Everybody’s trying to pick off Ramstein

Whether it’s a matchup like last weekend’s Ramstein vs. Kaiserslautern baseball doubleheader or heading into this weekend’s Europeans tournament, there is a constant drumbeat tracing to the Ramstein Royals and their five straight DODEA titles. Ramstein (10-4) swept their rivals in the final week of the regular season but both teams are on a path to possibly meet again at the Euros. Until someone beats them, Ramstein remains the king of the mountain.

“We consider ourselves to be a good team and the situation when you play Ramstein is that they are also a really good team,” said KHS coach Justin Bates. “And they are a team that hates to lose. I consider this to be the most wide-open Euros tourney in my seven years of coaching DODEA baseball. Everything’s possible.”

Ramstein was getting shut out last weekend before staging a mammoth, final-inning comeback and beating homestanding Kaiserslautern 6-5. The Royals had senior stalwart Nemo Kindle on the mound for game two and won, 7-3, to complete the sweep.

“We had the disappointment (of losing two) at Lakenheath but then to come home and win a series, and to make that comeback, that we knew we needed in order to earn a top seed in Euros was really big for our younger guys,” Ramstein coach Travis Shoffner said. His team was set to play Naples yesterday in a Euros opener at Southside Field, which is serving as a host site along with Kaiserslautern’s Pulaski Field. Kaiserslautern was scheduled to open against Vilseck.

Ninth-grader Kaleb Bellew was the only multiple hitter for Ramstein but nearly every other Royal batter was able to reach base. Still Bellew and his mates trailed 5-0 before a sixth-inning rally saved them. Nick Kranz had a two-run single and Jerod Junkins tripled to tie the game before Jeremy LeClair singled home the go-ahead run. Junior right-hander Tieran Shoffner pitched the final inning to halt the Raiders (13-5) for good. He also contributed an RBI-double during the Royal rally.

Kenyon Jiles and Ronin Sherman had two hits apiece for Kaiserslautern, which suffered from multiple misplayed balls and throwing miscues in the telltale sixth inning. Nolan Sherman pitched a gem until the final inning and joined his brother plus Jiles with doubles in the loss.

Kindle showed game management skills for the Royals in the second win, allowing six hits and striking out six with only two walks. Nolan Sherman and Jace Robinson had RBI-doubles but few other Raiders found ways to get on base. Kindle was helped early on by Tieran Shoffner’s double that plated two runs and Ramstein led the whole way. Nolan Sherman and Colin Zayd gave up 10 hits to Ramstein batters.

TRACK AND FIELD

Wiesbaden trip great for Ramstein boys

Ramstein’s boys won another team title and appear to the odd’s-on favorites at this week’s Europeans track and field meet. Winning this past weekend at Wiesbaden gave the Royals more team titles than any other Division I school but they know a stiff Euros challenge will surely come from Kaisers-lautern, which was runner-up at the Wiesbaden meet. Baumholder placed sixth and is looking to find big success on the boys’ side within the Division III portion of Europeans.

The Ramstein girls were third overall at the Wiesbaden meet and Kaiserslautern was fourth, so there are still question marks about which teams will emerge with Division I championship banners from this weekend’s Euros meet. It’s set to take place at the Kaiserslautern High complex on Vogelweh with local spectators getting a chance to see the best of the best from 2018.

Storylines at this week’s Euros include Kaiserslautern’s Jada Branch and Ramstein’s CiCi Williams potentially winning multiple events, Ramstein and K-Town boys competing closely in distance events, and Kaiserslautern’s continued success with the shot put and discus. Weather conditions and other intangibles make all track and field events unpredictable and when you factor in that it’s the last event of the school year, anything is liable to happen. (Results from Euros track and field, soccer, baseball, and softball, will be published in next week’s KA edition.)

