THORNBURG – Keeping their heads under pressure allowed the North Mahaska baseball team to slip out of Thornburg with a 9-8 victory. The Warhawks were facing HLV but the game was moved to Tri-County’s field. Tri-County and HLV are sharing baseball and softball programs.
The contest was a wild one with NM taking the early lead 3-0. The Warhawks received two walks and a hit batter to go along with an error. Free bases were to the Warhawks’ advantage but they had trouble capitalizing. Jaxon VanderVeer’s lead-off single in the fourth inning was NM’s first hit.
HLV (0-2) scored two runs in the third inning and tied the game with a tally in the fourth. HLV then took the lead 6-3 after receiving three walks and hitting two balls. North Mahaska opened the sixth with VanderVeer’s single. With two outs, HLV’s Peyton Roth walked four consecutive Warhawks and Dane VanMersbergen singled as did Carter Lake to tie the game at 8-8.
In the top of the seventh inning Nate Sampson doubled and went to third base on Lucas Nunnikhoven’s sacrifice. Jack Kelderman ripped a long out and NM took the lead entering the bottom of the seventh. Roth opened the HLV half of the seventh with a double, but the Warhawk defense did not let him advance past third.
“We competed and stayed in the game,” said NM coach Kevin Kelderman. “We didn’t get the hits when we needed to but we stayed in it and got the win.”
North Mahaska (1-1) was outhit 9-5 but the Warhawks collected 13 walks and five hit batsmen. NM starting pitcher Nolan Andersen had a solid outing on the mound but did not earn the win. He recorded seven strikeouts and three walks. He took four base on balls at the plate.
VanMersbergen threw one inning with three strikeouts, two walks and two runs to earn the win. Kelderman tossed the final inning after VanMersbergen gave up a lead-off double. Two groundouts and a strikeout allowed NM to come away with the win.
Sampson had the lone extra base hit for the Warhawks. Carter Lake had an RBI single while VanMersbergen, VanderVeer and Ryan Groom adding singles.
North Mahaska will host Montezuma Thursday in a game postponed from Monday, then will host Lynnville-Sully Friday. Both games begin at 5:30 p.m.
