Cedar Rapids (Iowa) rallies to eliminate Appleton Doubledays at Great Lakes Legion Baseball Regional

AppletonSportsPage.com

CAROL STREAM, Ill. – The Appleton Doubledays incredible postseason run came to an end as Cedar Rapids Swisher Post 671 overcame a five-run deficit to win 9-8 on Saturday at the Great Lakes American Legion Baseball Regional.

Cedar Rapids remains the lone undefeated team in the double-elimination tournament and will face Rockport (Ind.) on Sunday in the championship round. The champion qualifies for the 2025 American Legion Baseball World Series in Shelby, N.C., next week.

The Doubledays saw the first four batters single in the top of the first, with Lincoln Thede knocking in Ethan Winkler to give them a 1-0 lead.

A double play plated another run and Thede scored on a double steal to put Appleton up 3-0.

Cedar Rapids responded with two runs before Appleton put up three more in the third, with Dan Dieck knocking in a run with a triple and T.J. Parker driving home Jackson Bines-Sabrowsky with a single.

Brandon Tobak added an RBI triple in the fifth to put the Doubledays up 7-2 before Cedar Rapids mounted a comeback, scoring five times in the bottom of the frame to tie the game and knocking out Appleton starter Cade Prestigiacomo in the process.

After the Doubledays went back ahead in the sixth on a solo home run by Prestigiacomo, Cedar Rapids retaliated with a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning. Appleton loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the seventh but could not tie it up, ending its season.

Appleton, which won a regional title and placed third at the Wisconsin Class AAA State Tournament, ends the season with a 20-7 record.

Prestigiacomo went 4-for-4 and Parker had two hits for Appleton, which had 12 in all.

Swisher 9, Doubledays 8
Appleton   303   011   0   –   8   12   1
Cedar Rapids   200   052   x   –   9   5   2
WP: Schulte. LP: T.J. Parker.
SO: Cade Prestigiacomo (4 2/3 inn.) 4, Parker (1 1/3 inn.) 1; Woodhouse (2 2/3 inn.) 1, Schulte (4 1/3 inn.) 7. BB: Prestigiacomo 5, Parker 0; Woodhouse 2, Schulte 2.
Top hitters: A, Prestigiacomo 4×4, 2B, HR, 2 runs, RBI; Brandon Tobak 3B, RBI; Dan Dieck 2B, RBI; Parker 2×4, RBI. CR, Obermiller HR, 3 runs, 2 RBI; Kirsch 3B, 3 RBI; Schlute 2×3; Lichtenberg 2 runs.
Records: Appleton 20-7; Cedar Rapids not reported.

Great Lakes American Legion Baseball Regional
Aug. 6-10, at Carol Stream, Ill.
Wednesday, Aug. 6
Game 1: Midland (Mich.) 2, Rockport (Ind.) 0
Game 2: Beverly/Lowell (Ohio) 9, De Pere 4
Game 3: Appleton Doubledays 6, Danville (Ill.) 5 (10 inn.)
Game 4: Cedar Rapids (Iowa) 16, Carol Stream (Ill.) 0
Thursday, Aug. 7
Game 5: Rockport (Ind.) 12, Danville (Ill.) 6
Game 6: De Pere 9, Danville (Ill.) 6
Game 7: Midland (Mich.) 12, Appleton Doubledays 3
Game 8: Cedar Rapids (Iowa) 12, Beverly/Lowell (Ohio) 1
Friday, Aug. 8
Game 9: Appleton Doubledays 10, De Pere 0
Game 10: Rockport (Ind.) 12, Beverly/Lowell (Ohio) 8
Game 11: Cedar Rapids (Iowa) 3, Midland (Mich.) 0
Saturday, Aug. 9
Game 12: Rockport (Ind.) 9, Midland (Mich.) 3
Game 13: Cedar Rapids (Iowa) 9, Appleton Doubledays 8
Sunday, Aug. 10
Game 14: Rockport (Ind.) vs. Cedar Rapids (Iowa), 1 p.m.
Game 15: Repeat Game 14 if necessary, 3:30 p.m.