Cade Shield was the starting pitcher as well as the closer for Lone Tree on Thursday night at Louisa-Muscatine.

The junior right hander struck out the side in the fifth and was working on a four-hit shutout when he was relieved with one out in the sixth inning, after a baserunner reached on an error. 

But the Lone Tree bullpen got just two outs as a 9-0 lead was cut to 9-4 with the bases loaded and no outs in the seventh. 

Re-enter Cade Shield. 

After an infield pop fly and a sacrifice grounder, Shield’s ninth strikeout sealed the 9-5 win. He got both the win and the save in the Lions’ first conference victory of the season. 

“I just needed to hit my spots and throw strikes,” Shield said about the bases loaded situation. “Our team can make plays.”

He walked two batters in 6 1-3 innings. 

“He was just able to hit his spots really well and get ahead in the count,” Lone Tree coach Mike Close said. 

“He did a great job just working the plate all night and then being able to use this curveball and changeup when he needed to.”

Shield drove in the first run of the game with a first-inning double after Alex Viner singled in his at bat. 

Shield walked twice in the game and stole three bases. Viner finished 2 for 4 with three runs and an RBI. Cade Patterson put the Lions up 5-0 in the fifth inning with a 2-run single. Aiden Forbes had a hit and two RBIs as well. 

Pekin 7, Lone Tree 3

Pekin scored three runs in the sixth inning to pull away for a 7-3 win over Lone Tree on Monday. 

Alex Viner, Cade Shield and Tyler Bell each had an RBI as the Lions stayed within striking distance after falling behind 2-0 in the second inning. 

Gavin Pourroy drew three walks and scored two runs. Each Lone Tree run cut the deficit to a single run, with Viner’s bunt single scoring Pourroy to pull within 4-3 in the sixth. 

The Lions had the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position with one out, but Chandler Stull got a lineout and a strikeout to escape the jam. 

Mediapolis 21, Lone Tree 10

Lone Tree held a six-run lead over Mediapolis early in the game on Friday, but the Bulldogs scored 11 runs over the final two innings to leave Lone Tree with a 21-10 win. 

Will Kleckner had two hits and drove in three runs for the Lions. Cade Shield had two hits and two RBIs.

Lone Tree led 10-4 after a nine-run inning, which included a 2-RBI double from Tyler Bell. 

Mediapolis came back to tie the game at 10-10 in the top of the fourth. 

The Bulldogs had the go-ahead runs on second and third base with one out in the fifth, but Alex Viner made an athletic play to snag the bouncing ball and throw home for an out, and a fly out to right field stranded the runners. 

Mediapolis doubled twice to take a 14-10 lead after six and took advantage of seven walks during a seven-run seventh. 

Jaxon Brooks drew three walks and was a base shy of the cycle for Mediapolis as he singled, doubled twice and homered for the Bulldogs.

Lone Tree 14, West Branch 8

After scoring just three runs through three games, the Lone Tree bats drove in four in the first inning of a 14-8 win at West Branch on Wednesday. 

The Bears came back to take a 6-5 lead after three innings, but the Lions scored three runs to take the lead in the fourth. Lone Tree took advantage of some West Branch errors and led 14-7 after six. 

Aiden Forbes had two hits and drove in four runs. Cade Patterson tripled and had three RBIs. Alex Viner was 2 for 4 at the plate with an RBI. Adam Knock, Cade Shield, and Gavin Pourroy each had a hit and an RBI. Tyler Bell doubled, drove in a run, and was hit by pitch twice. Matthew Hemsted was also hit twice. 

Pouroy earned the win, allowing two runs on three hits and four walks. Shield threw just eight pitches in a clean inning of relief with one strikeout. 

Keota 7, Lone Tree 1

Cade Shield and Cade Patterson each had a hit for Lone Tree in a 7-1 loss to Keota on Tuesday. Gavin Pourroy drew a walk and scored the Lions only run in the sixth inning to cut the lead to 5-1. 

Keota got on the board with two runs in the third inning and added three more in the fourth. Aiden Forbes struck out three batters in 1 ⅔ innings of relief. He allowed one earned run on three hits and no walks.