Four champions were crowned over the weekend as the state high school baseball tournament closed out a week long run in Principal Park in Des Moines. Dean McArdle led Sioux city North to its first baseball state title.
The all state senior nearly pitched a no hitter as the top ranked stars beat Iowa City West for the 4A crown. Mcardle gave up one hit with two outs in the seventh inning and he also struck out 12 batters. Sioux City North got all the ruins they needed in the top of the third when they pushed ac ross four runs.
Sixth ranked Norwalk rolled to the class 3A title with a 7-0 victory over Storm Lake. Matt Dermody earned his second win of the tournament as he tossed a four hitter and the warriors scored all their runs in the bottom of the first as they jumped out to a big early advantage enroute to their second state championship. The first one was back in 1982.
Second ranked Fort Dodge St. Edmond claimed its first baseball title as the Gaels held off a comeback bid by Dyersville Beckman for an 11-8 win in the 2A championship contest. St. Edmond scored eight times in the second inning and led 11 -3 after three innings of play before Beckman rallied to make a game of it. The blazers scored once in the fourth and four more times in the sixth to get close.
And in 1A mason city Newman won its first title since 2002 as the top rated Knights rolled to an 11-1 victory over eighth ranked Lenox. Newman pounded out nine hits and took control with five runs ibn the bottom of the second to build a 6-1 advantage. The Knights were so dominant during their run to the state title that only one of their games was not decided by the ten run rule.