Monticello wins 13-and-under state baseball championship


The state USSSA Division III champion Monticello 13-and-under baseball team, first row from left: Brayden Kuper, Ethan Long, Dylan Roher, Tate Petersen, Rylan Kraus, Chesney Capron, Dillon McDonald, Ian Temple, Gavin Fuhrmeister, Deacon Besler, Calvin Prull and Gage Guilford. Second row: scorekeeper Pete Temple, assistant coaches Dan Roher, Brandon Kraus and Nels Petersen; and head coach Jamie Fuhrmeister. (Photo courtesy of Josh Long)
BASEBALL

     Monticello’s 13-and-under baseball team won five straight games to claim the championship of the USSSA State Class AA Division III Baseball Tournament June 29-July 1 in Cedar Rapids.

     The Panthers played their first four games at Tait Cummins Park, opening with a 14-6 win over EMB Gold of Dubuque. Monticello then defeated the Spiders Maroon of Epworth 21-4 on Friday.

     On Saturday, Monticello topped the Cedar Rapids Prairie Black Hawks 10-0, putting the Panthers in the semifinals against the Mount Vernon Mud Dogs, whom Monticello defeated 9-3. Dylan Roher pitched all six innings in the semifinal game, allowing five hits and striking out nine.

     Monticello advanced to Sunday’s state championship game against the West Des Moines Panthers, a game moved to Perfect Game Park because of wet conditions at Tait Cummins.

     Monticello won the title game 3-1 to take the championship, with Tate Petersen pitching five innings of one-hit ball with eight strikeouts, and Rylan Kraus pitching the last two to get a save, with five strikeouts.

     In the title game, Gage Guilford scored the first run when West Des Moines tried to throw out Calvin Prull on a dropped third strike. In the fifth inning, Brayden Kuper hit an RBI single to drive in Prull. The third run came in the sixth; a two-out, RBI single by Guilford, scoring Dylan Roher.

     For the tournament, Roher batted 9-for-14 (.643) with two triples, two doubles and seven RBIs. Petersen was 8-for-16 (.500) with three doubles, five RBIs and eight stolen bases. Gavin Fuhrmeister batted 7-for-15 (.467) with four doubles and eight runs batted in. Dillon McDonald was also 7-for-15 with two triples, a double and six RBIs.

     The Panthers finished with a record of 25-1-1.

     “It was exciting, but it’s been exciting all year,” head coach Jamie Fuhrmeister said.

     Assistant coaches were Dan Roher, Nels Petersen and Brandon Kraus.

 

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