The class 2-A semifinals are underway at the state baseball tournament in Marshalltown. Fifth ranked Jesup came into the semis having yielded only one run in the last 51-innings. But second-ranked Carlisle scored seven times in the first four innings and the Wildcats held off a late J-Hawk rally for a 7-5 victory. Carlisle shortstop T.J. Cataldo says scoring three runs in the first was a boost for their confidence.Jesup coach Bruce Wall while disappointed with the loss he is thrilled with the season.Wall says they just could not get the key two-out hit when needed.Carlisle is now 31-5 and in their fifth trip to the tournament will play their first title game.In a Class 1-A semifinal in Carroll, the fifth-rated Granville Spalding Spartans knocked off top-seeded the Martensdale-St. Mary’s Blue Devils, 3-2. Martensdale-St. Mary’s jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but Spalding chipped away at the lead, scoring single runs in the third and fourth innings to tie it. The winning run came in the fifth when Brent Hanson drew a two out walk and a courtesy runner came home on a triple by Derrick Jungers. Spalding moves into Saturday’s championship game with a 29-9 record, while Martensdale-St. Mary’s closes its season at 33-2.
