Week in Review – Oskaloosa Baseball
Oskaloosa Indians in action May 22 versus Des Moines Roosevelt
by Zachary James
Oskaloosa, Iowa – To be considered at being the best, a team must beat some of the top teams to throw themselves into the conversation. The Oskaloosa Indians opened their 2012 campaign with two tough games, which they both lost against a pair of Des Moines metro area schools – Des Moines Roosevelt and Martensdale St. Mary’s.
Des Moines Roosevelt 12, Oskaloosa 0
The first of two challenges came against one of the top teams in Class 4-A.
Des Moines Roosevelt comes into the season ranked seventh in the state’s biggest class and showed why by shutting down the Indians 12-0 in a no-hit bid by Lou Bassman. Bassman, Roosevelt’s leading senior pitcher, went six innings without allowing a baserunner while striking out five.
None of the Indian hitters had a chance to hit Bassman’s stuff. Bassman was not able to be a powerful strikeout pitcher as he only retired five, which included hitters four through seven getting all five strikeouts.
Roosevelt got 15 hits in the game including designated hitter John Foley who went 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Starting pitcher for Oskaloosa was Cole Pettyjohn as he left the game in the fifth inning allowed six earned runs on 13 hits. He also walked one without striking out a RoughRIder.
Martensdale-St. Mary’s 13, Oskaloosa 3
The night before the Indians had to play the untouchable Martensdale-St. Mary’s Blue Devils, their fire was put out by Class 4-A Des Moines East ending their 88-game winning streak. The Blue Devils started their new run over Oskaloosa.
Also luckily for the Indians, they managed to score three runs against the Blue Devils despite falling to them 13-3.
Oskaloosa scored their three runs on five hits. Austin Redlich, Nick Rutledge, Kaden VanMannen, and Jacob Hance each went 1-for-3 and Darren Berthusen went 1-for-2. Rutledge and VanMannen each put in an RBI for the Indians.
Offensively for the Blue Devils, the first six hitters had it going on including J.D. Nielsen. Nielsen, who played first base in this game, went 2-for-3. Both of his hits were homeruns. Outside of Nielsen’s pair of long balls, Martensdale tallied one additional extra base hit in the game.
Rutledge was the starting pitcher for the Indians; he went three innings allowing nine earned runs on seven hits, and four walks.
