The Iowa Mennonite School baseball and softball teams hosted the 2017 IMS classic Saturday on the campus of Iowa Mennonite School.
The IMS boys won the championship beating Danville 16-7 and Keokuk 5-4 in nine innings. In the win over the Bears IMS scored twice in the second, only to see Danville score three times in the bottom of the frame to take a slim lead. IMS answered back scoring four in the third, three in the fourth and five in the fifth to take control of the game. IMS pounded out a total of 16 hit with nine players recording at least one. Cole Yoder and Isaiah Swantz each had three RBI. Swantz got the win on the hill going four innings, giving up three hits, four runs, walking five and striking out two.
In the championship game IMS matched up with the Keokuk Chiefs for the second straight season. In 2016, IMS beat the Chiefs in a walk off 9-8, in 2017 it was again an IMS walk off by a 5-4 score. Keokuk grabbed a 2-0 lead after one run in each of their first two at bats. IMS got on the board in the bottom of the second with Caleb Yoder driving in Noah Bruns to make it 2-1. IMS then tied it on another RBI hit by Yoder in the fourth, this time driving in Cole Yoder. Keokuk pushed one across in the top of the fifth and another in the seventh to take a 4-2 lead into the final at bat for IMS. Down to their last three outs, IMS rallied with Drake Brezina supplying the game tying RBI single to send it to extras. In extra innings, IMS got the winning run into scoring position in the eighth but couldn’t bring in Nick Yutzy. In the ninth IMS loaded the bases with one out and Brezina drove in Swantz on contact in the infield for the win. Swantz was three for three in the win with two runs scored, Brezina was two for five with a pair of RBI. Trevor Leyden recorded his first varsity win, pitching a scoreless ninth inning. IMS is now 9-7 on the year and will next be in action tonight against Central Lee
The Iowa Mennonite girls opened their day pounding the Columbus Wildcats 14-2 in four innings. Eight players in the IMS lineup scored a run. Columbus took a brief 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Jayden Poehler drove in Bailey Stroud. IMS answered with three in the bottom half with an RBI hit from Hannah Harris as Suzanna Yoder, Rubye Ney and Calli Shaw all came around. After an unearned Wildcat run in the top of the second to make it 3-2, IMS put four more on the board in the bottom of the frame with Yoder, Ney, Shaw and Alyssa Gonzales all scoring. Up 7-2 IMS kept their foot on the gas scoring five times in the third with an RBI hit from Rachel Miller as Yoder, Ney, Avery Blauvelt, Makenzie Gutierrez and Mia Graber all scored. IMS added two more in the fourth to finish the mercy rule shortened win with Blauvelt connecting on the walk off hit.
In the championship game IMS fell to Danville 6-5. The Bears led 1-0 after the top of the first and IMS answered with three in the bottom half to take their only lead of the game. Danville put a five spot on the board in the top of the second to make it 6-3, IMS clawed back with one in the bottom of two and one in the bottom of the fourth to pull within 6-5 but the tournament time limit ended the game early. Calli Shaw and Avery Blauvelt ended the game with two hits and one RBI each, Rubye Ney scored three times. With the split IMS is now 5-8 on the year, they host Central Lee tonight.