ANDY HEINTZ
Courier sports editor
EDDYVILLE —
Eddyville-Blakesburg’s Craig Larkin followed up a fantastic pitching performance by teammate Christian Bambrook with one of his own — a perfect game — as the Rockets took a pair of wins over South Central Conference rival Clarke in baseball action Friday.
E-B won the two five-inning games by scores of 10-0 and 11-0, getting back on track after a pair of shutout SCC losses to top-ranked Davis County on Wednesday.
After Bambrook fanned 13 batters and allowed just one hit in the opener, Larkin fanned 13 batters of his own and did not allow a baserunner in the nightcap, completing the second perfect game of his career.
Both E-B pitchers got plenty of support from catcher Brett Roberts, who moved into the lead-off position and batted 5-for-7 in the two games. Roberts belted a grand slam home run in the third inning of the second game. He also doubled and finished with six RBI.
Bambrook belted a double and a two-run homer for the Rockets (5-3, 2-2) in the second game, while Larkin and Tyler Archer each tripled in the first game.
E-B will host their home tournament today.
Eddyville Blakesburg 10, Clarke 0
Cla 000 00 — 0 1 1
E-B 132 13 — 10 13 0
Eddyville-Blakesburg battery — Christian Bambrook (W, 2-1) (5IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 13K, 0BB), Brett Roberts catching.
3B — Craig Larkin, Tyler Archer.
Hits — Roberts 3-for-4, Larkin 1-for-4, Archer 1-for-3, Lane Wells 3-for-3, Jacob Lane 2-for-2, Tanner Scott 1-for-2, Bambrook 2-for-4.
RBI — Larkin 3, Bambrook 3, Travor Swartz, Lane 3. Runs — Roberts 2, Larkin, Archer, Wells 2, Chance Wursta, Lane, Scott, Cory Archer.
Eddyville-Blakesburg 11, Clarke 0
Cla 000 00 — 0 0 1
E-B 244 1x — 11 8 0
Eddyville-Blakesburg battery — Larkin (W, 2-1) (5IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 13K, 0BB), Roberts catching.
2B — Roberts, Larkin, Bambrook.
HR — Roberts, Bambrook.
Hits — Roberts 2-for-3, Larkin 1-for-3, Bambrook 2-for-3, T.Archer 1-for-2, C. Archer 1-for-1, Roberts 1-for-2.
RBI — Roberts 6, Bambrook 2, Lane. Runs — Roberts 2, Larkin, Bambrook 2, C.Archer, Ben Roberts, Lane 2, Scott 2.
Top-ranked Mustangs sweep Big Reds
Courier sports staff
CENTERVILLE — Centerville joined Fort Madison on Friday as just the second team to produce a run against top-ranked Davis County this season. The Big Reds found out, however, that scoring a win against the defending 2A state champs is a much tougher task.
Clint Foster and Josey Garmon joined Josh Martsching as winners of their first three starts on the mound for the Mustangs. Foster shut out Centerville on two hits over five innings while Garmon gave up a run without yielding a hit as both hurlers struck out six batters in Davis County’s 1-0 and 12-1 South Central Conference wins at Pat Daugherty Field.
“They have an incredible staff,” Centerville head coach Bill Huisman said. “All four of those guys could be the ace for anyone in the state.”
All four hurlers had a hand in the Mustangs 33rd and 34th straight wins. Mathews came on to earn his first save in game one while Martsching closed out the sweep as both seniors struck out the side in their lone innings of work.
Foster snapped the scoreless tie in game one, driving in Mathews with an RBI single in the fourth inning. Big Red game-one starter Richard England suffered the tough loss, giving up just three hits over six innings while striking out eight Mustang hitters.
“Richard threw a heck of a ballgame for us,” Huisman said. “That showed us we could compete with a strong team like that. Both teams played well in the opener.”
Kolton Gonnerman had hoped to put up a similar effort in game two. Arm soreness, however, kept Gonnerman from getting going as the Big Red senior retired just one batter while allowing two runs, three hits and a walk before being pulled.
The Mustangs put away their 11th straight win of this season with an eight-run fifth inning. Jacob Davidson had three hits, including a double, an RBI and scored twice while Garmon added two hits and two RBI at the plate.
No. 1 Davis County (11-0, 4-0) will roll into Wapello County today to take part in the Cardinal Comet baseball classic.
Davis County 1, Centerville 0
Davis County 000 100 — 1 3 0
Centerville 000 000 — 0 2 1
Davis County battery — Clint Foster (W, 3-0) (5IP, 2H, 6K, HBP) and Calvin Mathews (S, 1) (IP, 3K), Calvin Utt catching.
