Cyclones knock off 2nd-ranked Mustangs 5-4

 DALLAS CENTER (July 7) -- A wild seventh inning ended with Harlan Community on top Tuesday night as the Cyclones knocked off second-ranked (3A) Dallas Center-Grimes 5-4 in non-conference baseball action.
 HCHS trailed 2-1 after six well-played innings, then scored four runs in the top of the seventh with the help of four walks.
 DC-G, now 13-2 overall, fought back for two in the bottom of the inning to make it close, but left the tying and winning runs on base as the game ended on a fly ball to left fielder Luke Musich.
 One night after winning ugly at Creston, the Cyclones (9-3) notched their most significant win of 2020.
 “I thought we put together one of our best all-around games of the year, which is really encouraging, especially against a team the quality of DC-G,” stated HCHS coach Steve Daeges.
 “Alex (Monson) and Brenden (Bartley) both did a good job of throwing strikes and our defense played well behind them. Our base running also got us a couple of runs again, which is big in one-run games.”
 Down 2-0, the Cyclones were able to scratch across a run in the fourth when Bartley singled, stole second and scored on a two-out RBI single by Musich, who would come up big once again in the top of the seventh.
 The sophomore outfielder ignited the four-run rally with a bunt single and four of the next five batters drew walks against three DC-G relievers. Musich and Matt Sorfonden both scored on passed balls to put Harlan on top and Joey Moser capped the inning with a two-run double to make it 5-2.
 Bartley (1-1), who took over on the mound for Monson in the fourth, retired the first eight Mustangs he faced, but the last three outs often prove the toughest to get and that was the case on Tuesday.
 A single and a hit-by-pitch started the bottom of the seventh and a one-out error loaded the bases. Cody Hall’s sacrifice fly drove in one run and a throwing error on a stolen base let in another to make it 5-4. Bartley walked Logan Smith but was able to retire Caleb Spence, who was 2-for-4, to end the game.