The State Baseball Tournament got underway with the quarterfinals in Class 1A Friday evening at Principal Park, in Des Moines. It was a back-and-forth contest in the first game, as the Remsen St. Mary’s Hawks topped the Highland Huskies 10-5 Friday night. Brody Burton took the mound for Highland but was chased after one inning of work after giving up four runs off three hits, a walk and two hit batters. Remsen St. Mary’s advances to the 1A semifinals that will take place on Thursday. They will face Newman Catholic.

In game two, Newman Catholic took an 12-2 run-rule victory over Nodaway Valley in six innings. Caden Kratz took the mound for Newman allowing two runs — one earned — in the first and then followed with five scoreless innings. Kratz finished the night with 10 strikeouts, one walk and allowed three hits through six innings of work.

Nodaway Valley struck early after a pair of errors by Newman’s Ben Fitzgerald and a RBI single by Tyler Vandewater put two on the board for the Wolverines in the top of the first. Jackson Lamb got the ball for Nodaway Valley and gave up seven earned runs off six hits in one inning of work. Newman Catholic responded in the bottom of the first, batting around the order with a trio of singles and a stand-up triple by Josh Fitzgerald that allowed the Knights to jump out to a 5-2 lead.

Ben Fitzgerald extended the Knights’ lead with a solo shot over the right field fence. Bryce Ball followed with another stand-up triple for Newman and ultimately scored off a RBI-single by Parker Dondlinger. Matthew Fitzsimmons made it 8-2 Knights with a sacrifice fly to left field.

The Knights added three runs in third inning and one in the sixth including a two-run homer to right field by Ball. He finished the night 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Ben Fitzgerald paced the Knights’ offense, batting 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a RBI. Brandon Mangles entered to pitch for the Wolverines in the third and would throw for three innings, allowing just two hits and no earned runs after facing 10 batters.

Newman Catholic advances to the Class 1A semifinals and will face Remsen St. Mary’s on Thursday at Principal Park.  Today’s (Saturday’s) schedule pits #2 seed West Sioux (25-2) against #7 Edgewood-Colesburg (21-12), @ 5-p.m., followed at 7:30 by #3 Don Bosco (34-4) vs. #6 Tri-Center/Neola (19-8).