The Lynnville-Sully baseball team saw its 25-win campaign come to an abrupt end on Tuesday night, dropping a 7-3 decision to Burlington Notre Dame in the Class 1A Substate 6 championship game held in Ottumwa, Iowa.
A Slow Start Proves Costly
Burlington Notre Dame struck first, plating three runs in the opening inning before adding another three in the seventh to pull away and control the tempo of the contest.
Reliever Jack Bowlin, who finished with three hits at the plate and tossed 5 ⅔ innings on the mound, kept the game within reach but the early deficit proved insurmountable.
JD Richards contributed a single, a walk, two RBIs and two stolen bases, wrapping up his high school career with 46 hits, 56 total bases and 34 steals while batting .541.
Additional pieces of the lineup chipped in: Dylan Rea drove in a run, Carsen Kottenstette doubled, Gavin Olea collected the team’s only other hit, and Trace Carlson scored after being hit by a pitch.
The pitching staff struggled in the final frame, with Connor Deal surrendering three earned runs in a single‑third inning before Brody Borg and Gavin Olea each recorded a brief outing.
Despite the loss, Notre Dame improves to 22-7 and will head to the state tournament, a stage they last reached in 2023 before falling in the 2024 substate final.