WATERLOO - In 2007, Waterloo West's baseball squad made an improbable trek to the state tournament despite an ugly, 15-22 record.

As this summer wore on, West's play became a little easier on the eye.

The pitching improved, for instance. And, as a result, the Wahawks ascended upward in the Mississippi Valley Conference's regular-season standings.

Regardless, Mason City planned to make things far less aesthetic around Van Syoc Field Friday in a Class 4A substate opener.

The Mohawks accomplished their mission, posting a 5-2 triumph.

"In high school baseball anything can happen," said Mohawks coach Troy Rood, whose club improved to 20-21. "Teams are so close on any given night.

"To me," he added, "tonight was gonna be about who came up with the big hit, and who made the big pitch."

The Mohawks checked both those elements off their itinerary, as Dylan Alitz had two hits - including a key, two-run homer - and hurler Parker Moorman fired a complete-game three-hitter.

"Their ability to hit after we should've been out of innings, and their power, was the difference," noted West coach Jeremy Langner, whose Wahawks, seeded third in Substate 2, bowed out at 17-18 this year.

Mason City surged to a 3-0 lead through four innings Friday before Max Shower jolted the Wahawks to life.

The junior slugger smashed a two-run homer deep over the fence in left field.

Mason City answered in kind in its next at-bat, however, salting away its victory with one swing of Alitz's bat. Alitz tomahawked a two-strike offering out of the park in right field. The two-run homer handed the Mohawks an insurmountable, 5-2 advantage.

"We've been working on that all week - to go opposite field," explained Alitz.

"We're a lot better than our (record)," added Alitz, one of 10 Mason City seniors. "And us seniors, we've got a lot of drive."

The loss brought a disappointing end to the season for West, which had knocked off the Mohawks, 6-4, earlier this season and had won three straight against Mason City.

Still, Langner tipped a cap to his outgoing Wahawk seniors.

"I told the senior class they brought this program to another level," said Langner, noting West's third-place division finish.

"I tell these kids all the time, 'Just keep getting better.' And they got better this year."

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

West ab r h bi Mason City ab r h bi

McClain,2b 3 1 1 0 Ausenhuis,cf 3 0 0 0

Massina,ss 3 0 0 0 Peters,ss 3 0 1 0

Shower,cf 3 1 2 2 Moorman,p 2 0 1 0

Raecker,1b 2 0 0 0 Lee,c 3 0 0 0

Wolfe,dh 1 0 0 0 Crane,lf 2 2 1 0

Steinmeyer,pr 0 0 0 0 Eenhuis,2b 1 1 0 0

Crisman,p 3 0 0 0 Salmon,rf 1 1 1 0

Walton,3b 3 0 0 0 Alitz,dh 2 1 2 3

Wright,c 3 0 0 0 Hines,pr 0 0 0 0

McClain,ph 1 0 0 0 Goetzinger,2b 1 0 0 0

Petullo,lf 2 0 0 0 Mason,2b 2 0 1 2

Voves,pr 0 0 0 0

Totals 23 2 3 2 Totals 20 5 7 5

Waterloo West 000 002 0 - 2 3 2

Mason City 010 202 x - 5 6 1

E - Wright; Eenhuis. LOB - West 2; Mason City 5.

2B - McClain; Mason. HR - Shower; Alitz.

SB - Moorman. CS - Crane.

Pitching summary

West IP H R ER BB SO

Crisman (L) 5.1 7 5 5 5 1

Styron .2 0 0 0 0 0

Mason City IP H R ER BB SO

Moorman (W) 7.0 3 2 2 3 1

T - 1:40.

WP - Moorman.