CEDAR FALLS In the summer of 2006, the Cedar Falls baseball squad possesses an inventory resembling that of a sprawling, home-improvement superstore.

Every tool is at the Tigers disposal. They can run. They hit, And they most definitely pitch.

Alas, on Friday the Tigers met No. 7-ranked Iowa City High a team with some pretty high-priced merchandise of its own.

The Little Hawks proved their mettle in Fridays doubleheader, handing previously unbeaten Cedar Falls (11-2, 6-2 in Mississippi Valley Conference play) its first two losses of the year, 8-2, and 5-4.

It was a good matchup, said sixth-year Cedar Falls coach Jack Sole. You had two great teams on the field. It was a battle.

Game one was a jewel of a pitching duel — though you have to look beyond the boxscore to realize it. For the first eight innings of a 2 hour, 27 minute marathon, Cedar Falls starter Zach Von Tersch and City High hurler Ted Schmidt sparred, each throwing their fair share of haymakers.

Von Tersch, a rangy, 6-foot-5 righthander, put forth a sterling performance — easily the best of the reigning Gatorade Iowa Player of the Years career. All told, he twirled eight perfect innings, striking out nine. Schmidt held his own, though his eight innings of six-hit ball paled in comparison to his counterpart.

I felt pretty good, said Von Tersch, who left the game after the eighth due to a pitch count. He had thrown 89 pitches.

I changed up my curveball from last time, so I had a little more break. And I was hitting my spots all game.

Von Tersch was unhittable, marveled City High coach Dennis Knoop. He mowed us down for eight innings. We didnt have an answer.

Finally, the wheels fell off for Cedar Falls in game one in a seven-run City High 11th inning. The visitors battered Tiger reliever Brady Loper, in carnage that was epitomized by the two hit, two RBI frame of City High first baseman Austin Jones.

Its disappointing to throw that good and end up with an L at the end, said Von Tersch.

The fireworks started early in the back end of the double dip. City High jumped out to an early 4-0 advantage, only to have Cedar Falls answer with three runs of its own in the home half of the third. In the end, a two-out, run-scoring single by City Highs Austin Jones in the seventh won it for the visitors.

Contact Kelly Beaton at (319) 291-1456 or kelly.beaton@wcfcourier.com.

First game

City High ab r h bi Cedar Falls ab r h bi

Stephenson, 2b 5 1 2 2 Marshall, cf 5 0 2 0

Evans, cf 5 1 1 1 Welter, ss 4 0 1 0

Gilmore, ss 4 1 0 0 Miller, c 4 0 0 0

Spencer, c 5 0 1 2 Korte, pr 0 0 0 0

Alberhasky, 3b 4 0 0 0 Von Tersch, p 4 0 1 0

Jones, 1b 5 1 2 2 Salmons, ph 1 0 0 0

Schultz, rf 5 1 1 0 Lingard, rf 5 1 3 1

Saehler, lf 3 1 0 0 McAlister,1b 4 1 1 1

Johnson, dh 3 0 0 0 Loper, 3b 4 0 1 0

Schmidt, p 0 0 0 0 Abraham, lf 4 0 0 0

Maxwell, p 0 1 0 1 Kreimeyer, 2b 4 0 0 0

Totals 36 8 7 8 Totals 39 2 9 2

City High 000 000 001 07 8 7 2

Cedar Falls 000 000 001 01 2 9 0

E Spencer 2. LOB City High 2, Cedar Falls 8. HR Lingard, McAlister.

HBP Schmidt. SB Stevenson, Sayler; Korte, Salmons.

Pitching summary

City High IP H R ER BB SO

Schmidt 8.0 6 0 0 1 5

Maxwell (W) 3.0 3 2 2 1 2

Cedar Falls

Von Tersch 8.0 0 0 0 0 9

Loper (L) 2.1 7 7 5 1 4

Marshall 0.2 0 0 0 0 0

T 2:27.

Second game

City High ab r h bi Cedar Falls ab r h bi

Stephenson, 2b 2 1 0 1 Marshall, cf 4 1 1 0

Evans, cf 2 1 1 0 Welter, ss 2 0 0 0

Gilmore, ss 2 1 0 0 Miller, dh 3 0 1 1

Spencer, dh 4 0 1 0 Riley, p 0 0 0 0

Alberhasky, 3b 3 0 2 1 Lingard, rf 4 0 2 2

Jones, 1b 4 0 1 1 McAlister, c 3 0 0 0

Saehler, lf 3 1 0 0 Loper, 3b 2 1 0 0

Schultz, lf 2 1 1 0 Bruns, 1b 1 1 1 1

Wronski, c 1 0 0 0 Kreimeyer, 2b 2 0 0 0

Maxwell, ph 1 0 1 0 Salmons, lf 2 1 2 0

Totals 24 5 8 3 Totals 23 4 7 4

City High 220 000 1 5 8 0

Cedar Falls 030 010 0 4 7 5

E Riley 2, McAlister 2, Welter. LOB City High 8, Cedar Falls 6.

SH Stephenson, Kreimeyer. SF Bruns. SB Evans, Alberhasky, Schultz; Welter, Loper, Salmons.

Pitching summary

City High IP H R ER BB SO

Moreland 2.0 6 3 3 3 0

Evans (W) 4.0 1 1 1 4 5

Cedar Falls

Riley 4.0 4 4 1 4 5

Bruns 2.0 1 0 0 0 3

Welter (L) 1.0 2 1 1 1 1

PB Wronski; McAlister 2.

T 1:49.