.

Capesius lowered his season ERA to 1.73 in 41.2 innings. As a staff, the Ramblers have a 1.98 ERA and and opponent batting average of .178.

Five Key West hitters totaled two or more hits: Jake Schaeffer (3-for-3), Chad Crabill (2-for-2), Chris Briggs (2-for-5), Andrew Redman (2-for-5) and Anthony Ruden (2-for-5). Both Briggs and Schaeffer tripled once. The Ramblers racked up a total of 16 hits.

Key West got on top early with three runs in the second before adding two more in the fourth.

Winners of 13 of their last 15, the Ramblers return to action Friday (July 11) when they host Monticello at 7 p.m.

Ramblers grab sixth-straight Prairie League win, defeat East Dubuque

Since dropping their Prairie League opener, the Ramblers have now reeled off six-straight in league play after Wednesday night's 6-4 victory at East Dubuque. Key West (20-6) got out to a 6-2 lead on the strength of a three-run second and two-run third to claim its 20th win of the 2014 season, equaling the team's win total from 2013.

Starting pitcher Austin Bradley had given up only six hits in 26 innings of work coming into Wednesday's action. East Dubuque tagged him for seven hits and four runs (three earned) over Bradley's five innings, but the outing was still good enough for Bradley to move to 4-0 on the season. He continues to lead the Rambler pitching staff with a .126 opponent batting average.

EIHL all-star second baseman Andrew Redman bumped his team best average to .443 with a 2-for-3 evening that included a fourth-inning sacrifice fly that capped Key West's scoring. Redman also singled, stole a base and scored a run on Jake Schaeffer's RBI single in the top of the third.

Catcher Chad Crabill also went 2-for-3. He scored a run each in the second and third innings.

Dan Spain, 1-for-4 at the plate on the day, relieved Bradley on the mound in the sixth. Spain retired all six hitters he faced to pick up his first save of the season. Spain has surrendered just a single run in 15 innings this season.

The Ramblers are back in action on Thursday (July 10). They host Peosta at 7 p.m. in another Prairie League battle.

Four league games rescheduled

Four games that had been postponed due to either weather or tournament conflicts have now been rescheduled. The complete schedule can be viewed by clicking the link at the top right of the website.

Rescheduled games:
Thu., July 10 - Peosta (Home) - 7 p.m.
Fri., July 11 - Monticello (Home) - 7 p.m.
Fri., July 18 - East Dubuque (Home) - 7 p.m.
Wed., July 30 - Balltown (Home) - 7 p.m.

Capesius moves to 4-0 in rout of New Vienna

Kenny Capesius bumped his record to 4-0 by hurling eight shutout innings in a 9-0 home victory over New Vienna in Sunday's Prairie League contest. In Capesius' support, the Ramblers pounded out 14 hits to shake off a 3-0 loss to Farley at the Rickardsville Tournament on Saturday. Key West now sits at 19-6 overall and 5-1 in the Prairie League.

After allowing a leadoff single, Capesius settled in and struck out the side in the top of the first. He racked up five more K's on the day and held New Vienna to only four hits and one walk. Capesius lowered his ERA to 2.14 in 33.2 innings on the season.

Offensively, first baseman Chris Briggs continues to heat up. He went 3-for-5 with an RBI single in both the third and eighth innings. The Ramblers put the game out of reach with a four-run eighth that included a two-run single from second baseman Chad Crabill.

Briggs was one of five Ramblers with multiple hits. He was joined by Austin Bradley (2-for-4, run, two stolen bases), Brett LaMere (2-for-4, two RBIs, one run), Dan Spain (2-for-4, three runs, double) and Anthony Ruden (2-for-5, two runs, one RBI, one stolen base).

Bradley, who played the first eight innings in right field, relieved Capesius in the ninth. Bradley duplicated his scoreless frame from the day before. In 26 innings of work this season, Bradley has surrendered just six hits and a single run.

The Ramblers get back to EIHL action on Tuesday night when they host Farley at 7 p.m.

Cascade Tournament: Key West will play Dubuque in the first round on Saturday, July 19 at 7:30 p.m.

Briggs goes deep twice in blowout at Rickardsville

First baseman Chris Briggs crushed his first two home runs of the season (24th and 25th of career) to lead Key West (18-5) to a 12-2, 10-run rule victory at Rickardsville on Wednesday night. The red-hot Ramblers have now won 12 of their last 13 games and are 6-1 in EIHL play.

Briggs (3-for-5) joined Andrew Redman (3-for-4) and Dan Spain (3-for-5) as Ramblers with three hits as part of the 15-hit team outburst. Spain also homered, bringing him with in one long ball of Redman's team high of four.

On the mound, Jordan Hohensee picked up the win to move to 7-1 in his eight starts. Hohensee is set to start on the hill for the EIHL at the all-star game on July 12.

After leading Rickardsville just 5-2 at the end of six innings, Key West exploded with four runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth to propel it to a second-straight win by the 10-run rule.

Anthony Ruden went 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles.

Dating back to August of 2011, the Ramblers have won 10 of the last 12 meetings with Rickardsville.

Key West will return to Rickardsville for first round action at the Rickardsville Tournament on Saturday. The Ramblers will take on Farley at 12 p.m.

Bradley fires no-hitter in 10-run rule win at Placid

On Sunday right-handed pitcher Austin Bradley did something no Rambler had done since the team's rebirth in 2004. Bradley tossed a no-hitter as Key West breezed to an 10-0 victory in eight innings at Placid. The win gave the Ramblers their 11th in the past 12 games and bumped their overall mark to 17-5.

Bradley, a member of the Ellsworth Community College baseball team, has been another dependable arm for a dominant Rambler pitching staff in 2014. After Sunday's outing, Bradley has allowed just a single run in 24 innings of work, giving him a near spotless 0.38 ERA over six appearances.

As part of Key West's 11-hit attack, Kenny Capesius, Brett LaMere, Ben Oglesby and Luis Reyes all went 2-for-4. The Ramblers got one home run apiece from LaMere, Oglesby and Andrew Redman, who has a team high four long balls on the year.

Coach John Knabel even drove in a pair of runs with a base hit in the top of the eighth. The two-run single allowed the Ramblers to win by the 10-run rule as Sam Nelman took the loss for host Placid.

Key West returns to action on Wednesday for an EIHL game at Rickardsville. First pitch is slated for 7 p.m. The Ramblers sport an EIHL record of 5-1.