5-run inning propels Mount Vernon baseball to 6-5 win over Class 3A No. 3 Western Dubuque

Mustangs avenge loss to two-time defending champion Bobcats in last year’s substate final

Mount Vernon finally got its revenge.

It may have taken some time and the stakes weren’t the same, but it was hard to tell when the Mustangs beat the team that ended their 2023 season.

Mount Vernon scored five runs in the top of the fifth inning and held on for a 6-5 victory over Class 3A No. 3 Western Dubuque in a non-conference baseball game Wednesday night at Mount Mercy’s Plaster Athletic Complex.

The Mustangs (12-10) celebrated after recording the final out, avenging a sub-par final loss to the two-time defending champion Bobcats last year.

“They were excited,” Mount Vernon coach Charles Chatman said. “They kept us out of state last year. Yeah, you’re in June and all that, but that was a tough baseball game. We played them hard last year. We thought we had a chance to win that game and let it pass us by. It was nice to be able to get one.”

This date may be circled on the calendar. Mount Vernon was up for the challenge and had something to prove.

“We really wanted to go out there and put on a show,” Mustangs junior and No. 3 hitter Mikey Ryan said. “It was great to finally show everyone that we can play with anyone.”

Mount Vernon has found its stride, winning their fourth straight game and five of the last six. This is a work in progress and will take time to take shape due to the number of players in multiple sports and different activities.

“It will take about 20 games for us to figure out who we are as a ball club,” Chatman said. “We’re in that 20 (game) frame. We talk about it at the beginning of the season and we try not to panic. Just play baseball and eventually we’ll get to a place where we can control some things.”

The Mustangs took a 1-0 lead in the second when Garet Swartzendruber reached on an error and scored. Western Dubuque answered for one in the bottom of the inning, followed by two when Brett Harris and Hunter Quagliano scored in the third for a 3-1 lead.

Mount Vernon’s decisive inning started with a Miles Francois triple. Colin Bentley walked. Cole Thurn’s sacrifice scored a point. Ryan reached on an error and Swartzendruber singled. Ryan, Swartzendruber and Kellen Haverback scored. Haverback and Tait Rentschler each had two hits to lead the Mustangs.

“Miles Francois came up with a big triple that got the dugout going,” Ryan said. “All my teammates kept passing it on down the line. Everyone did their job. Put the ball in play and good things will happen.

“It was pretty good to get that rally going. Once we were ahead, 6-3, we all felt very confident that we would win the ball game.

Western Dubuque threatened in the bottom of the seventh. Harris walked and scored on a Quagliano triple. Quagliano scored on Collin McDermott’s groundout. Collin Coyle walked, but Mount Vernon reversed the comeback when Thurn threw out the eventual tying run in an attempt to steal second base.

Thurn is one of those multi-sport Mustangs, playing football, basketball, baseball and running track.

“He’s a good ballplayer,” Chatman said. “He’s doing very well. He’s a good boy. He works himself to death.

“Just like everyone else on the field, he gives what he’s got when he’s got it, so it’s fun.”

Mount Vernon resumes conference play Thursday at Benton Community. The win could propel the Mustangs into the postseason. The goal is to stay balanced and rack up more wins, such as throwing strikes, making routine plays, competing in the batter’s box, and running the bases well.

“Those are the things that are important to us at this time of the season,” Chatman said. “If we do those things well, we can compete with anyone.

“We just talk about having fun, playing baseball and getting better every day.”

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