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.

Epworth ends Key West's bid for season-high win streak

For the second time this season the Ramblers attempt at an eighth straight victory fell one run short as Epworth rallied for an 8-7 win on Sunday afternoon in Epworth. Key West (14-2) also won seven in a row to begin this season before a 3-2 loss to Dubuque on May 28.

With several players missing Sunday's contest, Kyle Vanderlee made his first start this season (left field) and Kenny Capesius made his second start (right field) for Key West. These lineup tweaks did not prevent the Ramblers from having a solid offensive day, however.

Vanderlee added a pair of singles and a run scored, but it was Cam Stewart (making his first appearance as an infielder this season) who stole the show offensively. After a Cory Davidson walk, a Vanderlee single and a Capesius walk to begin the top of the fifth, Stewart connected on a grand slam to give the Ramblers a 5-1 lead. It was Stewart's first career home run.

A sixth-inning Key West run made the score 6-2, seemingly a comfortable lead for starting pitcher Ethan Carlson. But the bullpen unraveled late and Epworth ignited for four runs in the eighth and two in the ninth for a walk-off victory a day after the Ramblers defeated Epworth in the Farley Tournament Championship game.

Nick Elsinger got the win for Epworth, while Davidson took the loss. Epworth's Lincoln Gibbs led all players with three hits. Jared Munson (2-for-4), Dan Spain (2-for-5), Stewart (2-for-4) and Vanderlee (2-for-4) collected multiple hits for Key West.

Up next for the Ramblers is Rickardsville on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. EIHL battle at A.J. Spiegel Park in Peosta.

Worthington Tournament Update: The Ramblers will take the field for first round action at the Worthington Tournament on Saturday at 6 p.m. against Farley.

Briggs leads the way to title

Above: The Ramblers pose for cameras after Saturday's tournament championship.

First row (standing, from left to right): Justin Kuhle, Tim Carty, Tyler Sincock, John Knabel, Sean O'Connor, Paul Carty, Curt Dixon, Dan Spain, Matt Knabel, Cory Davidson.

Second row: Ethan Carlson, Jared Munson, Michael Jimenez, Cam Stewart, Chris Briggs.

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No team faced a more difficult road to the Farley Tournament championship than the Key West Ramblers, who cut through Dubuque, Bellevue, Cascade and Epworth to capture their first ever Farley Tournament title. Saturday's 10-2 victory over Epworth in the championship capped off a banner week in which the Ramblers laid an early claim as the area's top team.

Chris Briggs, whose batting average currently hovers near .500 and has yet to cool off this season, was tabbed the Leon Kramer Tournament MVP after another stellar effort on Saturday. Briggs went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs in the victory over Epworth. Curt Dixon, making his third start on the mound this season, tossed a seven-inning complete game, striking out nine to go with just six hits and one earned run allowed.

The Ramblers (14-1) got on the board first in the top of the second when Cory Davidson blasted a solo home run with one out. After Epworth answered with a run in the bottom of the second, Key West regained the lead with a two-run single by Briggs to make the score 3-1.

Epworth later got its final run in the fifth inning to make it a 3-2 game. But a run-scoring single by Justin Kuhle and a two-run single by Cam Stewart in the sixth pushed the margin to 6-2, more than enough support for Dixon.

The seventh inning saw Key West explode for four more runs to end all doubt. Back-to-back RBI doubles by Tim Carty and Briggs made it 8-2. Two batters later Davidson added an RBI single and the final tally was aided by an error.

The victory left the Ramblers buzzing about their incredible start to the season. Tim Carty had this to say in today's Telegraph Herald article:

"It feels so good. Eight years ago we even got scheduled to play against the host team," Carty said. "We'd always go out in the first round and come back and watch the later rounds. Now to be out there playing in the championship game is great. We added some great players along the way.

"It means a lot when you get the same guys every night. You really build such a great chemistry with the same group of guys. Sometimes I think that means a little more than talent. Especially in baseball."

To read the entire TH story, click HERE (subscription required).

The Ramblers are back in action Sunday at Epworth at 1 p.m. in a Prairie League contest.

Farley Tournament Champs!

(Above) The Ramblers chat before last Saturday's first round Farley Tournament victory over Dubuque. Key West won its second tournament this season with Saturday's 10-2 win over Epworth.

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The Key West Ramblers added another tournament title to their growing list of 2011 accomplishments with a 10-2 victory over Epworth on Saturday night. The win marks the team's second tournament championship this season. The Ramblers also won the EIHL championship. Chris Briggs was named the tournament's MVP, while Curt Dixon was the championship's winning pitcher. Check back tomorrow for a detailed review of Saturday's big win.

Ramblers advance to tonight's Farley Tournament championship

Sean O'Connor (above) improved his record to 5-0 this season with Friday's win over Cascade.

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A loaded Cascade roster with the likes of Aaron Saeugling could not stop the Ramblers from advancing to their second tournament championship appearance this season. Key West came from behind to take a 6-4 decision over Cascade Friday night in the semifinals of the Farley Tournament.

Starting pitcher Sean O'Connor shook off a rough first inning in which he allowed three runs to improve his record to 5-0 and Tim Carty starred at the plate with two hits, including his second home run of the season. Chris Briggs stayed hot, cracking two hits.

Matt Knabel and Jared Munson both recorded doubles, while Saeugling homered for the Reds. Cascade pitcher Mitch Mueller took the loss.

Key West (13-1) will now play Epworth Saturday at 5:30 p.m with the Farley Tournament title on the line. Epworth defeated Peosta 4-2 to advance to Saturday's championship tilt.

Ramblers fend off Bellevue in extras

In what has become a regularity in Key West-Bellevue match ups, Bellevue star Chet Knake tagged yet another Rambler pitcher for a home run -- the latest one coming on Tuesday night in the quarterfinal round of the Farley Tournament. His seventh-inning solo blast tied the score, 1-1, and extended the game to an eighth inning.

But the Ramblers gave starting pitcher Andrew Redman more than enough support in a five-run top of the eighth that put the game out of reach. Redman struck out the side in the bottom half, sandwiching in a single, to close the door and eliminate Bellevue by a 6-1 score.

Tyler Sincock got the Key West (12-1) eighth started with a lead off single. After back-to-back walks by Dan Spain and Tim Carty, Michael Jimenez smoked a ground ball to third that looked like a potential 5-2-3 double play. But the third baseman's throw went to the backstop and allowed Sincock and Spain to trot home to give the Ramblers a 3-1 advantage. Chris Briggs added the icing on the cake with a two-run triple to give the Ramblers a comfy 5-1 lead. Cory Davidson added the final tally with a RBI ground out.

Redman, whose ERA now sits at a microscopic 0.87, was his usual dominant self on Tuesday. The righty gave up just three hits and two walks while striking out seven. Bellevue did not record its first hit until the fifth inning. Opposing batters are now hitting only .134 against Redman this season.

The Ramblers got their first run on a RBI double by Matt Knabel. Briggs was Key West's star at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a triple, double and two RBIs.

Key West now advances to the semifinals of the Farley Tournament where it will face Cascade on Friday at 8:30 p.m. Cascade defeated Balltown and East Dubuque to reach Friday's semifinal. Key West is 2-0 versus Cascade this season.