Wiesbaden Meet – May 19

BOYS

100 METERS

1. Dominique Arizpe, Ramstein (11:35)

200 METERS

1. Dominique Arizpe, Ramstein (23.32)

400 METERS

1. Nathaniel Horton, Baumholder (52.70)

3. Conner Brinkmeyer, Baumholder (53.76)

800 METERS

1. Nick Clinton, Ramstein (2:03.27)

2. Skylar Ratledge, KHS (2:05.05)

1600 METERS

1. Dash Rogers, Ramstein (4:39.08)

3200 METERS

1. Orlando Rojas, KHS (10:06.80)

3. Logan Shelley, Ramstein (10:32.22)

110 METER HURDLES

1. Jackie Harris, Ramstein (15.82)

3. Solo Turgeon, KHS (16.50)

300 METER HURDLES

3. Jacob Winchell, KHS (43.94)

4×100 METER RELAY

2. Kaiserslautern – Mazen Youness, Tré Dotson, Jacob Winchell, Corey Coombs (45.39)

4×400 METER RELAY

1. Kaiserslautern – Andre James, Tré Dotson, John Paul Tangoan, Cedric Ellis (3:44.50)

4×800 METER RELAY

1. Ramstein – Nick Clinton, Nicholas Blake, Denver Dalpais, Jose Serrano (8:13.39)

SPRINT MEDLEY RELAY

2. Kaiserslautern – Andre James, Corey Coombs, Cedric Ellis, Skyler Ratledge (3:54.41)

SHOT PUT

1. Austin Higby, KHS (43-04.5)

DISCUS

2. Austin Higby, KHS (126-07.5)

HIGH JUMP

1. Nathaniel Horton, Baumholder (6-01)

2. Tré Dotson, KHS (5-11)

LONG JUMP

3. Bryce Thomas, Ramstein (19-03)

TRIPLE JUMP

3. Christian Miley, Ramstein (37-11.50)

GIRLS

200 METERS

1. Jada Branch, KHS (26.23)

1600 METERS

1. Kristin Lucero, Ramstein (5:49.30)

2. Jordanne Hill, Ramstein (5:49.95)

100 METER HURDLES

1. CiCi Williams, Ramstein (16.78)

300 METER HURDLES

1. CiCi Williams, Ramstein (48.23)

4×400 METER RELAY

2. Ramstein – Emily Stuart, Lydia Rothas, Kristin Lucero, Catherine Hickman (4:51.24)

4×400 METER RELAY

3. Ramstein – Barakat Ibrahim, Rosemary Bashaw, Emily Stuart, Catherine Hickman (11:10.79)

SPRINT MEDLEY RELAY

2. Kaiserslautern – Heysha Perez-Mendez, Mallory Harris, Ayanna Davison, Elonie Ward (4:41.81)

SHOT PUT

3. Larissa Carter, KHS (31-02)

DISCUS

1. Mercedes Durden, KHS (90-07.25)

3. Caprinia Goode, Ramstein (84-08.5)

HIGH JUMP

3. Samara-Jade Mok, Ramstein (4-05)

LONG JUMP

1. Jada Branch, KHS (17-01)

2. CiCi Williams, Ramstein (16-10)

TRIPLE JUMP

1. Jada Branch, KHS (38-08)

2. CiCi Williams, Ramstein (35-00)

SOFTBALL

Kaiserslautern closes regular season with sweep of rival Ramstein

Senior power hitters erupted last Saturday and fueled a 12-7, 16-8 softball sweep for Kaiserslautern over their division rival Ramstein. Phoenix Whisennand and Ally Alamos threw 11 of the innings in the doubleheader, with 14 total strikeouts and 12 walks allowed. Their mound success was complimented by a solid three innings from second game starter Abigail Young, who kept her cool in the third frame by ending a bases-loaded rally with a strikeout.

Victoria Jackson was one of several productive seniors, sending a grand slam deep into centerfield and being joined by Whisennand and Mariana Conklin with three base hits in the win. Senior catcher Chloe Whisennand went 4-for-5 and was solid behind the plate for the dual KHS pitchers.

Alamos was 4-for-4 at the plate in game one, when the Raiders (12-3) also got three hits apiece from Conklin and Young. Chloe Whisennand was solid at catcher and stole two bases to go with her two hits.

Ramstein (10-3) got two hits apiece from Azure Agricula and Madison Jarvis in the opening game loss, plus a double from Isabel Craige. Kaiserslautern outhit the Lady Royals 16-8, though, and Ramstein stranded six of its baserunners. Conklin had three doubles to go with one each from Erin Nuckols, Olivia Warren, and Young.

In game two, Ramstein starter Abby Walker got most of her backing from the top of the batting order and was provided a 7-3 lead after four innings when Isabel Craige, Savannah Sparrow, and Jarvis all touched Young for base hits. Walker, who struck out six KHS batters and walked only two, helped herself with an RBI-double and had Ariana Rivera do likewise. Other Lady Royals drew walks and all told, four runs came home before Young shut the door with her final strikeout.

Ramstein later got a bunt single from Sydney Smith and had the game tied at 8-all before Jackson’s massive home run did them in. Sparrow was 4-for-5, Walker was 2-for-4, Smith was 2-for-5, Rivera was 2-for-4, and Azure Agricula was 2-for-4 in the setback.

SOCCER EUROS

Baumholder, Kaiserslautern, Ramstein all post opening round wins

Kaiserslautern’s boys won a 6-1 decision Monday against Naples and had games throughout this week leading up to what they hoped will be a semifinals and finals appearance where they could defend the DODEA title they won last season. Jaheim Allen, a freshman, had three goals along with one each from senior captain Tyler Jankowski, Patrick Boulay, and Pablo Zorrilla.

Baumholder took a 3-0 win in boys play against Hohenfels to break a long losing streak. The Bucanneers got scores from senior Brandon Perales and freshmen Jose Pinzon and Eli Rodriguez. The BHS boys later lost a match Monday afternoon against Ansbach.

Ramstein notched a 3-0 boys win over Laken-heath when Chris Slover scored two goals and Dante Lapitan had another. The Ram-stein girls also won their Euro opener, topping Kaisers-lautern 8-1.