Kingsley-Pierson Quarterfinal Photo Album Photos Courtesy: Jenny Myers
Kingsley-Pierson baseball advanced to their second state semifinal in the last three years with a 7-4 victory over four-seed North Linn on Monday at the state baseball tournament in Carroll.
The Panthers jumped out to a lead early on but fell behind 4-2 entering the sixth inning. Kingsley-Pierson never backed down scoring five runs in the sixth and seventh inning to win the game. Kingsley-Pierson head coach Taylor Doeschot says he’s proud of his guys for the fight they showed to come back and beat North Linn.
Malakie Christophersen drove in three runs including the go-ahead pair of runs to take the lead in the seventh. He says the Panthers are capable of coming back in most games, they just need a little thing to go their way.
Damon Schmid scored a couple of runs including the first and the go-ahead run in the win for Kingsley-Pierson. He says his run in the seventh inning was the main turning point in the Panther win.
Christophersen’s double in the seventh inning knocked in both Schmid and Conner Beelner to give the Panthers the lead for good. He says he was getting a healthy dose of curveballs and didn’t miss the next one he saw.
Coach Doeschot says the power from Christophersen was a welcome sight from a senior leader for the Panthers.
Another aspect of Kingsley-Pierson’s comeback was the pitching out of the bullpen from Conner Beelner. He threw three nearly perfect innings to finish the game allowing just one hit in the seventh. Schmid says Beelner’s confidence on the hill makes him tough to hit.
The Panthers are now in their second state semifinal round in the last three seasons. Coach Doeschot says, while the stage is bigger, the game plan is still the same for his team.
The matchup features the third time around between unbeaten Remsen St. Mary’s and Kingsley-Pierson this season. Coach Doeschot and Kingsley-Pierson know that they need to beat the state’s best to take home the ultimate crown, and his guys are eager for another crack at the Hawks.
Kingsley-Pierson and Remsen St. Mary’s play at 4:30 on Wednesday evening. You can listen to the game on KLEM Radio with pregame coverage beginning at 4:10.
Kingsley-Pierson Quarterfinal Photo Album Photos Courtesy: Jenny Myers
