CLASS 1A SUB-STATE 1 FINALS
#5-Gehlen Catholic (29-3) 7, Woodbury Central 6, eight innings
(LE MARS) — It was another incredible night of high school baseball in Le Mars as No. 5 Gehlen Catholic locked horns with Woodbury Central in a 1A Sub-State final at the Bulldogs Complex. The Jays punched their State tournament ticket with their second straight come-from-behind, walk-off victory. Ty Kurth completed a rally from a 4-1 deficit with a RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning as Gehlen Catholic beat Woodbury Central 7-6. The Wildcats, behind the pitching of senior Grady Manker, built a 4-1 lead through the first five innings. The Jays finally reached Manker for three runs in the sixth inning with Solomon Frekling’s single knotting the score at 4-4. Woodbury Central reclaimed a 6-4 advantage in the top of the seventh against Gehlen ace Blake Wiltgen on RBI hits by Nick Phelps and Connor Lamp. The Jays struck back in the bottom of the seventh with Jarod Steffes plating a run with a double. The Jays were down to their final strike when Mitchell Flack delivered a RBI single up the middle to score Matt Holzman from second base to tie the game at 6-all, sending the contest into extra innings. Blake Wiltgen retired the Wildcats in order in the eighth and earned the win when Kurth singled to left with one out to drive in the winning run, touching off a wild celebration. The Jays (29-3) play Lone Tree (21-6) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Principal Park in Des Moines in the quarterfinals of the 1A State tournament. The game will be carried on KLEM. It will be Gehlen’s sixth trip to the State tournament but their first since 2008. Spalding Catholic last played in a State tournament in 2005.
State t-shirt orders need to be in by noon today (July 23, 2014). Contact Sharon’s Embroidery.
