Wolverines defeat Creston baseball in extra innings

Consider it a lesson of baseball.

On Wednesday, the Creston baseball team stunned Class 4A Indianola, 1-0, behind a pitching gem from sophomore Kadon Hulett. One night later, they lost their home opener to Class 2A Nodaway Valley, 9-5, in eight innings.

“I told them before the game they played well yesterday,” Creston baseball coach Steve Birchard said. “But, that they’d need to come out and prove again tonight that we are a good baseball team. We didn’t prove it.”

Nodaway Valley took an early 3-0 lead Thursday as Creston freshman hurler Jaden Driskell struggled to find the strike zone in the first inning of his first varsity start. He walked five in the opening frame and the Panther defense committed two errors.

“He looked to have a few jitters. That’s to be expected, but he definitely has some promise for them,” Nodaway Valley coach Dan Jameson said. “I felt we should have come away with more than three in that inning.”

The Panthers tied the game in the second inning when sophomore third baseman Brody Frain drove the ball into deep left-center field. Off the bat, it looked like extra bases for Frain, but Beau Weinheimer made a nice running catch at the warning track.

Still, the sac fly drove in fellow sophomore Dalton O’Riley from third — knotting the game at 3-all — and moved Brenden McDowell to third with just one out.

The Panthers took a 4-3 advantage moments later when Driskell plated McDowell on a ground out to the second baseman.

Nodaway Valley then tied the game at 4-4 in the fifth when leadoff hitter Nathan Andrews was hit by a pitch, stole second, was balked to third and scored on a wild pitch.

The game stayed tied until the top of the eighth when Nodaway Valley’s Zach Marnin drew a walk, stole second base and scored on a one-out single by Colton Garside.

That gave way to Nodaway Valley’s Weinheimer delivering the knockout blow with a two-out, two-RBI single up the middle that gave Nodaway Valley a 7-4 lead.

“I saw the pitch, liked it and hit it well right back up the middle,” Weinheimer said. “It’s always nice to have some insurance runs.”

Nodaway Valley’s Jacob Baudler added two more insurance runs later in the eighth with a two-RBI single. The Panthers did add one run in the bottom of the eighth on a RBI double down the right field line from Driskell.

For the game, Driskell went 7 2/3 innings on the mound, striking out eight while allowing nine runs (five earned) on three hits, nine walks and hitting one batter. Nodaway Valley’s Casey Ladd took the win pitching three innings, striking out three and allowing one run on two hits.

The Panthers outhit Nodaway Valley 12 to 3. Dustin Merritt led the attack going 3-for-4 at the plate with one RBI. Frain was 2-for-3 with an RBI while McDowell was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.

Both teams were without key players for Thursday’s game. Creston’s Conner Pals and Gavin Woods were both competing in postseason soccer (see more on their 1-0 victory over Glenwood, above). Creston’s Chase Shiltz is still recovering from an ankle injury sustained in soccer and Nodaway Valley was without Jackson Lamb, who was preparing for state golf that began today in Marshalltown.

The Panthers (1-1) host Hawkeye 10 foe Glenwood Monday and Clarinda Tuesday. Meanwhile, Nodaway Valley (1-0) travels to Wayne Corydon Monday and Bedford Tuesday.

Nodaway Valley 9, Creston 5

R H E

NV 300 010 05 — 9 3 4

Creston 220 000 01 — 5 12 5

Cr: Jaden Driskell 7 2/3 IP, 8K, 9BB, 1 HBP, Brody Frain 1/3 IP, 0K, 0BB and Kadon Hulett. NV: Sam Marnin 5 IP, 4K 0 BB 0 HBP, Casey Ladd 3IP, 3K, 1BB W — Ladd. L— Driskell. 2B — Cr: Brenden McDowell and Driskell. RBI — Cr: Driskell 2, Frain 1, Crawford 1, Merritt 1. NV: Beau Weinheimer 2, Jacob Baudler 2, Kyle Sickels 1, Ryan Jensen 1, Ladd 1, Colton Garside 1, Multiple hitters — Cr: McDowell 2-4, Frain 2-3, Driskell 2-5, Merritt 3-4, Dalton O’Riley 2-4.

Junior varsity

Creston’s junior varsity baseball team lost 5-2 to Nodaway Valley Thursday evening.

Tucker Flynn pitched 2 1/3 innings recording six strikeouts, issuing eight walks and five earned runs. Cody Crawford pitched 1 2/3 innings with two strikeouts and zero walks. Crawford, Deavan Reese and Mason Kinsella each had singles for the Panthers.

The junior varsity falls to 0-3 on the year.