Indians Start Strong Fizzle Out To End Week
Oskaloosa Indians Senior Pitcher Travis Gile helps lead Oskaloosa to a victory over Washington on Senior Night.
by Matt Saville
Monday night Oskaloosa did something it hadn’t done all season, and that was win the opening game of a double header. They beat Norwalk 5-2 behind the right arm of senior Nick Rutledge. The second game was called in the 4th inning, with Norwalk leading 1-0, because of weather. That game would be continued Thursday.
In that first game Rutledge was his normal self, going 5 innings. He allowed 2 hits and 1 earned run. While he did walk 4, he also struck out 4 in getting the win. Freshman Peyton Crouse threw the last two innings, allowing 1 hit and 1 strikeout. Providing the offense was senior Travis Gile going 2-3 with 2 rbi, junior Nate Van Veldhuizen 2-3 with 1 RBI, and sophomore Joe Sterner 1-2 with 2 rbi.
Tuesday night was Senior night for three Osky Seniors, those being Jesse Van Dalen , Travis Gile and Nick Rutledge. Osky was looking to do what they could to get a win for those three. What they got was a team that wouldn’t quit and kept fighting, coming back from being down early for the 13-9 victory.
Washington jumped out quickly in the first inning, scoring 4 runs in the top of the first. Osky answered back in the bottom of the first with 3 of their own, as the war was on. Washington battered freshman Crouse as senior Gile came in relief, as he and fellow senior Rutledge were doing the majority of the damage on the offensive side. Rutledge went 4-5 with a homerun, 2 RBI and 3 stolen bases, as Gile went 2-2 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI’s. They were helped out by junior TJ Boyle, who went 1-2 with an RBI double. Also getting a single each for the Indians were senior Van Dalen and freshman Jason Beebe. Getting the win for Osky was Boyle, who finished the last 2 innings, getting the Indians and their seniors a much needed and deserved win.
Osky was looking to finish up their suspended game from Monday against Norwalk, and hoping to steal a win. It wasn’t meant to be, as Norwalk scored 2 runs in the top of the 6th after Osky had tied the game earlier. Osky had a couple different chances to plate go ahead runs, but failed on a squeeze play and attempted steal of home. Van Dalen had another strong outing as he went all 7 innings, giving up 7 hits, no earned runs, only 1 walk and 9 strikeouts in the loss.
The Indians knew, as they entered the weekend, they had a huge game Friday night as they traveled to #1 ranked class 1A Twin Cedars to play the states only undefeated team. The Indians were looking forward to the test, and it lived up to the billing. Osky sent their ace senior Nick Rutledge to the mound to face Twin Cedars ace Coy Moore, and the battle was on. Through 2 innings both pitchers, at times, were very sharp. Rutledge worked out of a big jam in the first inning, leaving the bases loaded.
TC struck in the bottom of the third. Catcher Hunter Embery stepped to the plate, with a runner on base, and hit a missile over the left field fence, getting a 2 run homerun. In the meantime, Moore was in complete control as he limited Osky to just 1 hit through the first 5 innings. He then turned the ball over to junior Otis Roby who, allowing just two bunts to juniors Mitchell Schaffner and Logan Lundsford, shut the door on the Indians and secured the perfect regular season of 29-0 for the Sabers. The loss moves Osky to 16-13. With the 3-0 win the Sabers move on to the opening round of playoffs next week.
Osky traveled to Dallas Center Grimes on Saturday. They just might have forgotten to bring the offense with them, as they managed just 5 hits in the double header. The Indians lost both games, 3-0 in game 1 and 2-1 in game 2, taking 10 innings. The pitching for Osky, as it has been all season, has been its strongest asset. The offense, on the other hand, has been like Waldo this season… we are trying to find it and keep it. Collecting singles for the Indians Saturday were Gile with 2, and freshman Ethan Arnold, junior Mitchell Schaffner and sophomore Joe Sterner each having 1.
In game one Van Dalen went 6 innings allowing 6 hits, while giving up just 2 earned runs, walking 2 and striking out 1. In game two it was a 4 headed monster of junior Colton Swanson, Gile, Rutledge and Crouse. They allowed 3 hits and just 1 earned run, while walking 3 and striking out 8.
Osky is in action to close the season at Fairfield in a non-conference varsity double header. The Indians are now 16-15 on the season.
