SIOUX CITY — Some believe three times is the charm. For others, it might be the lucky number seven.
For Iowa City High, 10 was the magic number. In the program’s 10th Iowa high school baseball state tournament appearance, the Little Hawks won thier first state title with a 4-1 win over Bettendorf on July 25.
The Little Hawks’ first-inning surge made all the difference, with Talon Young and Drew Nye bringing home three runs in the opening frame. The star, however, was starting pitcher Jaxton Schroeder. The senior tossed a complete game, pitching seven innings and allowing one run on four hits and racking up eight strikeouts. Even after starting on the mound in the quarterfinals earlier in the week and batting all three days, Schroeder brought his best stuff when it mattered most.
“Slider and fastball were working really good for me today,” Schroeder said. “A lot of sliders for swing and misses in the zone. Talon Young, my catcher behind the plate, he calls a great game.”
The Little Hawks got off to a fast start with three runs on three hits in the first inning. Schroeder was driven home by an RBI single from Young. Nye followed with a two RBI single to bring in Dominic Salibi and pinch runner Chris Davis for a 3-0 lead after one inning.
Nye was spectacular all week for the Little Hawks, hitting 4-for-9 and posting six RBIs across three games. When his team needed it, he always seemed to be confident enough to make the right play.
“I just go up to the plate knowing I can get a hit every single time,” Nye said. “I expect myself to get a hit, and if I don’t, then I can get a hit the next at-bat. I keep putting my head down and work hard. There’s nothing I know I can’t do on this field.”
Bettendorf scored for the first time in the top of the third thanks to a sacrifice-fly that brought home Wrigley Matthys after he hit a triple to make it 3-1. However, the Little Hawks answered that run in the bottom of the third, as a wild pitch allowed Salibi to score from third to make it 4-1. From then on, things remained stagnant as City High coasted to victory in Sioux City.
No. 8 Bettendorf was 29-13 on the year and made a Cinderella run to the finals as the No. 8 seed. The Bulldogs fell just one win short of their first title in program history while making the state tournament for the first time since 2002.
The team celebrating, however, was City High. There were tears, hugs and water dumped on coaches as they achieved the best season in program history.
On paper, City High finishes with a 33-9 record and the first state title in program history. However, with 12 seniors on the roster, it’s a moment they have dreamed of for a long time and goes far beyond what the record books will reflect.
“We’ve all wanted this since we started at City High and started playing baseball for them,” Schroeder said. “It’s just the greatest feeling in the world.”
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa City High baseball beats Bettendorf, captures first state title in program history
Reporting by Eli McKown, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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