Make-up dates

Please note the following additions to the schedule:

Wed. July 6 vs. Dyersville (@Dyersville) 7 p.m.

Tue. July 26 vs. Monticello (@Peosta) 7 p.m.

Wed. Aug. 3 vs. Dyersville (@Peosta) 7 p.m.

To view the complete 2011 schedule, click HERE.

Ramblers eliminated from Worthington

The Ramblers failed on Wednesday night in their attempt to win back-to-back extra inning games as Bellevue's Justin Eissens brought the overtime battle to an abrupt end with a lead-off, walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning. With Bellevue's win, it advances to play in the semifinals of the Worthington Tournament on Friday.

Key West (17-4) wasted an outstanding start by Ben Cottrell, who made just his second appearance of the season as a Rambler due to a stint with the Waterloo Bucks. Cottrell gave way to Dan Spain after pitching seven fantastic innings. Spain took the loss after serving up the homer to Eissens.

Bellevue starting pitcher Dakota Bacus matched Cottrell's effort and got a no-decision. The Ramblers succeeded in cracking Bacus in the fourth inning only. Tim Carty led off and was hit by a pitch and was forced to second after Chris Briggs walked. Justin Kuhle followed with a sacrifice bunt that set up a two-run single by Jared Munson that put Key West up 2-1.

Bellevue took advantage of Cottrell's sixth-inning wildness and tied the game up, 2-2, in the sixth inning. The Ramblers went down silent in the seventh and eighth to pave the way for a Bellevue walk-off win in the eighth, courtesy of Eissens, who also got the win in relief.

The Ramblers now look forward to Saturday's 1 p.m. Prairie League game versus Farley at Table Mound Field in Key West.

Ramblers outlast Dubuque in 12-inning affair

The clash between Eastern Iowa semi-pro titans did not disappoint as Tuesday's rivalry game between Key West and Dubuque was decided by a single run once again. The Ramblers came away victorious, 4-3, in a 12-inning contest at A.J. Spiegel Park in Peosta.

After splitting a pair of one-run games with Dubuque earlier this season, the Ramblers (17-3) expected another close battle on Tuesday. A three-run seventh-inning by Key West erased a 3-0 deficit and catapulted the game into extra innings, giving second baseman Cam Stewart the chance to play the part of hero.

Stewart's line drive base-hit up the middle off the glove of a diving Chris Johnson scored Cory Davidson from second in the bottom of the 12th and the Ramblers walked off with an EIHL victory. Davidson started the bottom of the 12th with a single and stole second with no outs. After a Jared Munson strikeout and a Matt Knabel groundout, Stewart came through with the game-winner.

Davidson's tally made a winner out of relief pitcher Dan Spain, who threw the final five innings and did not allow a run. Curt Dixon started for Key West. He tossed seven innings, striking out a season-high nine while allowing seven hits, two walks and three runs (one earned). Spain gave up just two hits and struck out five.

Held scoreless by Dubuque starting pitcher Chris Johnson through six innings, the Ramblers came up big in the seventh. Stewart got things started with a one-out single, followed by a Tyler Sincock walk. Spain's RBI single finally got Key West on the board before Tim Carty's clutch two-run double plated Sincock and Spain to tie the score.

Key West nearly won the game in the bottom of the ninth when Chris Briggs' double sent Spain, who began the play at first, headed toward the plate. But the relay to the plate cut Spain down and sent the game to extras.

The Ramblers put a runner on third base in both the 10th and 11th innings, but failed to break through, just as Dubuque had in the top of the 11th when it loaded the bases with two outs. Finally the classic match up came to an end with Stewart's single in the 12th.

Carty (2-for-4), Briggs (2-for-5), Davidson (2-for-5), Knabel (2-for-6) and Stewart (2-for-6) all belted two or more hits in Tuesday's win.

The Ramblers resume play at the Worthington Tournament Wednesday at 7 p.m. versus Bellevue. In the only meeting this season between the two teams, Key West defeated Bellevue on June 14 by a 6-1 score in an eight-inning game at the Farley Tournament.

Davidson powers Ramblers in thrashing of Bankston

For the second time this season, the Ramblers defeated struggling Bankston by a 15-run margin. Key West (16-3) pounded out 19 hits in a 16-1, six-inning victory over Bankston in New Vienna on Sunday.

Cory Davidson had his most impressive statistical game as a Rambler. Davidson went 3-for-5 with two home runs and seven RBIs. He now leads the team in both home runs (4) and RBIs (19).

