Marion High School - Marion, Iowa

Marion belted by Assumption, 10-0

MAQUOKETA - Marion High School seniors Quinn Cannoy and Logan Fuller were ready to scrap their planned vacation to Mexico next week so they could play in the Class 3A state tournament, but that won't be necessary now.

Davenport Assumption crushed the Indians, 10-0, in five innings in the substate finals in Maquoketa Wednesday night to make the state meet and send the Indians home for the summer.

Cannoy and Fuller are glad they won't have to eat the $1,300 they invested in plane fare and lodging in Cabo San Lucas, but they're sad they won't be going to Des Moines with their teammates instead.

It would have been expensive state tournament for the two buddies.

"Yes, it would have, but going to state would have been the better thing," said Cannoy. "You can take a vacation anytime you want, but a state tournament only comes around once in a lifetime."

Cannoy and Fuller made their vacation plans early in the season, when it appeared the Indians might be in for a tough year with a young club. At the time, they did not expect Marion to reach the substate finals and come within one victory of the state tournament.

"This team definitely exceeded our expectations this year," said Cannoy.

Marion (24-16) got off to a promising start in the top of the first inning Wednesday when it loaded the bases with one out, but John Carstensen bounced into a twin-killing on a smart play by Assumption third baseman Ryan Belk to end the threat.

Belk gloved the grounder, tagged the runner coming to third and wisely tossed to second base for the double-play. That was the beginning of the end for the Indians.

Davenport Assumption began hitting in the bottom of the first inning and never stopped. The Knights (23-15) scored two runs in the first inning, two more in the third, two more in the fourth and four more in the fifth to win by the mercy rule.

Cannoy, who had allowed only 13 earned runs in 67.2 innings coming into the game, was charged with 10 runs in five innings Wednesday.

"That is by far the best team we've played this year," said Cannoy. "Their bats, 1 through 9 ... Normally in a lineup you're going to have one or two guys down there that have been struggling.

"But these guys, everyone you pitch to is going to put the bat on the ball. In my eyes, they're a contender for the state championship this year. There's no doubt about it."

Assumption collected 13 hits with eight singles, four doubles and a triple. All of the balls were hit hard as Cannoy got smacked around.

"If there's a better team in 3A, I'd like to see them. Holy smokes," said Marion Coach Steve Fish. "What do you say?"

The Indians were struggling with an 8-and-9 record a month ago, but they caught fire and enjoyed a good season.

"If you had told me at the beginning of the year we'd win 24 games and make a run like we did at the end of the year ...," Fish said, not needing to finish the sentence.

He praised his guys for their good work this year and complimented them for reaching the substate finals.

"Out of the last nine years, we've been in seven substate final games. Seven," he noted. "I said (to the players), not a lot of teams do that."

Marion reached the state tournament in 2006 and 2011 for the only two trips in school history.

Jay Campbell (7-2) pitched a six-hit shutout for Davenport Assumption. The Knights will face Harlan in the opening round of the state tournament Tuesday.

Marion       000 00 - 0 6 2
Assumption   202 24 - 10 13 0

W - Campbell (7-2). L - Cannoy (7-3).

Kuhn pitches Marion into substate finals

EPWORTH - David Kuhn pitched an eight-hit shutout Monday night as the Marion Indians blanked Western Dubuque, 2-0, to win the Class 3A district title in Epworth.

Marion (24-15) will face Davenport Assumption (22-15) in the Class 3A substate finals Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Maquoketa, with the winner advancing to the state tournament.

Kuhn (7-2) tossed a complete game with six strikeouts and only one walk. The Indians escaped several jams with good defense and timely pitching.

Marion took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning. Kuhn reached on a fielder's choice, courtesy runner Owen Carstensen stole second and scored on a single by Maverick Miller.

Marion made it 2-0 in the sixth inning. Logan Fuller singled and Christian Stekl drew a walk. They advanced to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by Quinn Cannoy. John Carstenson hit a hard grounder up the middle with then infield in, driving in Fuller.

Western Dubuque put runners on second and third in the top of the seventh, but Kuhn pitched out of the jam and ended the game by striking out clean-up hitter Tyler Johnson.

Miller had two hits for Marion, which had only three hits in the game.

Western Dubuque   000 000 0 - 0 8 0

Marion            001 001 x - 2 3 1

W - Kuhn (7-2). L - Baumhover.

Sommer tops All-Metro softball team

Katie Sommer spent only year on the Linn-Mar High School softball team after moving here from Dubuque, but she made the most of it.

Sommer hit a sizzling .617 for the Lions this season, stole 57 bases, averaged two hits per game and displayed amazing skills at shortstop.

The Metro softball coaches honored Sommer Monday by naming her the Athlete of the Year on the All-Metro Softball Team.

Nikki Price of Xavier and her assistant coaches were named the Staff of the Year.

The Jefferson J-Hawks, who have qualified for the Class 5A state tournament, led the All-Metro team with three first-team selections with Maddie Hansen, Alyssa Olson and Erin Kuba.

Erin Drahozal and Hayley Deutmeyer were honored on the first team from Xavier. Jessi Puk and Bria Lenten made the top honor squad from

Washington. Gabi Carter and Natalie Rumer were named from Prairie. Sommer and Maddy Ryan were selected from Linn-Mar. Haley Vanourney from Marion High School also made the first team.

FIRST TEAM

Maddie Hansen (Jefferson), Alyssa Olson (Jefferson), Erin Kuba  (Jefferson), Erin Drahozal (Xavier), Hayley Deutmeyer (Xavier), Jessi Puk (Washington), Bria Lenten (Washington), Haley Vanourney (Marion), Gabi Carter (Prairie), Natalie Rumer (Prairie), Katie Sommer (Linn-Mar), Maddy Ryan (Linn-Mar).

SECOND TEAM

Hannah Towns (Jefferson), Katelyn Holub (Jefferson), Alissa Good (Jefferson), Kristie Sommer (Linn-Mar), Elison Ollinger (Linn-Mar), Christina Lincoln (Linn-Mar), Allison Schwach (Xavier), Courtney Colston (Xavier), Emily Oler (Washington), Anne Riley (Washington), Halle Lueck (Prairie), Ashley Hamilton (Kennedy).

HONORABLE MENTION

Jefferson - Tori Brandon, Emily Walton
Kennedy - Tianna Drahn, Paige Timmerman
Marion - Camryn Cannoy, Bayley Fuller
Washington - Payton Bruner, Erica Oler
Xavier - Morgan Breitbach, Jamie Feltes
Linn-Mar - Madison Rentschler, Morgan Braughton
Prairie - Amanda Stecklein, Mallory Jones

Donohue tosses 3-hitter for Marion

Frehman Brady Donohue tossed a three-hitter Tuesday night as the Marion Indians clipped Center Point-Urbana, 7-1, in the first game of a Wamac Conference doubleheader at Marion.

Center Point-Urbana won the nightcap, 11-6.

Donohue struck out six batters in the first game. John Carstensen had a two-run single. Maverick Miller and Trevor Hardman had RBI singles.

The two teams combined for 15 errors in the second game, including eight miscues by Marion. Christian Stekl, David Kuhn, Baylor Fish and Mitch Wiese had RBI singles for the Indians.

Marion finished the regular season at 22-15 overall and 18-12 in conference games.

Game 1

Center Point-Urbana   000 100 0 - 1 3 5
Marion                000 043 x - 7 6 3

W - Donohue. L - Sagert.

Game 2

Center Point-Urbana   320 202 2 - 11 10 7
Marion                210 001 2 - 6 5 8

W - Metgen. L - Ca. Stekl.