Cedar Rapids Kennedy topples Dowling Catholic to win 4A Iowa state baseball tournament

CEDAR RAPIDS — With heavy hometown noise pumping behind the first-base dugout, Cedar Rapids Kennedy wasn't about to miss this championship moment.

One day after surviving a thrilling semifinal affair, the top-seeded Cougars capped off a flawless week with one more Veteran Memorial Stadium celebration. In what was Cedar Rapids' first time hosting the state baseball tournament since 1974, Kennedy ended it with a 7-3 win over No. 7 seed Dowling Catholic on Friday evening.

The victory cements Kennedy's first baseball title since 2010, while preventing the Maroons (25-16) from completing an unforgettable postseason surge after a largely pedestrian summer. Although the final act of Trever Baumler's riveting high school career didn't go as he expected, the TCU signee emptied the tank to close out an incredible Dowling tenure.

"I hope I left my mark on Dowling Catholic baseball," Baumler said. "I'm going to go out there and compete. I hope all the younger underclassmen realize that. I hope they put that under their belt and go out and do the same thing."

The efficiency Baumler opened the state tournament with allowed him to be available on Friday — and Dowling needed more of it if a title was to come. Too much Kennedy traffic, though, finally caused a problem in the third.

A two-out RBI single from Nolan Grawe first dented the scoreboard, then the Cougars plated another on a hot shot first baseman Max Shelton couldn't handle. With the ice broken, Kennedy busted through for three more in the fourth aided by a Baumler throwing error. The senior right-hander surrendered eight hits and seven runs (four earned) over five innings with two walks and six strikeouts, doing so on 94 pitches.

"There are points in an outing when balls aren't going to go the way you want it. That's baseball, and that's a really good hitting team right there," Baumler said. "Honestly, they're the best-hitting team in the state. And they just proved it right there. They overall dominated the game right there, but I've still got a lot of respect for myself. I've got a lot of respect for my stuff. They beat me and beat us fair and square."

The Maroons tried to climb back in with two in the fifth and one more in the sixth, aided by two hits apiece from Dylan Webb and Jack Barrett. But Dowling couldn't keep the Cougars off the board in between. Seven strong frames from Kennedy right-hander Colton Duerling — who yielded six hits and three runs (two earned) on a crisp 74 pitches — was just what the Cougars needed.

It's a week those in green and gold won't forget for some time. A chance to showcase their baseball prowess with the Kennedy community right behind them made for the perfect final scene.

"It's crazy here," Duerling said. "The atmosphere was just awesome. Playing with your teammates is awesome. The crowd, everything — they're all in it."

Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Cedar Rapids Kennedy topples Dowling Catholic to win 4A Iowa state baseball tournament