Summer Sports Season Got Underway Monday Night… Sort Of

By Jamie Brockman

Oskaloosa softball was heard live here on Oskaloosa News with Jamie Brockman and Doug DeKock Monday night, but Mother Nature had different plans on how much we were going to be able to enjoy.

Oskaloosa traveled to Albia for a season opener featuring two very successful, competitive programs, but could only finish 3 ½ innings due to steady rain.

Albia is coming off two straight state tournament seasons, while Oskaloosa just missed state last season but qualified the previous two seasons, including the 2016 3A State Championship.

The varsity game start was moved up an hour and a half to 6 pm hoping to beat the incoming rain, but as the first pitch occurred, sprinkles could be felt, and the rain continued to intensify. To be considered an official game, four full innings must be completed. Officials did everything they could to try and accomplish that. However, the game was called in the top of the fourth inning with Oskaloosa leading 5-1 and will not be scored a completed game.

Albia struck first scoring in the bottom of the second inning with a leadoff walk to Kennedy Schroeder on four straight pitches. She advanced to second on a groundout to get in scoring position. With two outs Abigail Morton singled into shallow center field and the throw home was not in time allowing Schroeder to score to take a 1-0 lead. Oskaloosa catcher Meghan Moorman then threw out Morton trying to advance to second to end the inning.

It stayed that way until the top of the fourth when Oskaloosa was able to take advantage of several defensive miscues by Albia, including struggling pitching from Jena Lawrence who couldn’t find her control in the steady rain. Hayle Hacker started Oskaloosa’s rally with a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Moorman reached on a fielders choice, Sophia Dykstra hit a pop up into shallow center field that went off the fielder’s glove allowing her to reach base, however, Hacker was thrown out trying to advance to third for the first out. Still, with one out and bases loaded, the rain was clearly affecting Lawrence as she walked in the tying run. Ava Vandewall then knocked in the go-ahead run on a ground out.

With two outs, leading 2-1, Oskaloosa added three more runs on another wild pitch from Lawrence and two more bases-loaded walks before officials were forced to call the game due to rain.

Softball and baseball action for Tuesday evening have been rescheduled for a later date.

Posted by on May 21 2019. Filed under School Activities. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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