In the class 1A semifinals tenth rated Remsen St. Mary’s jumped out to a 6-0 lead enroute to a 13-7 victory over second ranked Lansing Kee. The Hawks pounded out 13 hits and took advantage of four errors by Kee High to improve to 25-8 and move to within a win of their first state title since 1985.
St. Mary’s coach Steve Erdman says this might not be one of the best Remsen St. Mary’s team, but he says it might be a team that has the most heart. Erdman says the team does not let things scare them.
Trailing 6-0. Kee rallied with three runs in the bottom of the third. But winning pitcher Andy Steichen led off the top of the fourth by slamming the first pitch more than 400 feet over the wall in center field top make it 7-3 and Kee High never got any closer the remainder of the game. Kee coach Gene Schultz says his pitcher got the ball up and Steichen hit it out. Schultz says every time they scored a run, St. Mary’s came back and score again, so they never gained on the lead.
Kee High finishes the season with a mark of 39-7 but was denied a chance to play for a tenth state championship. Remsen St. Marys will take on number-three Iowa Mennonite for the 1A title. I-M-S scored five runs in the bottom of the first and cruised to an 8-0 victory over Coon Rapids-Bayard.
Cherokee pitcher Cory Ege survived a rough opening inning before leading the top ranked Braves to the class 2A championship game. Ege yielded two hits and a run in the first but did not give up another hit until the seventh inning in a 3-1 victory. The Braves are a win away from their first state title. Ege says that was one of their goals after winning their conference.
Cherokee scored a run in each of the first three innings and could have added several more but the Braves stranded 11 runners. This is the Brave’s third straight appearance at the tournament and their first trip to the title game. The braves will take on defending champ Davenport Assumption in the title contest. the #7 Knights beat Mid Prairie 12-5