But Davidson was not the lone offensive star in Sunday's blowout. Four other Ramblers clubbed multiple hits, including Matt Knabel (4-for-5), Justin Kuhle (3-for-4), Dan Spain (3-for-5) and Tim Carty (2-for-3). Kenny Capesius added a single and three runs driven in, while Toby Decker and Cam Stewart each recorded run-scoring doubles.

On the mound, right-hander Ethan Carlson made his third start of the season. He went all six innings, allowing four hits and three walks to go along with seven strikeouts as he picked up his first career semi-pro victory.

Davidson gave Key West all it needed in the first inning when he smacked his first home run of the afternoon, giving the Ramblers their first three runs of the game. The Ramblers went on to put up one run in the second, six in the third, one in the fourth, two in the fifth and three in the sixth. Bankston got its only run in the fourth on a Tyler Ernzen RBI single.

The Ramblers are back in action Tuesday when they take on Dubuque at 7 p.m. at A.J. Spiegel Park. Key West resumes play at the Worthington Tournament on Wednesday at 7 p.m. versus Bellevue in a quarterfinal match up.

Tournament magic continues

Despite consistently tough first round draws in this season's early tournaments, the Ramblers have thrived in tournament play. That success continued on Saturday night in the first round of the Worthington Tournament as Key West used a monster fifth inning in the process of shutting out Farley, 5-0.

Sean O'Connor threw a shutout, allowing just five hits and a walk in a seven-inning complete game. O'Connor is now 6-0 with a paltry 1.57 ERA in 46 innings of work, filling the role of Key West's workhorse in 2011.

Farley starting pitcher Ted Rowe matched zeroes with O'Connor until the fifth inning when the Ramblers (15-3) exploded for five runs. Toby Decker (lead-off walk) and Roberto Rivero (single) set the table for Dan Spain, who provided the first two runs of the game with a two-run single. Two batters later, Cory Davidson drove home two more runs with a single of his own. Matt Knabel later added a two-out RBI infield single to score Davidson and finalize the game's scoring.

Spain finished 2-for-4. Jared Munson added a single and a walk. The Ramblers notched only six hits as a team, four of which coming in the fifth.

The Ramblers now advance to play in the quarterfinals of the Worthington Tournament on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Key West returns to Prairie League action tomorrow with a 1 p.m. date at Bankston.

Worthington Tournament schedule

This year's Worthington Tournament gets underway Thursday as the host takes on Placid. The Ramblers enter first round play Saturday at 6 p.m. against Farley. The entire tournament schedule is listed below.

First Round

Thursday:

Worthington vs. Placid, 7 p.m.

Peosta vs. Monticello, 8:30 p.m.

Friday:

Epworth vs. Dyersville, 7 p.m.

Bernard vs. Rickardsville, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday:

Key West vs. Farley, 6 p.m.

Bellevue vs. East Dubuque, 8 p.m.

Sunday:

Cascade vs. Zwingle, 5:30 p.m.

Balltown vs. Dubuque, 7:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals

Tuesday, June 28:

Worthington/Placid vs. Peosta/Monticello, 7 p.m.

Epworth/Dyersville vs. Bernard/Rickardsville, 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, June 29:

Key West/Farley vs. Bellevue/East Dubuque, 7 p.m.

Cascade/Zwingle vs. Balltown/Dubuque, 8:30 p.m.

Semifinals

Friday, July 1:

Quarterfinal winners, 7 p.m.

Quarterfinal winners, 8:30 p.m.

Consolation

Saturday, July 2:

Semifinal losers, 6 p.m.

Championship

Saturday, July 3:

Semifinal winners, 8 p.m.

Ramblers lose second straight for first time in 2011

Two straight losses have brought the Ramblers down from the high they enjoyed after winning Saturday's Farley Tournament. Rickardsville handed Key West (14-3) its latest defeat by a 4-2 score Tuesday night in Peosta.

Rickardsville starting pitcher Jeff Lehman had his way with Key West batsman, allowing only one Rambler run in the opening five innings. And for the first time in 17 games this season, the Ramblers never led at any point. Rickardsville jumped out to a 4-1 lead after five-and-one-half innings and Key West could draw no closer than two runs in Tuesday's EIHL duel.

Tim Carty and Tyler Sincock recorded multiple hits for Key West. Both went 2-for-4. Chris Briggs and Jared Munson each had a double. Dan Spain took the loss, his first of the season.

Tim Felderman (3-for-5), Mike Liebfried (2-for-3), Tony Potts (2-for-4), Eric DeSousa (2-for-5) and Nathan Hall (2-for-6) all notched multiple hits as part of Rickardsville's 13-hit attack.

The Ramblers look to end their two-game skid when they travel to the Worthington Tournament for a 6 p.m. Saturday date with Farley. Key West is 3-0 against Farley this season, including a tournament victory.