Class 2A District baseball action saw a pair of KCII area teams walk out of Wellman with first round wins.

Friday, the Winfield-Mt. Union/Columbus Wolves won a classic over Louisa-Muscatine 1-0. The victory marks the third time the Wolves had beaten the Falcons this season, all one-run contests. It was a classic pitcher’s duel, featuring two of the best in the Southeast Iowa Superconference, Trevor Phillips for WMU/Columbus, and Owen Klocksiem for L-M. Neither ace blinked in the first two innings. With the game scoreless into the bottom of the third, the Wolves broke through. After a pair of strikeouts to start the frame, Parker Wilson singled, and Phillips took matters into this own hands with the bat, driving in the only run of the contest to make it 1-0 Wolves. That was more than enough offense for the combo of pitching coach Cael Phillips at the controls, starter Trevor on the hill, and the WMU/Columbus defense, on a night where Phillips was dealing. The Falcons would have just two more baserunners the rest of the way, one stranded the other thrown out on a Phillips led double play. The final out saw right-side infielders Kason Dopler and Carter Finnell combine on a pinball put out to send the Wolves to the next round. Following the contest, KCII Player of the Game Trevor Phillips, joined the postgame show to talk about his performance, the win and the team. “I was pitching my butt off, and I was making plays on defense, most pitchers don’t make. I just knew they were going to throw (Owen) Klocksiem again. We had beaten them by one every other time. They kept telling us it was hard to beat a team three times and we proved them wrong. It only took one run to win this game. (At the plate) I read the ball right out of his hand, took it opposite field, and I knew we were scoring a run from there. It felt amazing to know I drove in the game-winning run. (Pitching) it was fastball. Nobody can really touch my fastball in the state, and I firmly believe that! (When it gets tense) you just have to keep your composure. Stay calm and know that you’re the best out there. (Last out) it was a hard hit ball to the right side and we had tons of defensive backup on this field. I just knew that we were going to win from there. That was probably the best defensive game we have had all year. It was lights out defense tonight!”

The senior was spectacular in all three phases, finishing as the winning pitcher with a complete game shut out on nine strikeouts and just two hits. He had one of the Wolves three hits and their only RBI, while fielding his position on the mound with dynamic defense. The Phillips brothers, player and coach, put together this inspiring performance in the midst of a difficult time for their family, losing their father Randy last week. Wilson had a hit and scored the game winning run, Tyson Kaalberg had the Wolves other hit. Klocksiem took the tough-luck-loss for the Falcons, throwing six innings with three hits and an unearned run, striking out 10. He had one of the Falcons two hits. L-M finishes the year 7-14, the Wolves are 8-15.

Next round for Winfield-Mt. Union/Columbus is Tuesday where they face Iowa City Regina. The Wolves hit .274 as a team with a .407OBP, .306 slug and .713OPS with 118 runs, 155 hits, 79RBI, 97 walks and 155 strikeouts. Graham Haines hits .339 to lead the team, Tyson Kaalberg has a team best 24 hits and 18 runs scored. Phillips leads with 12 RBI. On the mound, the Wolves’ staff ERA is 4.68 with a 1.77WHIP, .193 average against, 145 hits, 98 earned runs, 114 walks and 163 strikeouts. Phillips and Dopler each have three wins with a 3.50ERA. Iowa City Regina is 23-2, ranked No. 3 in Class 2A in the final poll of the season from the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association, Champions of the River Valley Conference South. They hit .371 collectively with a .475OBP, .491 slug, .966OPS, 262 runs, 291 hits, 215RBI, 126 walks and 97 strikeouts. Kaleb Moeller leads with a .452 average. Jaydon Leonard has scored 36 runs, Leonard and Will Litton each have 41 hits and Trey Streb 31 RBI. The Regal pitching staff has a 2.07ERA with a 1.25WHIP, .203 opponent average, 135 hits, 52 earned runs, 84 walks and 204 strikeouts. Leonard, Bennett Recker and Calvin Dillion are a combined 13-0 with a 1.66ERA. This is the first matchup for these schools in the last 20 seasons.