3B — Josh Martsching, Mathews.
Hits — Mathews 1-2, Foster 1-3, Martsching 1-3.
RBI — Foster.
Runs — Mathews.
Centerville battery — Richard England (L, 2-1) (6IP, 3H, R, ER, 8K, 4BB), Michael Ferkins catching.
Hits — Michael Starcevich 1-2, Levi Sebolt 1-3.
Davis County 12, Centerville 1
Davis County 211 08 — 12 10 1
Centerville 000 10 — 1 2 6
Davis County battery — Josey Garmon (W, 3-0) (4IP, R, ER, 6K, 2BB) and Martsching (IP, 2H, 3K), Utt catching.
2B — Jacob Davidson, J. Garmon.
Hits — Davidson 3-4, J. Garmon 2-2, Martsching 1-3, Park Mikels 1-3, Austin Roberts 1-3, Foster 1-4, Mathews 1-4.
RBI — J. Garmon 2, Mathews 2, Davidson, Foster, Martsching, Mikels.
Runs — Davidson 2, Logan Kincart 2, Martsching 2, Foster, Jacob Jones, Mathews, Mikels, Roberts, Connor Young.
Centerville battery — Kolton Gonnerman (L, 1-1) (1/3IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER, BB), Daniel Cisler (2 2/3IP, 2R, ER, 3H, K, 2BB), Sebolt (IP, 2K, HBP), Starcevich (1/3IP, 6R, ER, H, 2BB) and J.D. McDanel (2/3IP, 2R, 2H, K, BB), Ferkins catching.
2B — Garrett Moorman.
Hits — Jared Armington 1-1, Moorman 1-1.
RBI — McDanel.
Runs — Zach Lockman.
Comets down Holy Trinity
Courier sports staff
FORT MADISON — Dakota Showman fanned eight batters and allowed just two earned runs and the Cardinal baseball team rallied for seven runs in the sixth inning as the Comets took an 8-3 Southeast Iowa SuperConference win over Holy Trinity on Friday.
Seven straight batters reached and scored for Cardinal in the sixth, as Ty Short batted 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in the contest. Sam Schlegal had two RBI while Showman and Logan Thorne each had a pair of hits for the Comets.
Cardinal (4-2, 3-1) will host its home tourney today, with Moulton-Udell, Tri-County and Davis County in attendance.
Cardinal 8, Holy Trinity 3
Card 001 007 0 — 8 8
H.T. 020 000 1 — 3 5
Cardina battery — Dakota Showman (W) (7IP, 5H, 3R, 2ER, 8K, 5BB) Logan Thorne catching.
2B — Ty Short.
Hits — Short 2-for-4, Conner McElderry 1-for-3, Logan Thorne 2-for-4, Brandon Eklofe 1-for-1, Showman 2-for-3.
RBI — Short, Sam Schlegal 2, McElderry, Showman, Charlie Rachford. Runs — Tanner Chance, McElderry, Tyler Albert, Neil Urtado, Eklofe, Austin Deshler, Showman 2, Rachford.
Panthers score walk-off win against Lone Tree
Courier sports staff
PEKIN — The Pekin baseball squad didn’t need an explosive night at the plate to earn their fourth Southeast Iowa Superconference North win in five games on Friday.
Bailey Donovan started a two-out rally by legging out a single that drew an errant throw into the dugout, allowing Donovan to move to second. Derek Morales then collected his second RBI with a walk-off single as Pekin scored a dramatic 3-2 win over Lone Tree.
Josh Sterling gained the win for the Panthers on the hill, giving up just three hits and one earned run over seven innings.
“It was a nice pitchers’ duel,” Pekin head baseball coach Jeff Eeling said. “Josh really throw the ball well. He did get behind in the count at times, but he used his teammates to help get him out of some jams.”
The Panthers (5-3, 4-1) heads to Eddyville-Blakesburg tournament today to face Pella Christian at Noon.
Pekin 3, Lone Tree 2
L.T. 001 100 0 — 2 3 3
Pekin 011 000 1 — 3 9 1
Pekin battery — Josh Sterling (W, 2-0) (7IP, 3H, 2R, ER, 9K, 7BB), Tyson Lamb catching.
Hits — Seth Jensen 2-3, Derek Morales 2-4, Bailey Donovan 1-1, Tater Clubb 1-3, Lamb 1-3, Thomas Slaney 1-3, Colton Swanson 1-4.
RBI — Morales 2.
Runs — Kolby Allsup, Clubb, Donovan.
