Amazing Season Ends in State Championship Game for Lightning
front row l. to r. Coach Bryan Kime, Jacob Kime, Alex Chapman, Jaden VanRoekel, Alex Dejong, Keaton DeKock, Coach Doug DeKock
back row l. to r. Coach Kevin Nunnikhoven, Tucker Nunnikhoven, Charlie Bandstra, Tanner DeKock, Rian Yates, Coach Doug Yates
The Oskaloosa Lightning 12U USSSA baseball team ended the organization’s best season ever with a runner-up finish in the AAA State Championships in Des Moines June 22nd-24th. It was the second time in three years that the Lightning has made the Championship game. In 2011 they lost to eventual champion Waterloo Heat in the quarter-finals. The Lightning entered the season with some question marks but molded into a very good team winning 16 of their last 19 games. In seven tournaments this year they finished 1st three times and were runner-up twice. The road to the finals this year had the Lightning dominating the first 4 games before playing the most exciting game of the tournament, a 6-5 extra-inning thriller over Solon in the semi-finals.
The Lightning started the tournament on Friday by cruising to a 9-1 win over the Southside Rails from Des Moines. K.J. McCrea led the hitting attack with 3 singles while Charlie Bandstra, Rian Yates, Keaton DeKock and Alex Chapman all singled. Tucker Nunnikhoven and Yates pitched in the win.
Game two of pool play was against the C.R. Junior Warriors Red. The Lightning jumped out early and controlled the game from start to finish, winning 8-2. By winning both pool games and only allowing 3 runs, Oskaloosa earned the #3 seed in the 38-team tournament. Yates had two singles while Tanner DeKock, McCrea, Jaden VanRoekel and Alex DeJong chipped in with base hits. Bandstra and McCrea pitched in the win.
Game three was the beginning of bracket play as #3 Oskaloosa took on #14 Tide from Pleasant Hill. The Tide jumped on top 2-0 in the 1st before Osky answered in the bottom half to tie it at 2-2. Pitching dominated before Osky scratched across 2 runs in the 4th and 5th to win 6-2. K. DeKock went 3 for 3 to lead the hitting attack. Nunnikhoven, T. DeKock, Bandstra, Yates and Jacob Kime all added singles. The win put Osky in the Elite 8 for the fourth consecutive year.
Game four was a quarterfinal game against the Altoona Diamondbacks. Runs were hard to come by as Osky pulled out a 4-1 victory. T. DeKock had a triple and single in the win. McCrea and DeJong singled for Osky’s only other hits. Bandstra and McCrea pitched in the win. The win put the Lightning in a Sunday semi-final rematch from a game earlier this year against the Solon Bandits, an Eastern-Iowa powerhouse. The Lightning run-ruled Solon in Iowa City earlier this year 11-3, but knew Sunday’s rematch would be much tougher.
The semi-final contest against Solon would prove to be the game of the entire tournament. With a big crowd on hand both teams played excellent baseball in the see-saw affair. Osky greeted Solon’s ace with four runs in the first two innings to jump out on top 4-0. The defense would then step up when Rian Yates enticed a 6-4-3 double play with the bases loaded to bail out Osky in the 3rd. Leading 4-1 Oskaloosa saw Solon put up 3 runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at 4. Both teams went scoreless in the sixth to set up a dramatic extra inning finish. Nunnikhoven led the inning off with a shot down the left field line for a double. He then scored on T. DeKock’s fourth hit of the game. DeKock would later score to give Osky a 6-4 lead. Solon wasn’t done yet though. After two quick outs the Bandits doubled then had a single to make it 6-5 with the tying run at 1st. Nunnikhoven slammed the door and Osky was in the Championship for the second time in 3 years. T. DeKock led the hitting barrage with four hits. Yates had two singles and Nunnikhoven contributed a double. McCrea, Bandstra and Chapman rounded out the hitting with singles. Yates and Nunnikhoven pitched for the win.
Game six was for the Championship and matched Oskaloosa against the Dubuque Express. The Lightning was running short on pitching and Dubuque jumped out 7-0 in the 1st inning. The never-say-die Lightning answered in the bottom half with four runs of their own. It would have been more if not for a diving catch by Dubuque on the right-field line for the 3rd out with the bases loaded. Dubuque would continue to hit Osky pitching and bring home the Championship 14-5. “We tried our best to hang in there but just didn’t have the pitching. These youngsters battled to the bitter end and solidified their spot as one of Iowa’s top 12 year-old teams,” commented Manager Doug DeKock. Osky had 8 singles in the game by Nunnikhoven, T. DeKock, McCrea, Yates, K. DeKock, VanRoekel, Chapman and DeJong.
Oskaloosa ends their season with a record of 27-11. “When you have kids that are as close and unselfish as these, good things happen. Our running game improved dramatically over the year because the kids would bunt and give themselves up on hit-and-run plays. Every at-bat had a purpose and we really started executing offensively toward the end of the year. Our motto has been “Last Ones to Leave” and we did that 5 out of 7 times this year. When you’re the last to leave that many times it truly has been a great year!” exclaimed DeKock.
