Keagen Streeter kicks up some dust under the tag of the Wapsie Valley catcher Friday in South Winn’s district final victory. (Photo courtesy of Marie Conway)
The South Winn baseball team (22-11) had a lot on the line last week as the Warriors look to make their second straight state tournament appearance and the fourth since 2019. There is just one team standing in their way — sixth-ranked North Linn (26-4), a team the Warriors will face in a substate game Tuesday, July 11, in Waverly at 7 p.m.
Substate bound
Saturday, the South Winn Warriors took on the Wapsie Valley Warriors (24-13) in the district final and came away with a 7-4 victory, giving them a chance at the state tournament in Des Moines.
After a scoreless first half-inning, South Winn scored the first run of the game, giving them an early 1-0. Following a scoreless second inning for both sides, SW extended its lead to three runs at the bottom of the third inning. At the top of the fifth, Wapsie Valley scored their first two runs of the game, reducing South Winn’s lead to just one run. At the top of the sixth inning, the visiting Warriors tied the game at three runs apiece. Unfortunately for WV, the Red and White had a massive sixth inning, driving in four runs, giving them a 7-3 advantage to start the final frame. Wapsie Valley was only able to score a single run at the top of the seventh inning, giving South Winn the victory.
On offense, South Winn was led by freshman shortstop Carson Streeter, with two hits and two walks. When it comes to pitching, senior pitcher Jamie Kuennen was awarded the victory after taking over for senior starting pitcher Keagan Streeter, who pitched the first five innings of the game. The two combined for seven strikeouts.
“We knew going in that Wapsie Valley was going to be a very difficult opponent. They have a solid offense from top to bottom and their starting pitcher is one of the best in the area. We talked a lot about winning more pitches than the opposing team, knowing fully well that we won’t win every pitch. We were able to do just that, especially in critical situations where we needed to make a pitch on the mound or come up with the big at bat. We executed extremely well with our bunt game and running game. This was a total team effort win and I’m proud of this group for their ability to battle in big moments,” said Coach Alex Smith.
WV 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 4 7 1
SW 1 0 2 0 0 4 x 7 8 3
Jamie Kuennen (WP) – 2IP, 1R, 4H, 3K; Keagen Streeter (SP) – 5IP, 2R, 3H, 1BB, 4K
2B – K. Streeter 1; Kuennen 1; Carson Streeter 1; 1B – K. Streeter 1; Kuennen 1; Braiden Todd 1; C. Streeter 1; Cody Meyer 1; RBI – K. Streeter 2; Kuennen 1; Todd 1; C. Streeter 1; Meyer 1; SB – Kuennen 2; K. Streeter 1; C. Streeter 1
Catching up
On Wednesday, the South Winn Warriors played the Kee High Hawks (19-19) in round two of the 2023 IHSAA Class 1A Baseball Tournament. The Warriors won a close game, taking a 4-1 victory over the Hawks.
Through the first four innings of the game, both the Warriors and the Hawks were unable to put up a single run. The first run of the game was scored by Kee High at the top of the fifth inning. At the bottom of the same inning, South Winn tied the game on an RBI triple by junior right fielder Brody Tieskoetter. The Warriors scored another two runs to close out the inning, giving them a 3-1 lead heading into the sixth inning. After not allowing a single run at the top of the sixth, the Warriors extended their lead to three runs at the bottom of the sixth inning. At the top of the seventh and final inning, the Warriors proved to be too much for the Hawks, taking the victory and earning a spot in the District 6 championship game against the Wapsie Valley Warriors.
Freshman third baseman Braiden Todd led the team on offense, registering two hits and a walk. The Warriors pitchers, which consisted of starting pitcher Keegan Streeter and relief pitcher Jamie Kuennen, allowed for just one run on three hits, while racking up a grand total of eight strikeouts.
“It is never easy to face a team for the fourth time in a season, especially one of the quality of Kee High. We knew going in we would likely find ourselves in a low scoring game. Kee High came up with the first two big hits of the game, but our guys did a great job responding in the bottom of the fifth to grab the lead. We talk a lot about winning more pitches than the other team, as you won’t win every pitch through the duration of the game, and we were able to do that. Braiden and Brody had two monster hits for us to get the momentum back, and I was really pleased how we competed in all facets of the game,” said Coach Smith.
Kee 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 0
SW 0 0 0 0 3 1 x 4 5 3
Kuennen (WP) – 2-2/3IP, 1H, 1BB, 2K; K. Streeter (SP) – 4-1/3IP, 1R, 2H, 1BB, 6K
3B – Brody Tieskoetter 1; 1B – Todd 2; K. Streeter 1; Meyer 1; RBI – K. Streeter 1; Tieskoetter 1; Meyer 1; SB – K. Streeter 1; Kole Hageman 1; Nolan Sabelka 1
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