NORWAY, Iowa – The Muscatine Red Sox remained alive at the 2009 Iowa Semi-Pro State baseball tournament after the opening weekend.

The Red Sox opened tournament play with a 3-2 win over Walford on Friday night before collecting a 6-2 triumph against the Des Moines Aces in the second round Saturday.

Sunday, the Watkins Mudhens – the defending champions – knocked Muscatine into the consolation bracket with a 13-4 decision.

Muscatine, still one of eight teams remaining in the 16-team field, will play the Des Moines Titans at noon Saturday at Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill.  The winner advances to a 6 p.m. tilt that night against the loser of Watkins and the Quad City 76ers, which meet in the winner’s bracket final earlier in the day.

In Friday’s opener, Shawn Ravenscraft hit a walk-off homer in the bottom of the seventh to propel the Red Sox.

Saturday, led by 18 strikeouts from pitcher Kevin Stinson and three consecutive home runs, the Red Sox advanced to the semifinals of the winner’s bracket. Stinson, Randy Rosa and A.J. Fields all went deep in the fifth inning.

During Sunday’s loss to Watkins, former Muscatine High School standout Nathan Panther was 3-for-4, while Stinson connected for another home run. Ed Walter blasted a grand slam for the Mudhens.