South Winn thwarts MFL MarMac’s bid for district title
In the victory over Kee, Max Havlicek’s stat line included a double, RBI, stolen base and run scored. (Photos by Audrey Posten)
Bulldog second baseman Trevor Jones played stellar defense against Kee, including this leaping catch.
By Audrey Posten, Times-Register
The MFL MarMac baseball team defeated Central City, then Kee, in the first two rounds of postseason play last week, advancing to the district final for the first time since 2003. South Winneshiek dashed the Bulldogs’ hopes of a title, however, winning their 24th game.
Central City
The Bulldogs faced off against Central City on July 13, two nights later than originally scheduled because of rain postponement. Despite accumulating just one hit to the Wildcats’ eight, MFL MarMac was able to take advantage of a combined four walks and hit by pitches, six stolen bases and four Central City errors to pull out a 5-2 victory.
Ethan Stubbs earned the team’s lone hit, swiped four bags and crossed the plate twice. Cedrick Drahn and Max Havlicek each walked and scored.
Kaleb Tilson pitched five solid innings for MFL MarMac, giving up eight hits but just the two earned runs en route to the win. He picked up five strikeouts and walked only one batter.
Kee
The Bulldogs were back in action July 14, besting Kee 8-2. MFL MarMac struck first, scoring three times in the first inning. The Hawks etched out two runs in the top of third, cutting the lead to one, but the Bulldogs responded with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame, going up 5-2. They then added on twice in the fifth inning and once in the sixth to seal the win.
Chaise Ziegler had a huge night at the plate, going 3-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Karter Decker had two hits and two RBIs, while JT Stocker singled twice, stole two bases and scored three runs. Havlicek’s stat line included a double, RBI, stolen base and run scored.
Drahn picked up the victory for MFL MarMac, allowing seven hits and one earned run over five and one-third innings. He struck out five Kee batters.
South Winn
In the district final July 18, South Winn took the game 15-0, boosted by a seven-run second inning. The Warriors racked up 17 hits, including a three-run homer by Jarod Todd.
The Bulldog offense couldn’t match that output, earning just three hits and one walk. Havlicek doubled, while Drahn and Cullen McShane each singled.
With the loss, MFL MarMac closed its season with a record of 12-6. Head coach Brandon Burke was proud of the effort, especially from the team’s eight seniors.
“This group of seniors will always hold a special place in my heart. They believed in a first-time head coach and did everything I ever asked of them. Together we turned around not one, but two, long-time struggling programs in both baseball and football,” he said. “MFL MarMac athletics are forever changed because of this group and I will always be grateful for them. I hope the relationships we built will last a lifetime and I can’t wait to see all the big things these guys do in life.”
