
Boone’s run toward the state baseball tournament came to an end Wednesday, July 15, as Cedar Rapids Xavier defeated the Toreadors, 7-2, in the Class 3A Substate 7 Championship at Xavier High School Baseball Field in Cedar Rapids.
Boone managed four hits in the contest, led by Braxton Gifford, who collected two hits, including a double.
Levi Behn and Cole Christeson added one hit apiece, while Christeson drove in a run.
The Toreadors’ other RBI came from Tyce Carlson.
Noah Davies and Behn each crossed the plate to account for Boone’s two runs.
Behn got the start on the mound for Boone and recorded one strikeout while taking the loss.
Gifford worked in relief to finish the game.
The loss ended Boone’s season with an 18-12 overall record and a 7-9 mark in the Raccoon River Conference, while Xavier advanced to the state tournament as the No. 3 seed.
The Saints will face No. 6 seed MOC-Floyd Valley at 7 p.m. Monday, July 20, at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids.
For the year, Carlson paced Boone offensively with 37 hits during the season.
Behn added 33 hits, followed closely by Davies with 32.
Noah Gorman finished with 25 hits, while Gifford contributed 21.
Behn led the team in run production with 26 RBIs.
Carlson and Ryan Bowers each drove in 25 runs, while Davies and Gorman recorded 17 RBIs apiece.
On the mound, Behn led Boone with seven victories.
Conor Scoggins added five wins and topped the pitching staff with 47 strikeouts.
Behn finished with 40 strikeouts, while Landon Youngblood recorded 33.
Jill Lutz reporting
