Tigers torch Indians in substate opener

NEW LONDON - The red-hot New London baseball team only needed five innings to knock out Wapello in their Class 1A Substate 4 opener on Saturday night. The Tigers ran over Wapello 12-0 to move on to Tuesday night's quarterfinals.

New London scored a run in the second inning, six in the third and five in the fourth to end the game early. The Indians collected just two hits all night long.

Josh Catala went 2-for-4 with a triple and four RBIs. Tucker Gibbar went 2-for-4. Carter Allen, Jaxon Allen, Ryan Richey and Seth Bailey each had an RBI. Every member of the Tiger starting lineup had at least one hit or knocked in at least one run.

'Our one-through-nine is probably as good as any one-through-nine in our class,” said head coach Brad Helmerson. 'Those guys can compete at a high level if they chose to, and our job is to convince them that they need to play at that level all the time.”

Holvin Catala picked up the win on the mound, giving up one hit and two walks over three innings. J. Catala threw one shutout inning, and both Catala brothers finished with one strikeout. Kooper Schulte threw a one-hit fifth to close it out, and struck out three batters.

New London has now won seven games in a row. They'll host Highland on Tuesday in the quarterfinal round.