Timely hits, strong pitching key win over Dubuque

Sean O'Connor kept his unbeaten streak alive as the Ramblers avenged a May 28 loss to Dubuque by trumping the Blues, 3-2, on Saturday night in the first round of the Farley Tournament.

O'Connor pitched a complete game (seven innings) to improve his mark to 4-0. He gave up two runs (one earned), five hits and two walks and struck out four. At, the plate, third baseman Michael Jimenez cracked the game-winning hit in the fifth inning that capped the scoring in Saturday's affair.

Key West (11-1) fell behind early on when sloppy defense helped Dubuque put up an unearned run in the top of the first inning. The Blue's Ben Tressel led off with a single and advanced to second on an errant pick off throw to first. Back-to-back ground outs plated Tressel to make the score 1-0.

Dubuque then made it 2-0 on Matt Asche's RBI double in the second. Mike Hoerner was plunked to begin the inning. Hoerner then moved to second on Seth Hoerner's sacrifice bunt.

But Dubuque's lead would be short-lived. The Ramblers came back with two runs in the bottom of the second. With one out, Justin Kuhle walked and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Cam Stewart drove Kuhle in with a double to the right-center gap. Two batters later, designated hitter Kenny Capesius' single to center knocked in Stewart with two outs to tie the game.

The game remained tied until Jimenez's double to right field chased Andrew Redman to the plate for the deciding run off of Dubuque starting pitcher Mark Hennessy.

Stewart finished the game 2-for-3, as did shortstop Dan Spain, who singled twice.

The Ramblers return to action on Tuesday at 7 p.m. for the second round of the Farley Tournament. Key West will take on Bellevue, who defeated Dyersville 4-0 on Saturday.

Sunday's game re-scheduled for June 25

Tomorrow's scheduled 1:30 p.m. game at Table Mound Field against Bernard has been re-scheduled for June 25. The game will remain at Table Mound, but will be played at 1 p.m. Last night's rain outs at the Farley Tournament pushed Bernard's first round game to Sunday at 2 p.m., necessitating the change.

Saturday's game with Balltown postponed

Saturday's scheduled game at Balltown at noon has been postponed due to rain. An announcement on the game's re-scheduled date will come soon.

Ramblers capture elusive road win at Cascade

For the first time in eight years, the Ramblers pulled out a victory over the Cascade Reds on the road. A sloppy, wet field made playing conditions rough, but that failed to stop the Ramblers from notching a 6-3 win on Friday night.

Cory Davidson continued his hot hitting, going 2-for-3 with a triple, two waks, two runs and one RBI to back winning pitcher Dan Spain. Spain went six strong innings, limiting Cascade to three runs (two earned) and six hits. Andrew Redman picked up his first save by throwing three nearly perfect innings. His only mistake was a ninth-inning plunking of Tom Andrews, who was quickly erased after getting caught off first on a line out to short.

Davidson's RBI single in the second scored Redman for the first tally of the game. Cascade got a run of its own in the second with Josh McQuillen's sacrifice fly to right field. Cascade then took the lead in the third when Marty Sutherland scored on an error on the second baseman.

The Ramblers (10-1) took the lead for good in the fifth inning when Jared Munson corked a two-run single to right field to make the score 3-2. Cam Stewart added a RBI single in the sixth for a 4-2 lead. Cascade put up its final run in the sixth to draw within one again, but Key West responded with two runs in the eighth on a Spain RBI single and a Munson bases-loaded walk.

Tim Carty led all players with three hits. Lead off man Tyler Sincock reached base twice on a hit-by-pitch and a walk.

The Ramblers return to action on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. versus Dubuque in the first round of the Farley Tournament. Saturday's scheduled noon game at Balltown has been postponed.

Farley Tournament Schedule

Key West will begin play on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. versus Dubuque in the first round of the Farley Tournament. In Thursday night's first round action, Farley crushed Placid and Peosta squeaked by Worthington.

Here is the complete first round schedule:

Thursday:

Farley 17, Placid 1

Peosta 1, Worthington 0

Friday:

Epworth vs. Zwingle, 7 p.m.

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

Saturday:

Dyersville vs. Bellevue, 6 p.m.

Dubuque vs. Key West, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday:

Cascade vs. Balltown, 4 p.m.

East Dubuque vs. Rickardsville, 5:30 p.m.

Briggs' walk-off double lifts Key West

Key West and Farley appeared destined to go to the 11th inning after Jared Munson and Dan Spain were retired to lead off the bottom of the 10th inning in a 3-3 game. But a two-out 2-2 pitch nailed Michael Jimenez and set the stage for Chris Briggs' heroics. Briggs crushed a 1-1 pitch to right field for a double, sending Jimenez in to score the winning run all the way from first.

The Ramblers (9-1) beat Farley for the third time this season in as many tries with Tuesday night's 4-3 win at A.J. Spiegel Park in Peosta. Andrew Redman pitched 3.2 innings of dominant relief to pick up his first win of the season. Redman struck out six and gave up just two hits.

Redman came in after starter Curt Dixon faced the first four hitters in the seventh and left men on first and second. Dixon had cruised through the first four innings, facing the minimum and throwing only 39 pitches. But a Chris Kerper RBI single in the fifth and a Jesse Lawler RBI single in the seventh put Farley within striking distance. Brian Miller then evened the score with a bloop RBI double off Redman in the seventh.

Dixon looked like he might breeze to victory after Justin Kuhle gave the Ramblers a 3-0 cushion in the fourth inning. With the bases loaded, Kuhle lined a high change up from Billy Schmitt into the left center gap and cleared the bases. Farley responded by tagging Dixon with three earned runs to chase him from the game after 6.1 solid innings of work.

Briggs finished 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles. Cory Davidson and Cam Stewart each went 2-for-4 with two singles.

The Ramblers will be back in action on Friday for a 7 p.m. contest at Cascade in an EIHL date.

O'Connor moves to 3-0 in victory over Farley

Sean O'Connor pitched brilliantly again as the Ramblers brushed off Saturday's loss to Dubuque and defeated the host Farley Hawks, 5-1, Thursday night.

O'Connor pitched eight innings and allowed only a single run and three hits. He struck out nine while walking one. O'Connor bumped his record to 3-0 on the season.

Neither team could put a tally on the scoreboard until Tim Carty's sixth-inning sacrifice fly drove in Dan Spain, who reached on a single, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error on the catcher.

The Ramblers (8-1) then added four runs in the seventh frame to open up a 5-0 lead. Andrew Redman began the outburst with a one-out hit-by-pitch. Justin Kuhle singled to shallow right field and Cole Boge followed a Cory Davidson strikeout with a RBI single to left center. Jared Munson, who went 2-for-3 with a double, then singled home Kuhle. A wild pitch on strike three to Tim Carty allowed Boge to score, and another wild pitch brought home Munson to give the Ramblers their final run of the ballgame.

Farley got its lone run in the seventh when Andy Seabrooke scored on a wild pitch. Farley starting pitcher Billy Schmitt tossed five shut out innings before giving way to reliever Brian Miller, who was tagged with the loss.

Ryan Kelly pitched a scoreless ninth-inning to cap Key West's eighth win of the season. Andrew Redman got his first start of the season in the field for Key West. He went 0-for-3 but lined out sharply to center field twice.

Farley will get another shot at Key West on Tuesday when the Ramblers host the Hawks at 7 p.m. at Peosta.