BASEBALL: Despite early leads in games, Wolverines look to get back in win column

The Nodaway Valley/OM baseball team hopes to be able to get back into the win column this week after they were competitive in three of their games last week but came up short against the four opponents they faced.

The Wolverines were perhaps most competitive against Lenox Friday in a 13-8 loss. The Tigers drew first blood for a 2-0 lead but NV/OM responded to claim a 3-2 advantage.

Lenox scored three in the third and four in the fourth and the Wolverines plated one in the third. The Wolverines scored twice in the fifth and twice in the sixth, but the Tigers continued hold of the upper hand.

Against Lenox, freshman Titan Foster, senior Paul Berg, junior Remington Woosley, senior Trent Warner and junior Will Shilling all singled. Berg led the team with two RBIs. The Wolverines struck out 10 times on the night.

On defense, NV/OM only committed one error against Lenox, backing up pitchers senior Eli Harris, junior Ty Strode and sophomore Manolis Galanakis. Together, the pitchers struck out four, hit three batters and walked seven, giving up seven earned runs on seven hits.

Dawson Evans went three innings, getting the win for Lenox, and Laramie Stoaks came in to relieve him. Together, they struck out 10 and walked eight.

Despite the Wolverines holding a 7-2 lead early after two innings, West Central Valley plated 11 runs over the fourth and fifth innings to pull away from NV/OM in a 18-8 game last Wednesday at Stuart.

NV/OM had seven hits, led by two each from junior Keyin Steeve and Berg, who singled, tripled and drove in three runs.

The Wolverines started Woosley on the hill and went to Galanakis later in the game. Together, they struck out eight, walked five and hit three, giving up eight earned runs on 11 hits. The defense committed four errors behind them.

Zach Teague took the win for the Wildcats on the mound with eight strikeouts, who hit batters and four walks, giving up three earned runs on one hit in 3 2/3 innings of work and earning the win. Colton Lindsay, Tryce Dlouhy, Jarel Madison and Miles Sheeler ignited a potent WCV offense with three hits each.

Last Tuesday in Greenfield, Mount Ayr topped NV/OM 13-2 in a seven-inning game. The Wolverines led 1-0 after the first inning but found themselves down 9-1 going to the bottom of the sixth. The Wolverines did have eight hits, led by Strode, who was 2-for-3. Others with hits were Steeve, Berg, Woosley, Harris, senior Christian Putney and Shilling. Harris had the team’s lone RBI. Strode went 3 2/3 on the mound and Shilling went 3 1/3, taking the loss. Together, they struck out six, walked seven, hit one batter and surrendered seven earned runs on 13 hits. Jaxsen Walter took the win for the Raiders, who remain one of the hottest team in the conference.

Against Southwest Valley last Monday, the Timberwolves came away with a 5-1 win on the road, powered by six hits and four walks given up by Wolverine pitchers Harris and Galanakis.

Three of SWV’s runs came in the third, after Nodaway Valley/OM tied the game at 1-1 with a run scored in the home half of the first.

The Timberwolves dealt the Wolverines a three-hitter. Harris and Galanakis singled for NV/OM and Shilling recorded a double. Woosley had an RBI. The Wolverines drew eight walks from SWV and committed only two errors on defense behind Harris and Galanakis, who went four and three innings, respectively, collectively striking out five and walking two. They gave up two earned runs on five hits.

Now 3-11 overall and 2-8 in Pride of Iowa Conference play, the Wolverines faced Lenox Monday on the road, Central Decatur Tuesday on the road, East Union Thursday on the road and Wayne Friday at home.

NV/OM learned its postseason assignment recently and will face West Central Valley (currently 5-11-2) 5 p.m. Saturday, July 5 in Ogden as part of Class 2A, District 8. The winner advances to play July 8 at Tri-Center (10-3).