March 29, 2024

NV/O-M baseball knocks off Bedford, falls to Lenox

Thanks to a rain storm that popped up over St. Marys last week, Nodaway Valley/O-M baseball played just two games last week.

The Wolverines handed Bedford its first loss of the young season last Thursday, 5-4 in Greenfield, then fell in six innings to Lenox the night after on the road.

“Bedford was 4-0 coming in, and we faced their number one and number two pitchers,” NV/O-M head coach Dan Jameson said. “We had seven hits and scored five runs on them. We had a few miscues in the field, which made the game tight, but we got it done.”

Nodaway Valley/O-M took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on hits from Boston DeVault, Paul Berg and Deakon Mullen. and the Wolverines added to it with a run scored in the third.

A Bedford throw from the plate to third base went wild, then an RBI double by Jase Davidson followed, which allowed the Wolverines to regain the lead, 5-4, in the sixth. This was after the Tigers had taken a 4-3 lead.

The Wolverines looked to extend the lead in the sixth, juicing the bases, but they weren’t able to capitalize any more. The Wolverines tagged a Bedford runner at the plate to end the game in the seventh.

Of NV/O-M’s six hits in that game, Tyson Ross had one, DeVault and Berg each had two, and Davidson had one. DeVault, Berg, Davidson and Mullen each had one RBI. On the hill, DeVault struck out Bedford batters 11 times, walking three and hitting one. The Wolverine defense committed four errors on the night.

Lenox had 14 hits against the Wolverines. The visitors led 1-0 after the top of the first, but the Tigers responded by plating three runs in the home half of the frame. They tacked on two in the third, five in the fourth and another in the sixth to put the game away an inning early.

Tiger senior Samson Adams was effective on the mound for his team, striking out 11 as he went the distance.

“We probably had five, six hits on the night. Other than the first inning, we just couldn’t string them together. There were a couple of times we’d get guys on and just couldn’t get them around,” Jameson said. “We saw the Adams kid and he probably threw it the hardest we’d seen yet this year.”

DeVault entered this week second, regardless of division, with his .737 batting average, and he is near the top in Class 2A in other offensive statistical categories. His 46 Ks is tops in the division.

Berg (12 hits, two 2B, .522 BA) and Davidson (seven hits, three 2B, one 3B, .389 BA) were NV/O-M’s next two best hitters entering this week.

The Wolverines (3-4, 3-1 in the Pride of Iowa Conference) were scheduled to make up the Martensdale-St. Marys contest this Monday. Tuesday they were to host Southeast Warren, Wednesday it’s a road trip to non-conference Earlham, Thursday it’s non-conference Coon Rapids-Bayard at home, and Friday it’s a home game with POI foe Mount Ayr.

“With JV games we’re basically having nine games this week, and it will make it interesting,” Jameson said. “We could have a nice week, we’ve just gotta be focused and get it done.”

Caleb Nelson

Caleb Nelson

Caleb Nelson has served as News Editor of the Adair County Free Press and Fontanelle Observer since Oct. 2017. He and his wife Kilee live in Greenfield. In Greenfield and the greater Adair County area, he values the opportunity to tell peoples' stories, enjoys playing guitar, following all levels of sports, and being a part of his local church.