The IMS baseball team kept their season alive Thursday night with a 6-3 second round district win over Lone Tree at Highland High School. Both teams were evenly matched, having split a pair of one run games during the regular year. IMS got on the board in the first inning as Cameron Gingerich, Reggie Hostetler and Dallas Nye cracked consecutive singles with Nye driving in one and a Lone Tree error bringing in another in the first to make the score 2-0 IMS.

Lone Tree cut the lead in half in the third with a two out Colin Gibson single followed by an RBI double from Andy Dodson. The biggest momentum swing of the night came in fifth with Lone Tree loading the bases on two hits and walk but the Lions couldn’t score. IMS used that momentum to put up three runs in the bottom half of the fifth on two hits, two hit batters and a walk, the big blow of the frame was a Gingerich RBI double. IMS Head Coach Danny Hershberger talked after the game about the importance of the fifth inning

“They were starting to get the momentum back a little bit there, and then not allowing them to score really swung it back into our direction and really took the life out of them I thought,” Hershberger said. “So that was really tall pitching there, and a great job by Cameron [Gingerich] to get out of that jam.”

Things were quiet until the seventh as Lone Tree tried to rally trailing 6-1. The Lions got within 6-3 on an Andy Dodson two RBI single but it wasn’t enough. After the game Lone Tree Coach Steve Gibson talked about the fight his team showed.

“They are competitors, they were successful seven seniors, they were successful in football and basketball, and that is just how they played since they were little, and I knew that we were going to go down swinging, [but] IMS they made the plays and they deserved to win, and my hats off to them, and Gingerich, I knew all along he was going to throw a good game he’s a competitor and I just tip my hat to IMS and wish them luck as they move on,” Gibson said.

Lone Tree’s Erik Murry recorded the loss going 5 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits, six runs, walking three, striking out five, and hitting four batters. Lone Tree also committed three defensive errors. Gingerich recorded the win for IMS going all seven allowing nine hits, three runs, two walks and striking out seven. Gingerich ended his night at the plate 3/4 with three runs scored and an RBI. Lone Tree ends their season at 17-10. IMS moves on to the district title game Saturday night in Fairfield to take on Van Buren who was a 13-2 winner over Winfield-Mt. Union in six innings Thursday night. Catch all of action between Van Buren and IMS Saturday night on KCIIradio.com with pregame at 6:30 and first pitch at 7PM. The game will be delayed broadcast on AM and FM KCII following the Mid-Prairie district championship game. The one to count on for today’s local sports coverage is KCII.