The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawks will also be in Iowa City tonight after pounding the Monticello Panthers in their playoff opener Monday 11-1 in five innings. The game, originally scheduled for Friday and moved for rain, featured Monticello with a first inning run, when Brody Spahr knocked in Alex Jamison. After that it was all Hawks. Mid-Prairie pushed across a pair in the bottom half with two outs, on RBI hits from Koy and Kael Grout. After a scoreless second for both sides, the Golden Hawks took control of the contest in the third, batting around and scoring five. Four more went on the board for Mid-Prairie in the fourth, bringing the game to an early end. The Golden Hawks out hit the Panthers 9-3. Six different Mid-Prairie batters had a hit, and six scored a run. The Grout twins were in the middle of the action all night, combining for five runs, five hits and five RBI. As players of the game, they spoke live on the KCII Postgame Show about the win. “(Their pitcher) wasn’t throwing that hard. Stay back to right field and hit the next one. With runners in scoring position it was important to drive them in. Before the game (coach) Jed (Seward) was telling us that we have to be aggressive here. We’re the better team, and we showed that. We were ready for our first playoff baseball game, excited, ready to come out and have fun.”

Lenox Miller and Logan Pacha had a hit and an RBI each. Miller scored a run. Jon Kinsinger scored twice. Brooks Weber was the winning pitcher, throwing all five with seven punch-outs, three hits and one earned run. Reid Hinrichs took the loss for Monticello with two and a third innings, six hits, five earned runs, three walks and two strikeouts. Mid-Prairie marches on to Tuesday at 10-16. Monticello finishes the year at 4-16.

In Tuesday’s District semifinal the Golden Hawks will see a familiar face in Mediapolis. The Hawks and Bulldogs have met in the playoffs in each of the major sports for the last two seasons, with Mid-Prairie winning each on the football field and basketball court. The Hawks hit .238 as a team with a .371OBP, .297 slug, .668OPS, 119 runs, 150 hits, 98RBI, 103 walks and 164 strikeouts. Weber has a team high .386 average, 27 hits, 22RBI and 15 walks. Bronx Miller has scored a team high 20 runs. On the mound the Mid-Prairie staff ERA is 5.59 with a 1.90WHIP, .294 opponent average, 201 hits, 131 earned runs, 111 walks and 141 strikeouts. Weber is 4-0 with a 2.56ERA, Bronx Miller, Koy Grout, Kale Miller, Kael Grout and Peyton Brenneman have all recorded wins.

MEPO is 14-9 on the year, after going 10-2, co-Champs of the Southeast Iowa Superconference South Division. They enter the postseason on a four-game-slide including an 11-1 loss to Cascade last time out. This season the Bulldogs hit .300 as a team with a .406OBP, .404slug and .810OPS with a 163 runs, 181 hits, 126RBI, 98 walks and 126Ks. Kyler Crow has a team best .347 average with 26 hits. Will Luttenegger leads with 25 runs scored and Kael Wischmeier 21 RBI. On the hill, Mediapolis has a 2.69 team ERA with a 1.35WHIP, .148 opponent average, 98 hits, 55 earned runs, 95 walks and 177 strikeouts. Gannon Gunn, Max Griffin and Crow are a combined 11-5 with a 1.56 collective ERA.

You can hear both ends of this Class 2A District Doubleheader live on AM 1380, FM 102.5, the KCII2 App and KCIIradio.com Tuesday, beginning with the Golden Hawk Playoff Pregame Show at 4:30p.m. And first pitch of game one between Mid-Prairie and Mediapolis at five with the Wolves Playoff Pregame Show scheduled for 6:30p.m. And first pitch between WMU/Columbus and the Regals at seven, all at Romanowski Field in Iowa City.