DES MOINES — The East Marshall baseball team rallied for five runs in the top of the seventh inning and withheld Des Moines Christian’s bases-loaded counterattack to beat the higher seeded Lions 5-3 in Saturday’s Class 2A District 14 opener.

The Mustangs (12-16) had just three hits before piecing together a two-out rally in their last at-bat, capped by Jacob Farrington’s two-run double. Courtesy runner Jackson Bidwell was thrown out trying to score on the play as well, but East Marshall suddenly carried a lead into the bottom of the seventh.

Relief pitcher Blake Fisher, who struck out the side in the bottom of the sixth, got the first two outs to start the seventh. Jack Schmaltz singled, Robert Oliver walked and Tyler Drefke was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The Mustangs turned to Joryn Shively to record the final out, inducing a flyout to right from Jack Isenhart to end the game.

Anderson, Alex Jacobson, Blake Neuroth, Tyler Fuller, Connor Kriegel and Connor Hassin all walked to set the table for Farrington in the seventh. Fuller, Hassin and Anderson each had a hit prior to the Mustang rally.

Sixth-seeded East Marshall advances to face No. 2 seed Williamsburg (17-19) in Wednesday’s district semifinals in Pleasantville. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.

BCLUW baseball blanked by top-ranked Knights

MASON CITY — University of Iowa commit Doug Taylor struck out 11 in five innings of a combined no-hitter as Class 1A’s top-ranked Mason City Newman knocked BCLUW off the playoff trail with a 10-0, six-inning victory on Saturday night.

The Knights (29-4) scored eight runs in the first inning and added single tallies in the fourth and sixth frames to finish off the Comets (2-16) in the first round of District 3 play.

Taylor didn’t allow a baserunner before giving way to Adam Henrich, who walked Ryan Busch in the top of the sixth but got the final three outs before the Knights ended the game in the bottom half.

Walker Ashton took the loss for BCLUW, surrendering nine runs but only three earned as the Comets committed four errors. Ashton allowed seven hits and four walks while striking out two in 4 1/3 innings of work. Cayden McLeland got the last two outs of the fifth inning but couldn’t record an out in the sixth as Newman notched the final run.

Max Burt, Trev Hickey and Kellen Kantaris had two hits apiece to lead the Knights into the district semifinals.