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CORNING – East Union’s season came to an end Saturday afternoon in an 8-5 loss to Stanton in the Class 1A District 13 playoff opener.
The loss for the Eagles ends 2020 with a record of 4-9 and a Pride of Iowa Conference record of 1-6.
Stanton’s scoring was consistent throughout all six innings it went to the plate, scoring one run from the first through the fourth innings.
A three-run fifth inning pulled Stanton away, turning a 4-3 lead into a 7-3 game off an RBI single from Keygan Day and Ransom Mascher.
One more in the sixth by Stanton made it 8-3, and a small rally by EU scored two in the top of the seventh on a run that was walked in and a hit-by-pitch.
With the bases loaded the Eagles had a pop out to end the game, ending the 2020 season for EU with the tying run at the plate.
“The ending, it sucks,” said East Union head coach Nate McCollough. “We battled, fought really hard and just came up short. Stanton threw the ball really well, their pitchers threw well. But, for the most part, it’s got me feeling very excited for the future. ... Losing one senior is going to hurt, but we’ve got good junior leadership coming [back] and the future looks bright.”
On the mound, Ethan Mitchell pitched six innings, striking out seven while walking five. Of the eight runs allowed, two were earned.
With control being an issue at times, the timing of passed balls ultimately hurt Mitchell. Four passed balls with runners on third scored runs that proved to be the difference in the game.
“We made the plays we needed to make today,” said McCollough. “... They’ve shown flashes of it, making the plays [and playing well]. But today, the passed balls hurt really bad. Leadoff walks hurt. ... It makes it tough when we make all the plays and they still score off that lead off walk.”
McCollough noted there were three eighth graders who played important or regular roles on the team for 2020, and cites them as players he’s excited to see grow and develop with more time in the system.
Third baseman Josh Lopez, who hit a single up the left field line to give East Union a 2-1 lead in the second inning, was one of the eighth graders who proved crucial to the team this season.
“With Josh Lopez coming up in the second inning in his first district playoff game and ripping it down the line [was great to see],” said McCollough. “He was nervous before the game, he told me, but he didn’t let it bother him and he had two solid base hits today. ... Ethan Mitchell hit it well, Wyatt Carlson had good hits. ... I’m leaving today obviously disappointed, but very excited for the future.”
Stanton 8, East Union 5
R H E
EU 021 000 2 — 5 7 2
ST 111 131 X — 8 6 6
EU: Ethan Mitchell 6IP 7K 5BB and Milo Staver. ST: Keygan Day 2 2/3IP 2K 3BB, Colby Royal 4 1/3IP 4K and Quentin Thornburg. W — Royal. L –Mitchell. HR — None. 3B — None. 2B — EU: Mitchell. ST: Day, Thornburg. RBI — EU: Mitchell (3), Gus McNeill (1), Josh Lopez (1). ST: None.