Rebels fall in state tourney opener

DES MOINES – The Gladbrook-Reinbeck Rebels closed out their final athletic season of the 2014-15 school year with an appearance in the Class 1A state baseball tournament last Friday. Their state tournament bid follows a second place finish at the state football tournament, a state title in basketball, a third place showing at the state soccer tournament, and individual qualifiers for the state track and field meet. Although their opening game against top-seeded Mason City Newman didn’t play out the way they would have hoped, their achievement of yet another state tournament berth, and one that was the least likely of all, provides perhaps the greatest example of the true winners these athletes are.
Friday’s game saw a strong Newman hitting team collect 16 hits, including four doubles and three triples, that brought in 13 earned runs on their way to a 14-4 win over G-R.
In the opening frame the Rebels threatened to score when they loaded the bases on a Camden Kickbush base hit and a pair of walks, but they were unable to capitalize on the opportunity, leaving all three runners stranded. The Knights strung together three hits and a pair of walks to bring in three runs before Rebel catcher Bryce Ehlers ended their rally with a putout on a steal attempt in a first and third situation with two outs.
 
For more of this story see the July 30 Grundy Register.