Indians Split Half Dozen Games
Oskaloosa’s Seth Sarver pitching against Pella Christian on June 30th.
by Wade Steinlage
The Oskaloosa Indian baseball team collected a trio of wins while also suffering a trio of losses last week.
Oskaloosa (20-12, 13-6 LHC) opened the week by splitting a pair of non-conference matchups two Saturdays ago, falling 6-5 to Council Bluffs-St. Albert and winning 10-9 over Bondurant-Farrar.
Then on Monday, the Indians split with rival Pella, winning 2-1 and losing 2-1. OHS defeated Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont 8-2, but finished the week by being swept by Pella Christian Friday, 6-2 and 5-3.
Council Bluffs-St. Albert 6, Oskaloosa 5
CB-SA got on the board with three runs in the bottom of the second. The Indians finally got into the action in the fifth with two runs, but the advantage was extended as CB-SA tallied one in the bottom of the fifth and one more in the sixth for a 5-2 lead.
Up against the proverbial wall, OHS fought back in a big way and tied the contest with three runs in its last at-bat. Unfortunately, Council Bluffs-St. Albert, which matched Oskaloosa with six hits, had the final say to notch the walk-off victory.
Tucker Nunnikhoven topped Oskaloosa with two hits and two RBIs, while Alex DeJong stole a pair of bases.
Bennett Spry worked the entire contest, striking out two and walking one in 6 1/3 frames. The Indian defense did not support him well, though, as only three of the runs by CB-SA were earned.
Oskaloosa 10, Bondurant-Farrar 9
Oskaloosa produced another huge comeback and this time it stuck. Bondurant-Farrar broke through with a two-spot in the third, but the Indians answered with two of their own in the fifth.
Then things got interesting as Bondurant-Farrar recaptured the advantage at 5-2 in the bottom half of the fifth. OHS narrowed the deficit to one in the sixth, only to witness its foe build a seemingly insurmountable lead of 9-4 with four runs on the bottom side.
The Cardiac Kids, however, refused to go winless Saturday and scored six seventh-inning runs to take their first edge. Cole Kraber and Charlie Bandstra, who earned the save with the final out, combined for a scoreless bottom half to preserve the win. Tyler Miller struck out five in five innings on the mound.
Both squads managed 15 hits with Miller and Nick Harrington (two doubles) heading OHS with three hits each. Nunnikhoven, Spry, and Blake Van Veldhuizen all added two hits each. Harrington drove in three runs, while Spry and Van Veldhuizen rounded the pads twice each.
Oskaloosa 2, Pella 1
Their late-inning heroics extended into Little Hawkeye Conference play two days later as the Indians overcame a 1-0 deficit with a two-run seventh inning.
Harrington, who gave up his lone run in the fourth, was dazzling with five strikeouts and two walks. He permitted six hits, while his teammates posted seven base knocks.
Nunnikhoven’s two hits were a team high.
Pella 2, Oskaloosa 1
OHS attempted to shock the Dutch once more as it trailed 2-0 entering the seventh inning. Oskaloosa was only able to cut the margin in half, however, with pinchrunner Tanner DeKock managing the only run.
Peyton Crouse was saddled with the loss, despite allowing just two hits in a complete-game effort. He had two strikeouts against four walks.
Four Indian players tallied one hit each in the setback.
Oskaloosa 8, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont 2
The Indians scored in five separate innings, including two runs in the first, sixth, and seventh frames.
Miller, DeJong, Ethan Arnold, and Seth Sarver all recorded two hits apiece, but Oskaloosa was actually outhit 12-11. Miller touched home plate twice and also stole two bases, while Nunnikhoven finished with two RBIs. OHS produced three triples against E-B-F.
Sarver scattered nine hits (one strikeout) over four frames, while Bandstra (2 1/3 innings) and Kraber (2/3 inning) tallied one strikeout each as well.
Pella Christian 6, Oskaloosa 2
The Eagles and Indians both scored two runs in the first inning, but PC continued its success with three more runs in the second and one in the fifth.
OHS lost the hits battle 11-5 with Spry guiding the crew with a hit and two walks.
Pella Christian 5, Oskaloosa 3
The visitors put the first runs on the board with three in the initial inning, but Oskaloosa rallied with a two-run third frame on an Arnold two-run home run. The teams exchanged one run each over the fifth and sixth innings before PC added an insurance run in the seventh.
The Indians came up short at the plate with an 8-6 deficit in hits; DeJong led OHS with two hits.
Spry struck out six (one walk) in five innings of work, while Bandstra added another strikeout out of the bullpen.
Next Up: Oskaloosa travels to Washington Monday to face Washington in non-conference action at 7:30 p.m.
