Young outfield highlights 10-3 win over Placid

An all-high school outfield contributed heavily to a 17-hit, 10-3 victory over Placid Sunday afternoon at Table Mound Field in Key West. Deon Ploessl (2-for-5), Chad Crabill (2-for-4) and Kenny Capesius (1-for-3) comprised the Rambler outfield on Sunday, representing all three local high schools while combining for five of the team's 17 hits.

Ploessl led off the game with a bloop double and scored on a Dan Spain RBI single. Ben Cottrell then singled and knocked home Spain after he stole second as the Rambler hit parade got started early. Ploessl cracked an RBI single in the second and Cottrell guided a two-run double to right field to make the score 5-0 in the middle of the second.

Placid's Travis McDermott got the Pirates on the board with a two-run homer in the bottom half of the second. But Placid would get no closer than three runs the rest of the game as the Ramblers continued to tack onto the lead with one run each in the third- and fourth-innings and three in the sixth.

Spain (3-for-5), Cottrell (2-for-3), Chris Briggs (2-for-4), Matt Knabel (2-for-4) and Justin Kuhle (2-f0r-4) added to the Key West attack to give the Ramblers seven hitters with at least two hits on the day. With the victory, the Ramblers moved to 27-7 overall, marking the first time in team history that Key West has been 20 games over .500.

Sean O'Connor made his ninth start of the season and improved his record to 8-1. O'Connor went all seven innings and struck out nine hitters. He allowed seven hits and four walks.

Up next for Key West is Cascade at Peosta in a 7 p.m. EIHL contest.

Spain, bats bust loose

After struggling to score runs over the past two weeks, the Ramblers finally busted out with a scoring outburst in Tuesday night's 11-1, 10-run rule home victory over Monticello. Dan Spain reverted back to the form he showed early in the season, recording three hits and a pair of runs.

But Spain was far from the only contributor to the onslaught. Key West (25-7) exploded for six runs in the third, virtually putting the game away right there. Matt Knabel smacked a two-run single and Ben Cottrell (bases-loaded walk) and Kenny Capesius (RBI single) each posted an RBI in the frame. The Ramblers led 7-0 at the end of the inning.

A three-run fourth added even more cushion. After Tanner Denlinger walked and Spain singled to lead-off the fourth, Chris Briggs cracked a two-run triple. Two batters later, Briggs crossed home-plate after a Cody Leach groundout to short. Denlinger pushed the tally to 11-1 in the fifth with an RBI single.

Cottrell was brilliant on the mound again for the Ramblers. He tossed six innings, allowing just four hits and one run. He also struck out five and did not issue a single walk as he improved to 3-1. Cam Stewart made his first appearance on the mound as he relieved Cottrell in the seventh. Stewart recorded a 1-2-3 inning to put the wraps on the team's 25th win of the season.

Spain (3-for-4), Denlinger (2-for-3) and Leach (2-for-3) posted multiple hits for Key West. Eight of the Ramblers' nine starters collected at least one hit as part of the Ramblers' 12-hit attack.

The Ramblers get back to action Sunday when they play rival Dubuque in a 1:30 p.m. Prairie League game at Table Mound Field in Key West.

Bellevue hands O'Connor his first loss

The Ramblers continued to struggle at the plate as they fell, 5-1, to Bellevue in the first round of the Cascade Tournament on Monday night. Bellevue starting pitcher Justin Eissens held Key West (24-7) to only five hits on his way to earning the victory.

Sean O'Connor, making his eighth start on the mound for Key West, took his first loss of the season after winning his first seven decisions. O'Connor lacked sharpness as he walked five and hit a batter in a six-inning, complete-game effort. He gave up seven hits and struck out two.

Bellevue got its first run in the second-inning by way of an error. Eissens knocked home a pair of runs with a two-run single in the third to make it 3-0. After a balk by O'Connor plated the fourth run, Brett Boeckenstadt capped Bellevue's scoring with an RBI single.

Matt Knabel's groundball to first, which was misplayed, allowed Tim Carty to score the only Key West run in the sixth. Carty had reached with a double to begin the inning. It would be the Ramblers' only extra base-hit on the night.

The Ramblers are back in action Tuesday at 7 p.m. when they take on Monticello in an EIHL game in Peosta.

Pair of make-up dates announced

Two Rambler make-up dates were announced Thursday. The team will play this Sunday at Bernard at 2 p.m. in Prairie League action. They will also take the field Aug. 9 at Dubuque (Petrakis) at 7 p.m. in an EIHL contest. The complete schedule can be found by clicking the "2011 Team Schedule" link at the top-right.

Ramblers struggle to 5-4 win over Worthington

Worthington nearly took advantage of the Ramblers' current stretch of cold hitting on Tuesday night, but came up just short in the steamy, 5-4 seven-inning EIHL battle in Peosta. A late sixth-inning run edged the Ramblers back in front and allowed the team to improve to 24-6 overall.

While many Key West hitters have gone cold of late, catcher Matt Knabel continues to heat up just like the Eastern Iowa weather. Knabel's two-run single in the first capped a four-run first inning for Key West. The Ramblers led 4-0 after the first frame and appeared to be on their way to an easy victory with Sean O'Connor on the mound.

