Indian Baseball Goes Perfect in League Play
Oskaloosa Junior Alex DeJong with the cannon to 1st base for the out against Norwalk on June 7, 2017.
by Wade Steinlage
The Oskaloosa Indian baseball team had a great week in league action as it picked up four Little Hawkeye Conference victories last week.
The Indians (10-5, 5-2 LHC) opened the week with a 4-3 win over Newton Monday. The squad then fell to non-conference foe Mount Pleasant 7-3 Tuesday for its lone loss. OHS bounced back with a sweep of Norwalk Wednesday, winning 11-6 and 11-4. Oskaloosa finished its week with a 10-8 victory over rival Pella Friday.
Oskaloosa 4, Newton 3
Oskaloosa, which is currently receiving votes in Class 3A (#14 unofficially), pulled out to a sizeable advantage and had to hold off the host Cardinals down the stretch.
OHS put one on the board in the first, added two more in the second, and finished its scoring with one run in the fourth. Newton narrowed the margin to one with three runs in the fourth, but the Indians and pitcher Rian Yates stayed on top for a big road win.
Tyler Miller and Tucker Nunnikhoven were both huge at the plate with three hits each; Oskaloosa finished with a 9-4 edge in hits. Nunnikhoven, who had a double and a stolen base, rounded the pads twice.
Take out the fourth frame and Yates was untouchable. He struck out two and walked two, while just one of Newton’s runs were earned.
Mount Pleasant 7, Oskaloosa 3
The team was at home the remainder of the week, but home cooking was not served against the Panthers. It is possible the strain of having to hang on for the big league win on Monday wore the Indians down.
The hosts still managed 11 hits, though, while limiting Mount Pleasant to nine, but too many runners were left on base in the setback. The score was knotted at 3-3 after four innings, but the visitors recaptured the lead with two in the fifth and put it away with another two in the seventh.
Alex DeJong had three hits, while Nick Harrington added two more. Seth Sarver drove in a pair of runs Tuesday.
Miller notched four strikeouts in five innings on the hill, while Noah Van Veldhuizen added two Ks in two frames of work.
Oskaloosa 11, Norwalk 6
The Indians were steady throughout and weathered a big six-run fourth inning by the Warriors to take the opening contest.
OHS led 5-0 after three innings, but Norwalk exploded for all six of its runs in the top of the fourth. The home squad did not flinch, however, tying the game back up in the bottom half, regaining the lead in the fifth, and adding some insurance in the sixth.
A 14-10 advantage in hits was highlighted by two base knocks each by Miller, Nunnikhoven, DeJong, Blake Van Veldhuizen, Peyton Crouse, and Bennett Spry (two doubles). DeJong and Miller scored a team-best three runs each, while Spry crossed home plate twice. DeJong and Blake Van Veldhuizen both plated two tallies apiece.
Miller, three stolen bases, and DeJong, with two, were busy on the pads as well.
Starting pitcher Harrington was solid in four of the five frames he worked with one strikeout and two walks. Sarver (2 K, 1 BB in 1 2/3 innings) and Spry (1K, 1 BB in 1/3 inning) closed out the victory.
Oskaloosa 11, Norwalk 4
The Indians rolled in the nightcap, scoring in five separate innings, including five in the fourth. The Warriors scored four meaningless runs in the last two frames.
OHS recorded a 14-5 margin in hits with Spry heading the class with three (two doubles). DeJong, Crouse, and Blake Van Veldhuizen all added two hits. Sarver had just one hit, but it was the biggest of the nightcap–a grand slam in the fourth.
Spry, who also had two RBIs, and Casey Hill rounded the bases two times each, while Sarver led all players with five RBIs.
Crouse tossed six solid innings with five strikeouts and two walks.
Oskaloosa 10, Pella 8
Another complete effort helped the Indians to victory as they scored in four of their trips to the plate. The Dutch scored first with two runs, but Oskaloosa answered with two in the first and three more in the second.
Pella kept it close with two in the third to make it 5-4 in favor of the Indians. The teams exchanged runs before OHS put the game on ice with a four-run fifth. The sides produced plenty of offense to the tune of a 15-12 edge in hits for OHS.
Miller was a force at the top of the lineup, going 4-for-4 with three runs, two RBIs, and three stolen bases. Harrington, DeJong, and Blake Van Veldhuizen all contributed two hits. DeJong and Hill came around two times each, while Nunnikhoven matched Miller with a pair of RBIs.
Three separate hurlers platooned to slow down Pella. Noah Van Veldhuizen was the most successful member of the trio, striking out three (one walk) in 1 2/3 relief innings to claim the save.
Next Up: Oskaloosa remains in Oskaloosa Monday to host Indianola in a Little Hawkeye Conference doubleheader at 5:30 p.m. Both teams are receiving votes in their respective classes (Indianola is #11 in Class 4A).
