Pleasantville secures second consecutive Class 2A state baseball title
Brayden Kennedy’s seven-inning performance and offensive contributions lead Pleasantville to a 34-1 season finish, capping a dominant campaign for the No. 1 ranked squad.
Pleasantville High School has secured its second consecutive Iowa Class 2A baseball state championship, defeating Durant High School 8-1 in the title game on Friday, July 24. The victory at Merchants Park in Carroll concludes a season defined by consistency and depth for the Trojans, who finished with a 34-1 record.
Pitcher Brayden Kennedy delivered a comprehensive performance on the mound, pitching seven innings and allowing just one run on six hits. Kennedy struck out eight batters and issued only two walks, effectively neutralising Durant’s offence throughout the contest. His control was tested in the third inning when Durant loaded the bases with no outs, but Kennedy induced three consecutive pop outs to escape the jam.
Kennedy also contributed significantly to the offensive output, driving in three runs. He opened the scoring with a two-run single in the first inning and added an RBI sacrifice fly in the third. His ability to contribute both as a pitcher and a hitter provided a substantial advantage for Pleasantville, which entered the tournament as the No. 1 ranked team in the state.
Durant, which finished the season with a 24-9 record, mounted a brief challenge in the fourth inning when Ben Feuerbach hit a solo home run to left field. However, Pleasantville responded decisively in the bottom of the fifth. Will Mesecher hit a two-run single up the middle, and subsequent scoring via a Durant error and a single from Brody Adreon extended the lead to 6-1. Braylon Bingham added a two-run double in the sixth to seal the result.
The championship marks the culmination of a rigorous tournament run for Pleasantville, which defeated Ridgeview 10-0 in the quarterfinals and Cascade 8-5 in the semifinals. Durant had reached the final after winning 15 consecutive games, including victories over ranked opponents Roland-Story and Unity Christian. Despite the Wildcats’ late-season surge, Pleasantville’s defensive stability and offensive depth proved insurmountable, securing their back-to-back titles.
