GRUNDY CENTER - Gladbrook-Reinbeck scored twice in the first two innings and got out to a lead that Northeast Hamilton couldn't erase, and the Rebels racked up a 5-2 victory in their Class 1A District 11 quarterfinal baseball game on Tuesday night.
Austyn Smith struck out seven over six innings to get the win for Gladbrook-Reinbeck (16-11), while Brady Billerbeck struck out two in a perfect seventh for the save.
Billerbeck also led the Rebel bats with a pair of doubles, driving in a run during Gladbrook-Reinbeck's two-run first inning against Trojans ace Marcus Mechaelsen. G-R led 5-0 before Northeast Hamilton (9-19) struck for its two runs in the top of the sixth. An inning-ending double play got Smith and the Rebels out of trouble.
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T-R PHOTO BY TROY BANNING
Gladbrook-Reinbeck’s Brady Billerbeck connects for one of his two doubles during the Rebels’ 5-2 win over Northeast Hamilton in Class 1A District 11 baseball on Tuesday in Grundy Center.
Parker Bolt tripled and scored on one of Joe Zimmerman's two run-scoring groundouts. Zimmerman also reached on an error and scored G-R's first run.
The Rebels advance to face Grundy Center in Thursday's district semifinal game back in Grundy Center.
North Tama 3, GMG 2
TRAER - Dalton Hulme threw 6 1/3 innings and Jacob Wrage locked down the final two outs as the North Tama baseball team dodged a late comeback by GMG for a 3-2, quarterfinal victory over the Wolverines in Tuesday's Class 1A District 11 game.
Both GMG runs came off walks and wild pitches in the seventh, but the tying run was left stranded at third.
Wrage was 1-for-4 with an RBI groundout, while Hulme went 1-for-2 with a run-scoring single for North Tama (18-12). Brian Seda was 2-for-3 at the plate, while Brandon Kaufman was 1-for-3 with a double and Brent Billerbeck had an RBI single as well.
Kyle Barloon went the distance on the mound for GMG (5-21), striking out four and walking four. He gave up just six hits.
North Tama meets Don Bosco in Thursday's district semifinals back in Traer.