The Lynnville-Sully Hawks celebrate after punching their ticket to the Class 1A State Baseball Tournament for the third consecutive year with a 6-2 win over Ankeny Christian on July 15.
It was a night to remember for the Lynnville-Sully baseball program on Tuesday, July 15, when they punched their ticket for a third consecutive trip to the Class 1A State Baseball Tournament. The Hawks’ will to fight and win flew high as they rallied from an early deficit to soar over the Ankeny Christian Eagles, 6-2, in the Class 1A Substate 6 Championship.
After a great defensive show in the first inning, the Eagles plated two runs in the second. L-S answered an inning later. Junior Matthew Mintle reached base on error and was moved to second on junior Jaiden Richards’ sac bunt. Senior Carson Maston drew a walk to put two on the bases. A single off the bat of senior Terran Gosselink drove in a run, and junior Jack Bowlin collected an RBI on a groundout to even up the score. Senior Lannon Montgomery drove in the Hawks’ third run of the inning and gave L-S the 3-2 lead.
In the top of the fourth, Gosselink gunned down a runner attempting to steal, and two more Maston strikeouts ended the inning. The Hawks struck again in the bottom of the fifth. Richards singled and scored on Maston’s blast to the fence. Gosselink followed Maston’s double with one of his own, scoring junior Ethan Dunsbergen, Maston’s courtesy runner. Montgomery singled again to score the Hawks’ sixth run.
Both teams went down in order in the sixth. With Maston nearing pitch count, soph-omore hurler Trace Carlson was on the mound for the final two innings. He threw strikes and let the Hawk defense work – Bowlin and Montgomery caught fly balls and Maston fielded a tough grounder at first base in the sixth. In the final inning, Richards caught a fly ball at shortstop, Carlson picked up a strikeout, and sophomore Gavin Fisk caught the final out in right field. The 6-2 win sent the Hawks into celebratory mode, and they lifted up the State qualification banner for the third straight year.
Gosselink and Montgomery each had two-hit nights. Maston doubled, walked, and was hit by pitch. Richards singled and put down a sac bunt. Montgomery and Gavin Olea also drew walks. Montgomery had two RBIs and the Hawks’ only stolen base. Maston, Gosselink, and Bowlin were credited with an RBI.
Maston got the win on the mound. The hurler struck out 11 and allowed two earned runs. Carlson struck out one and did not allow a single hit or run in the final two innings. Hawk pitchers were backed by a stout defense that played error-free in the field.
L-S vs. East Buchanan
Monday was a day of upsets at the Class 1A State Tournament with higher seeds falling at Carroll’s Merchants Park on July 21. The Hawks were the second upset of the day in the quarterfinals as East Buchanan put it on the Hawks, 12-1.
A time-honored phrase is “baseball is a game of inches,” meaning the precision and small margins in the strike zone, field, and batter’s box and on the bases can have significant impact on the game. Those inches added up for the Hawks on Monday, impacting the momentum and outcome. The preparation, effort, and drive to be playing among the best baseball teams in the state was there and indicative by the regular season success and the road back to State the Hawks had just travelled. They just did not have their best day on the field in the quarterfinals.
After a quick strikeout on just four pitches for the first out, East Buchanan scored four runs on two hits in the opening frame. Maston doubled to get the offense started in the bottom of the first. That hit was followed by an RBI single from Gosselink which scored Maston’s speedy courtesy runner, Dunsbergen, all the way from second base. That run would be the only one L-S was able to etch across.
Both teams went scoreless the next two innings. In the fourth, East Buchanan added six runs to their tally and later tacked on two more in the sixth. The Hawks were unable to generate enough offense and saw their season come to a close.
The Hawks had five hits – Maston doubled and Richards, Gosselink, Bowlin, and Montgomery singled. Gosselink was credited with the lone RBI. Fisk reached base on error, as did Maston who reached base all three times at bat in his final game. Mintle reached base on a fielder’s choice. Maston and Olea were both hit by pitches. The Hawks left seven on base.
The Hawks cycled through five pitchers – Maston, Carlson, Olea, Maston again, and Bowlin. Maston struck out a game-high six batters. Bowlin added a strikeout in the sixth.
Despite the disappointing loss, the Hawks have a lot to be proud of as one of eight teams still playing in Class 1A, and the only SICL team still playing past the District final game. After losing six seniors from last year’s State Championship season, the Hawks had to replace over half of their starting lineup in 2025. They collectively helped fill in the gaps and fought for every run scored and defensive inning won throughout the season. The disappointing end to the season stings as it does not reflect a season full of pure grit and determination, memorable highlights, humble leadership, and incredible success.
Highlights of the game – Hawk families and fans showed up loud and proud at Merchants Park. Every Hawk on the roster and the devoted coaches worked tirelessly and dug deep.
“When you are one of eight final teams left in the tournament, there are no freebies, there are no give-mes, and there are no do-overs next week. It is simply win or go home. In yesterday’s game against East Buchanan, we did not play our best baseball and East Buchanan capitalized on every opportunity. However, the in-game execution and ultimate result of this game will not define this team, its players, or coaches,” said head coach Scott Alberts. “This team graduated five starters off of its State Championship team last season, and earned their way back with an opportunity to defend their title. I could not be more proud of the young men we coached this summer, the work they put in, and the way that they came together and competed.”
The Hawks finish the season with a 24-3 record and the honor of being a State Qualifier for three consecutive years. Three seniors who represented L-S incredibly well ended their careers at Merchants Park – Gosselink, Maston, and Montgomery. In the last four years, they helped the Hawks remain undefeated on their home field, win three SICL Conference titles and four District titles, earn three trips to the State Tourney, and were State Champs.
