Northeast Nodaway survived a fifth inning scare and recovered to beat DeKalb 13-6 in only their second game all year. They had to wait a week to play again after their opening round win over North Nodaway, and things didn’t look promising Thursday morning, with blustery conditions and temperatures around 35 degrees. But it warmed up to 52 by gametime and the sun came out, allowing the field to dry out.
Chet Spire saw his most extensive pitching action in two years after nursing an injury and only pitching three innings last year. He started the game and looked rusty, walking a lot of batters. But he threw hitless ball through four innings and got better as the game progressed.
Meanwhile, Northeast staked him to a 5-0 lead after one. Three straight singles by Spencer Weir, Reed McIntyre, and Cameron Staples led to one run and an error on the third hit put Staples and McIntyre on second and third. Chet Spire walked to load the bases and Brayden Welch hit a squib in front of the plate. DeKalb threw the ball around and McIntyre was safe at home, Levi Boulting (running for Spire) was safe at third, NEN was up 3-0. Ethan Adwell then singled off the wall to score two after Rory Bredlow (running for Adwell) stole second and NEN was seemingly in control.
But they could not add to their lead through the next few innings; they were not used to the slow pitchers the Tigers were throwing at them; they had slow fastballs and even slower breaking balls. They had some hard hits, but they were either foul balls or right at people.
Cameron Staples came in to pitch in the fifth, but all of a sudden the dormant DeKalb franchise sprung to life as they hit back to back home runs over right field to make it 5-2. #24 then singled to left, #11 reached safely as the ball squirted out of first baseman Reed McIntyre’s glove and down the right field line, and NEN botched up a rundown and let #24 score to make it 5-3. Once again, Staples gave up a third home run, this one longer than the first two, and all of a sudden, it was 5-5 and he was finished.
Spencer Weir came on in relief and at first, nothing worked as #1 hit another home run, this time to left center to make it 6-5 as Coach Vance Proffitt was sitting slumped on his chair, stretched out in disbelief. Weir finally struck out the next two batters, but Proffitt had plenty to be agitated about, telling his players they were to good for this sort of thing and telling them they had better get this figured out.
#8 walked Brayden Welch to start the NEN fifth, not a good sign as the goal of a pitcher is to have a shutdown inning after their team has a big inning. That finished him and #1 came on in relief. But he was wild, throwing behind Ethan Adwell to walk him and Maverick Price singled off the right center field wall to tie it and went to second on the throw to third, not in time to get Adwell. Once again, #1 threw behind Spencer Gray and Levi Boulting roped one between third and short to put NEN up 7-6 and finish #1.
#9 came on in relief and threw some even crazier pitches than his mates; he sported a fastball and mixed it with an Eephus pitch that would float high in the air before dropping in. Spencer Weir had no problems with it, but the problem was, he roped one right at the shortstop, who doubled off Gray at second to keep it at 7-6. He was holding Gray on second and was in perfect position to make the play. However, it backfired on DeKalb earlier as Boulting’s hit went through a big hole between third and short.
Reed McIntyre came on and looked silly flailing away at #9’s Eephus pitch, getting to 0-2 in the count. He struck out, but the ball got away and he reached first and an argument ensued as it was the DeKalb coach’s turn to get agitated, contending unsuccessfully that McIntyre had interfered with the throw to first. Boulting scored on the play to make it 8-6. Cameron Staples was ready for the Eephus pitch, but roped it right at the left fielder to end the inning.
Chet Spire hit a shot off the third baseman’s glove after Weir restored order in the sixth and stole second. NEN was able to take advantage of the Eephus, getting some easy steals in the inning. Welch got under the Eephus ball and popped out to the catcher, but Ethan Adwell caught hold of another Eephus ball and singed to left. Maverick Price, who hit it hard all game, roped one right at the left fielder for the second out, but then Spencer Gray showed some excellent plate discipline, waiting on the fastball and roping the first one he saw to left for a base hit after Adwell had stolen second. Gray took second on the throw home and Boulting reached safely again, walking on a 3-2 pitch. NEN took advantage of another Eephus to steal second and third and Spencer Weir finally reached safely, hitting a shot off the pitcher’s glove into no-man’s land between the mound and second and everybody was safe as Gray scored. Reed McIntyre fouled off two different Eephus pitches and fought a long battle with #9 before finally stretching single into a double to make it 13-6.
Spencer Weir started the seventh giving up a four pitch walk and threw six straight balls to start the seventh, but Staples, moving to short after Weir took the mound, made a strong throw to back him up for the first out and Weir settled down to strike out the next two.
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