No Key West semi-pro baseball team had ever advanced to the title game in the 62 years of the historic Dyersville Tournament. That drought ended Saturday night with the Ramblers (38-10) claiming a 4-2, 11-inning thriller over host Dyersville for the team's second tournament championship of the season and fifth in the past two years.
Aaron Collins, a Coe College product, emerged as the hero both with the bat and on the mound. Collins knocked home the tying run in the ninth inning to keep the game alive, played a key role in the game-deciding 11th inning and picked up the win with two solid innings of work in relief.
With the score tied 2-2, Collins cracked his second hit of the evening in the 11th after Cam Stewart was plunked to lead the inning off. Ryan Kelly followed with a potential double-play grounder to short that went for an error and allowed Stewart to score the go-ahead run. Tim Carty notched an RBI single two batters later to give Collins some room to breath.
Collins would then face the minimum in the bottom half of the 11th. After a lead-off single by Matt Ungs, the left-hander induced a 6-4-3 double play grounder off the bat of Beau Ellingson. The celebration was on as Aaron Becker grounded out to short to clinch the title at Jenk Field.
"We were fortunate enough to take advantage of some mistakes," Carty told the Telegraph Herald. "They played a great game and we were lucky enough to get some breaks and the ball rolled our way in the 11th."
The Ramblers never would have gotten that chance in the 11th had it not been for Collins' clutch RBI single in the ninth. Tanner Denlinger began the frame with a walk and advanced to third with one out after a pair of wild pitches. With the Dyersville infield drawn in to protect its one-run lead, Collins guided a floater into right center to force extra innings.
"It was a team effort, it was a great team win," Kelly said in an interview with the TH. "Everyone contributed in some way, whether it was at the plate, defensively or on the mound - the whole tournament."
Kelly was named the tournament's MVP after another strong performance on Saturday. The former Clarke University pitcher tossed the first nine innings, surrendering eight hits, three walks and two runs (both earned) while striking out 10. Kelly also got the win over Cascade on Wednesday when he fired a seven-inning complete game. In his two tournament outings, Kelly threw 16 innings and allowed 15 hits, five walks and three earned runs and fanned 18 hitters.
Kelly (2-for-6) was also one of five Ramblers to collect two hits in Saturday's championship. Kelly was joined by Collins (2-for-2), Denlinger (2-for-4), Briggs (2-for-6) and Dan Spain (2-for-6) as Ramblers with multiple hits.
The game also featured several remarkable defensive plays on the part of the Ramblers. Carty, Denlinger and Deon Ploessl each turned in at least one great effort with the glove to save potentially crippling runs.
Key West has a chance at another championship on Sunday when it will play Cascade at 12 p.m. in the semifinals of the EIHL Championships. The winner will play again on Sunday at 3 p.m. in the championship.
