Baseball
NEW SHARON – Seems North Mahaska and Belle Plaine held off the fireworks until the seventh inning Friday night. Neither team scored until the final inning with North Mahaska scoring three times in the bottom of the seventh to edge the Bella Plaine Plainsmen 3-2 in South Iowa Cedar League play.
Senior Rhett Parrott and junior Ty Alcott scored for BP in the top of the seventh forcing some serious work by the Warhawks. North Mahaska, who has had a tough time scoring at key times this season, answered the bell.
Sophomore catcher Ryan Groom had a single and scored a run. Senior shortstop Nate Sampson singled to bring in another run and senior right fielder Carson Doak scored to boost the Warhawk record to 6-7.
Neither team had an extra base hit and Belle Plaine was held to a single by Wade Sankot.
Jack Kelderman went as far as he could on pitch count allowing a run on one hit, three walks, four hit batsmen and six strikeouts. Jaxon Vander Veer earned the win allowing a run with two walks and a strikeout.
Groom, Hunter Wernli and Sampson each hit singles. Dane Van Mersbergen recorded two singles for North Mahaska.
North Mahaska travels to English Valleys Monday, hosts Sigourney on Wednesday and goes to Montezuma Friday. All games are slated for 5:30 p.m.
Softball
Belle Plaine thwarted several North Mahaska scoring attempts Friday to score a 9-8 South Iowa Cedar League softball win. Three errors in the first four innings led to runs for the visiting Plainsmen.
“We made mistakes at the wrong times,” said NM coach Mark Schroeder. “They were able to get hits into places we weren’t and we made baserunning mistakes.”
The downfall started early with a one-out error followed by a pair of singles as BP took the lead 1-0. Olivia Ridgeway’s leadoff double allowed the Warhawks to tie the game. Belle Plaine scored twice in the top of the second and third innings to lead 5-3.
North Mahaska managed to tie the game as the team’s headed into the seventh frame. The leadoff batter was hit by a pitch then Jacey Reineke hit a double and Denisyn Adams singled for the Plainsmen.
Kayla Readshaw was hit by a pitch in the North Mahaska half of the seventh, stole second base and scored with two outs on a ball hit by Cali Sampson was booted in the outfield. A flyout ending the tying opportunity.
The flow of the game forced both teams to totter between two pitchers. Jocelyn Pinkerton and Regan Grewe for the Warhawks battled with Taylor Johnson and Izzy Sunkot for BP.
Johnson earned the win with five runs on four hits, seven walks, a hit batsman and six strikeouts. Sankot allowed three runs on four hits.
Grewe was credited with the loss. She allowed two runs on four hits, a hit batsman and a strikeout. Pinkerton gave up seven runs on eight hits, a walk, hit batsman and a strikeout.
Reineke had the big bat for the Plainsmen with a homerun, double and two RBI. She scored twice.
Ridgeway hit two singles and double for North Mahaska. Lydia Howell drove in three runs with a pair of singles and a double.
North Mahaska (5-7) travels to English Valleys Monday, hosts No. 2 Sigourney on Wednesday, travels to Cardinal Thursday and then ends the week at Montezuma. All games are slated for 5:30 p.m.
