(Dallas Center) Harlan’s 10th straight substate baseball final appearance ended in 12-2 loss to 4th ranked Dallas Center-Grimes. The Mustangs used a quick start and a roaring finish to qualify for their 8th state baseball tournament.
On paper it appeared as if a pitcher’s dual would commence. Instead there were a combined six runs in the first inning. Dallas Center-Grimes starter Logan Smith came in with a 7-0 record, 0.34 ERA, and .098 opponent averaged. He’d only given up fifteen hits on the entire season, but Harlan’s first two batters in the top of the first inning both singled and scored against the South Dakota State commit.
Connor Bruck was able to roll a two strike pitch into centerfield for a leadoff single. Joey Moser followed with a sharp line drive to right. A double steal moved Bruck to 3rd on a bang-bang play while Moser scooted up to 2nd. With one out, Isaiah Ahrenholtz hit a high chopper to third and Bruck raced to the plate. DC-G’s Cody Hall charged and made an accurate throw home for what looked like would be the 2nd out of the inning, but in anticipation of making a tag the Mustang’s catcher misplayed the ball which allowed Bruck to score plus Moser didn’t hesitate in rounding third base and sped home for a 2-0 Cyclone lead.
That quick spurt for Harlan was quickly shot down by a four run bottom half of the first inning for Dallas Center-Grimes. The home squad sent nine to the plate and churned out four hits along with one walk and one hit batter.
With a 4-2 lead and their ace on the mound, Dallas Center-Grimes cruised through the next four innings maintaining a two run lead. In fact, Smith faced just twelve batters in that span. Bruck’s 3rd inning hit represented the only Harlan baserunner in that span, but he was caught stealing and the Cyclones had little to cheer about until a rally bid in the 6th. Dallas Center-Grimes didn’t have much offense to write home about either from the 2nd through the 5th as they sent just fourteen to the plate in that stretch.
Still trailing 4-2, Harlan loaded the bases in the 6th inning, but didn’t score. Bruck led off with a single and Moser walked. After a Brenden Bartley sac bunt which moved Bruck to 3rd and Moser to 2nd, Isaiah Ahrenholtz reached on an error to load the bases. The next batter popped out to first and then Smith picked up with 10th strikeout of the game to end the threat.
Harlan never got another chance to bat again. Dallas Center-Grimes reignited their offense to the tune of eight runs on eight hits in the 6th. Bruck didn’t allow a single hit from the 2nd through the fifth, but was lifted in favor of Franz Reisz upon allowing three straight doubles in the 6th. Reisz lasted five batters before Joey Moser got a chance to come in and quiet the storm. It turns out the mercy rule was the only thing that could slow down Dallas-Center Grimes which sent eleven to the plate in the 6th inning. They got their money’s worth on nearly all of their hits, especially late, as most of them were sharply hit.
Coach Byron Peyton’s group will take a 17-3 record to state after avenging a 5-4 loss to Harlan from the regular season. Smith gave up four hits, one walk, and fanned 10. Harlan ends the season at 14-4. Connor Bruck is the only starter that will be lost to graduation, but he’ll leave huge shoes to fill after a dynamite prep career.
