ihsaaSecond ranked Clear Lake opened defense of its class 2A title with a victory. The Lions pounded out 12 hits and cruised to a 10-5 victory over Denver in a quarterfinal round game.

Junior centerfielder Tanner Huey led the Clear Lake attack with two hits and drove in three runs.

“When we get a tournament like this the confident rises and everybody wants it more”, said Huey. “We come down here to win and don’t expect to lose.”

The Lions broke a 1-1 tie by scoring three runs in the bottom of the third as they eventually built a 10-1 lead. Denver tried to crawl back into contention by scoring four runs in the top of the sixth inning.

“I never thought that we were out of it”, said Denver coach Dustin Rewerts. “The way that this team has battled all year and especially as of late I always knew we had a chance.”

Denver closes the season with a record of 20-16 and Clear Lake takes a 29-7 record into Thursday’s 2A semifinals.