March 29, 2024

Dream postseason run for NV ends at hands of Knights

Wolverines thrilled with first state trip

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DES MOINES — Nodaway Valley’s baseball season went farther than anyone within the program could have envisioned back when practice started in early May.

Friday night found the unranked and eighth-seeded Wolverines in a spot no Nodaway Valley team had ever been at before playing at Principal Park in the state tournament.

While the program’s first-ever appearance at the state tournament against top-ranked and top-seeded Newman Catholic of Mason City didn’t go Nodaway Valley’s way, the smiles were still abounding among the players and coaches after.

Nodaway Valley’s dream postseason run ended with a 12-2, six inning loss in a Class 1A first-round state tournament game on a hot and humid night for baseball in downtown Des Moines.

Newman Catholic, 33-5, advanced to Thursday’s semifinal against Remsen St. Mary’s, 31-5. Remsen St. Mary’s advanced with a 10-5 win over Highland, Riverside.

Nodaway Valley’s season ends at 19-11.

“You can’t beat Principal Park,” said senior Jackson Lamb. “Just to step foot onto the field was a dream come true.”

Senior Sam Marnin, his teammates and coaches relished the time spent on the field at Principal Park.

“I was trying to soak everything up I could,” Marnin said. “It’s all a neat atmosphere to be here.”

Making program history meant plenty to all involved.

“It means a lot being here for the first time ever,” Marnin said. “It’s all been real fun.”

Not only did the players and coaches embrace it, but so did the communities that make up Nodaway Valley. The Wolverines contingent was noticeably bigger than those that made the trip down Interstate 35 from Mason City.

“The community was right behind us,” said Nodaway Valley coach Dan Jameson. “After the substate game at 11:20 at night on Wednesday night, they were bringing us back into town with a fire truck, rescue unit. It’s been awesome. The kids have enjoyed every minute of it.”

For Lamb, this was the second straight sport he appeared at state in. He led the Wolverines to a third-place finish at the Class 1A boys state golf tournament earlier this year. It was his third state trip overall, adding to the state basketball trip he experienced as a junior.

Closing out his prep athletic career at state baseball was icing on an impressive prep career cake.

“I’m very fortunate,” Lamb said. “I give the credit to my teammates and coaches. Not many people can say they’ve been to three state tournaments. Some people only get one.

“I’m truly humbled.”

Going into the game, Nodaway Valley new it would be facing a stiff test against one of the state’s premier baseball programs.

But in the top of the first, Nodaway Valley looked like it was the more experienced state tournament team and Newman Catholic was the newcomers.

Nodaway Valley struck twice in the top of the first against Newman Catholic starter Caden Kratz. Nodaway Valley’s Beau Weinheimer singled on the game’s first pitch, took second on a walk, then moved to third on a wild pitch. Lamb reached on an error, allowing Weinheimer to score. Marnin reached on an error. Both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch. Tyler Vandewater singled to score Lamb.

“We came ready to play,” Lamb said. “We continued the momentum from the Martensdale game.”

Newman Catholic came in having played in nine straight state tournaments. The Knights’ trip this year was the 20th overall in school history, an all-class state record.

“I don’t think there’s any question that experience helps, but you still have to play the game,” said Newman Catholic co-coach Alex Kohl said. “You saw in the top of the first inning. It showed that we had the nerves. You still have to play the game. As soon as you cross the white lines, it’s still another game.”

Jameson tasked Lamb with the first opportunity to slow down the powerful Knights offense.

Lamb was pitching on one days rest. He pitched four-plus innings in Wednesday’s substate win over Martensdale-St. Marys. That was in addition to a complete game against Lenox last Saturday and four innings against Orient-Macksburg on July 14 in the district semifinal.

“It’s a dream to start at Principal Park,” Lamb said. “I wanted to start, give them five innings.”

Heading into state, he had thrown in the neighborhood of 240 pitches in a seven-day stretch.

Lamb admitted he didn’t have his full arsenal available if he would’ve been pitching on normal rest.

“It wasn’t 100 percent,” he said. “I tried to play like it was 100 percent. We were going to go two innings. Against a hitting team like this, I couldn’t go the whole way without them trying to hit it.”

Lamb had his pitches working at first. He recorded a couple quick outs, while surrendering one run.

“I felt good,” Lamb said. “I was hitting my spots.”

But the Knights started dialing him up later in the first. Newman Catholic recorded three two-out hits, mixed in with two walks as part of a five-run first inning.

“They’re a heck of a good hitting team,” Lamb said. “I hung my curveball when I was ahead 0-2.”

Jameson credited his senior leader for trying to give it a go against the Knights powerful offense.

“He’s a senior,” Jameson said. “He wanted it, the fierce competitor that he is.”

After Nodaway Valley went in order in the second, the top of the Knights lineup took over. Ben Fitzgerald drilled a long home run to right field, then Bryce Ball tripled to chase Lamb as part of a three-run inning.

Newman Catholic tallied three more in the third. Ball crushed a two-run home run into the right field bleachers.

“They make you pay in a hurry,” Jameson said. “They’re one of the best hitting teams in the state. Bryce Ball, if you left anything over the plate he was going to tattoo it and they did.”

Newman Catholic’s top five hitters were a combined 10-for-16 with seven runs driven in and scored nine times.

“We had a good approach at the plate able,” Bohl said. “We were able to hammer the ball, which is good to see. Their guys were throwing the ball over the plate. We have to put the ball in play. We did a good job of barreling things up.”

Meanwhile, Kratz settled into a nice rhythm. Pitching in his first game in a month after suffering a broken jaw in a game against Rockford, Kratz allowed only one hit after the first inning — a Spencer Lamb single in the fifth.

“We thought he’d be done there in the third or fourth and we were going to have to bring a couple other guys in to finish it off,” Bohl said. “He had a quick second, third, fourth innings. He was able to attack the zone, keep his pitch count down.”

Reaching state was an accomplishment Nodaway Valley’s program can build on going forward.

“It’s great,” Jameson said. “It gets kids a little more interested in the community, have them work on ball a little more.”

Playing at state showed the diversity of athletic talent within a school already known for its cross country and basketball programs.

“Basketball is king at Nodaway Valley,” Jackson Lamb said. “We’re trying to get that in baseball too, have multi-sport athletes.”

Newman Catholic 12, Nodaway Valley 2 (6)

R H E

NV 200 030—2 3 1

NC 533 001 — 12 13 2

NV: Jackson Lamb 1K, 3 BB and Joe Herr. Corbin Bond (2) 1K, 1BB. Brandon Mangles (3) OK 2 BB. NC: Caden Kratz 10K 1 BB. W —Kratz. L— Lamb. HR — NC: B. Fitzgerald, Ball. 3B — NC: J. Fitzgerald, Ball. 2B —NC: Scott. . RBI — NV: J. Lamb, Vanadewater. NC: B. Fitzgerald, Ball (3), Dondlinger, J. Fitzgerald, Fitzsimmons (2), McCardle (2) Multiple hitters — NC: B. Fitzgerald (3), Ball (2), Dondlinger (2), J. Fitzgerald (2), Fitzsimmons (2).

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