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WarEagles blank Kee High to advance in tournament play
Owen Hammersland Playoff Game
Junior Owen Hammersland was dominant in the WarEagles’ playoff win over Kee on July 3, tossing a two-hit shutout over seven innings. (Photo by Bev Hamann)

By Bruce Thein

Clayton Ridge/Central kept its season alive July 3 with a crisp all-around performance, defeating the Kee Hawks 3-0 in the opening round of the Class 1A Substate 4 baseball tournament at Independence High School. The game was moved from Starmont High School because of inclement weather and field conditions. The WarEagles advanced to the next round behind a dominant pitching effort from junior Owen Hammersland and timely hitting throughout the lineup.

Hammersland was in complete command from the opening pitch, tossing a two-hit shutout over seven innings. He struck out three, did not issue a walk and threw just 69 pitches while facing only 22 batters. Kee managed only two singles all game and never mounted a serious scoring threat.

The WarEagles gave Hammersland an early cushion with a run in the first inning. The team added another in the third before tacking on an insurance run in the seventh inning to secure the 3-0 victory.

CRC finished with 10 hits. Carson Ruegnitz led the offense, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Griffen Hammersland also collected two hits, including a triple, and scored a run. Dom Mast added two singles, while Seth Kregel, Mason Loan, Kasten Oberbreckling and Colton Hoeger each contributed a hit. Kregel scored twice to pace the offense, while Hoeger drove in the third run.

Defensively, the WarEagles played a clean game behind its ace. The team committed just one error and turned in several solid defensive plays to preserve the shutout. The Kee Hawks’ best scoring opportunity came when a hit batter reached base, but Hammersland quickly worked out of trouble to keep the Hawks off the board.

The victory was particularly satisfying for CRC after falling 15-3 to Kee in Upper Iowa Conference play just over a week earlier. Friday’s rematch showcased a completely different outcome, with the WarEagles using outstanding pitching, solid defense and opportunistic offense to earn the win and move one step closer to the state tournament. The Starmont Stars hosted the WarEagles in a district semi-final matchup on Tuesday, July 7.