March 29, 2024

Unlikely sources lead Raiders

Mount Ayr picks up a 3-1 win over Central Decatur

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MOUNT AYR – Mount Ayr picked up a 3-1 win over Central Decatur Friday coming off the bat of an unlikely source and pitching performance from an inexperienced freshman.

The Raiders' offense started the game going six up and six down while Central Decatur's offense put one runner on from a walk through two innings.

Mount Ayr sent Jaydon Knight to the hill in his first start of the season. Knight struck out five of the first seven batters he faced.

"Jaydon threw exceptionally well," Mount Ayr co-head coach Chris Elwood said. "It's his first start as a freshman (on) varsity. We knew we were going to take him probably 70 to 75 pitches. He was right around there."

The abundance of pitchers on the Raiders' roster has made it difficult for Knight to find time on the mound, but he didn't disappoint.

Knight pitched four innings, striking out six and allowed one earned run.

Mount Ayr didn't see its first hit of the game until the third when senior right fielder Austin Greenland stepped up to the plate.

Greenland entered the game hitting .091, 1-for-10. In recent games, Jaixen Frost was Greenland's designated hitter, but Frost was on vacation for Friday's game.

Greenland took an inside pitch in his first at-bat over the left-field fence in a no-doubt home run that gave Mount Ayr a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third.

With Knight pitching so well, the slim lead seemed insurmountable with all three of Knight's pitches working on both sides of the plate.

Central Decatur went down in order during the third and fourth inning before recording the first hits of the game in fifth. David Walker and Dakota Reed singled to lead the inning off. Tate Hill bunted to move the runners to second and third. Devin Adams hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring pinch-runner Champ Walker from third.

Swank, relieving Knight, recorded a strikeout to end the inning and strand a runner on second base as the Raiders were clinging to a 2-1 lead midway through the fifth inning.

The Raiders recorded their second hit of the game with a single off the bat of Erik Trujillo. Greenland was up again, blasting another home run to extend Mount Ayr's lead to 3-1.

Greenland's day ended with two at-bats, both home runs, to tally for all three of the Raiders' runs.

"Baseball is a funny game," Elwood said. "... Jaixen Frost was going on vacation tonight, so that's really the only reason Austin is hitting, so it's is a funny game. Give credit to Austin, he barrelled them up and hammered both of them."

Finding a new source of offense and another arm to add to the rotation, Mount Ayr faces Southeast Warren Tuesday at home with first pitch coming at 7:30 p.m.

The Warhawks have been a difficult test for the Raiders in recent years. Southeast Warren has won 10 of the last 11 matchups against the Raiders. Mount Ayr's most recent victory was a 2-0 win June 3, 2016.

Despite the lack of recent success, Elwood told the team in the huddle after the game they are as good as the Warhawks, they just need to believe it.

"We think we've got as much talent as they do, and I guess we'll see find out Tuesday," Elwood said. "I feel really good (going into Tuesday). If you would have told me nine games in we would be 8-1, I would have taken it in a heartbeat."

Mount Ayr 3, Central Decatur 1

R  H  E

CD  000  010 0 — 1 3 0

MA  001  030 X — 4 6 0

CD: Michel Evertsen 6IP 3Ks 0BB and Kale Rockhold. MA: Jaydon Knight 4IP 6Ks 2BB, Dawson Swank 3IP 1K 1BB and Kolben Klommhaus. W - Swank. L - Evertsen. HR — Austin Greenland (2). 3B —None. 2B – MA: Briar Knapp. RBI — CD: Devin Adams (1). MA: Greenland (3). Multiple hits — MA: Knapp (2), Greenland (2).