But Worthington had other ideas. O'Connor, who came in holding opposing batters to a .172 average, was tagged with a season-high 10 hits. He also gave up three runs (two earned), but did strike out seven against only two walks.

Worthington chipped off the lead by getting one run each in the second, third, fifth and sixth innings to complete its comeback from a 4-0 deficit. Worthington pushed across the tying run in the sixth after a third strike alluded Knabel and allowed J.J. Connolly to score. The Ramblers responded quickly by regaining the lead when Cam Stewart drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the sixth. With the bases still loaded and only one out, Tyler Sincock flew out and Dan Spain grounded out to end the threat.

Curt Dixon, who threw the final two innings in relief, made the one run stand up and pushed his own mark to 4-0. Dixon flashed dominating stuff as he struck out six Worthington hitters.

Knabel and Cory Davidson were the only Ramblers to manage multiple hits. Knabel went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBIs. Davidson cracked two hits in three at-bats and collected an RBI and a run. Nate Ramler played his first game as a Rambler and went 1-for-3 with a run scored.

The Ramblers are off until Saturday when they will challenge Bellevue in the first round of the Cascade Tournament at 5 p.m.

Knabel keys comeback win over Balltown

Exactly two weeks ago the Ramblers, led by Matt Knabel's go-ahead two-run single, put together a miraculous seventh-inning rally to erase a late four-run deficit at Balltown and win, 8-7. Sunday's 6-5 home victory over Balltown at Table Mound followed a similar plot-line. However, in this contest Key West (23-6) took the lead an inning earlier.

Cory Davidson's sixth-inning sacrifice fly brought home Tyler Sincock to give Key West a 6-5 lead after trailing 5-0 as late as the bottom of the fifth. But it was Knabel's big hit once again that turned the game around. His bases-loaded triple in the fifth got the Ramblers within one run and facilitated yet another nail-biting win in what was a seven-inning game.

Sean O'Connor, making his first appearance on the mound since June 25, relieved starter Greg Farrey in the sixth inning and moved to 7-0 on the season. O'Connor retired all six batters he faced in his two innings of work, showing off nasty stuff opposing Eastern Iowa hitters have become accustomed to this season.

Farrey tossed five innings, again struggling with wildness in the first inning before settling in. He gave up all five Balltown runs, but just two of them were earned. Farrey allowed four hits and struck out three.

Down 5-0 at the start of the bottom of the fifth, the Ramblers' patient approach paid off. Alex Miklo, Chris Briggs and Cory Davidson (bases-loaded walk) all walked and Tim Carty sandwiched in a single as Key West got on the board with the score at 5-1. After Justin Kuhle popped out, Knabel smacked a three-run triple. Knabel was then thrown out at the plate attempting to score on Kenny Capesius' fly ball to right.

Key West again loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth after Cam Stewart singled, Tyler Sincock reached on catcher's interference and Miklo singled again. Chris Briggs came through with an RBI single and Davidson poked the game-winning sacrifice fly to right field.

O'Connor dominated the top of the seventh and the Ramblers celebrated their ninth one-run win of the season. Six of the team's last seven wins have come by a single run. Overall, the Ramblers have won four straight.

Knabel (2-for-2, triple, double, walk) and Miklo (2-for-3) each picked up two hits for Key West. Balltown managed only four hits as a team.

Next up for the Ramblers is a double-dose of Worthington. The two teams will meet Tuesday for a 7 p.m. duel in Peosta and on Thursday for a 7 p.m. match up at Worthington.

Ramblers eek out two more one-run victories

The Ramblers began the 2011 campaign by clubbing their first four opponents by a combined score of 52-4. But since then, stiff competition has made one-run ballgames the norm. With Wednesday's 3-2 win over East Dubuque and Thursday's 2-1 victory over Farley, Key West (22-6) moved to 8-3 this season in games decided by a single run. Incredibly, five of the Ramblers' last six wins have come by one run.

Ben Cottrell and Justin Kuhle starred in Wednesday's affair. Cottrell threw seven exceptional innings, allowing just four hits and two runs (both earned) to nab his second win of 2011. Cottrell was even more impressive at the plate, where he went 2-for-2 with a solo home run in the top of the second. Kuhle paced the Ramblers with three hits, including a double and one RBI.

Key West put its first run on the board in the first on a double-steal as Dan Spain plucked second base, allowing Tyler Sincock to trot home from third. Kuhle's RBI single in the third gave the Ramblers a 3-0 lead, proving to be just enough for Cottrell to hold on for the win over East Dubuque.

The Ramblers got another great pitching performance on Thursday as Spain pitched a seven-inning complete game, surrendering only four hits and one run (earned) in the 2-1 win over Farley. Steve McDonough, who filled in with numerous Rambler regulars absent Thursday, had a hand in both Key West runs. His RBI single in the top of the second gave the Ramblers a 1-0 lead. McDonough then reached on an error by the shortstop in the fourth inning, which allowed Cory Davidson to score and put the Ramblers back in front, 2-1.

Matt Knabel was the only Rambler to record multiple hits on the night. Knabel's double in the second and single in the fourth aided both Rambler runs. He also added a stolen base. Key West is now 5-1 versus Farley this season.

The Ramblers return to action on Sunday for a 1:30 p.m. Prairie League battle with Balltown at Table Mound Field in Key West.