Northeast Nodaway’s baseball team clinched its fifth straight conference title last week, getting wins over East Atchison, Platte Valley, and West Nodaway to do so.
Against the Wolves, NEN trailed 2-1 in the third inning. However, with one out in the East Atchison half, centerfielder Dylan Mildfeldt doubled off an East Atchison runner after catching Gage McAdams’ deep drive, getting the Bluejays out of the inning. From there, the rest of the game was an offensive showcase for the squad. NEN set a team record with seven home runs as they pulled away to an 18-8 win. Spencer Weir, Cameron Staples, and Brayden Welch all hit two, while Spencer Gray hit another one as NEN weathered a six-run fifth inning from East Atchison.
That set up NEN’s showdown with Platte Valley. Northeast and East Atchison had little competition for the top two slots this year, but everyone else in the conference has shown they are good enough to play spoiler. For instance, DeKalb led NEN at one point in the fifth inning, while North Nodaway played East Atchison tough in another game before losing 4-2. Northeast had to hold off a late rally by the Longhorns in Guilford earlier this year; they had the tying run on second in the last inning before NEN shut them down to preserve the 6-5 win there.
NEN sent Ethan Adwell up to pitch against the Longhorns Tuesday; he had shut down the Longhorns last year right when NEN needed a win to jumpstart their season. He got the Longhorns in order in the first before Reed McIntyre singled and stole second in the NEN first. Cameron Staples popped out, but Chet Spire walked and Ethan Adwell helped himself out by singling to left. McIntyre was safe on a throw home on a close play and Northeast was up 1-0.
The Bluejays got a two out rally in the second to add to their lead. It looked like nothing would happen after Maverick Price roped one, but right at the center fielder for the second out, but Levi Boulting kept NEN alive by doubling off the wall in left and making it to third on a close play following a wild pitch. Spencer Weir then got a home run to left that traveled around 300 feet and NEN was up 3-0.
Platte Valley got two runs back as #23 roped one fair past first for a double and #1 reached on an error after hitting a grounder that went through second baseman Levi Boulting’s legs to make it 3-1. #10 was called out on strikes, but #11 walked and Nate Jermain singled to load the bases. #21 grounded out into a force at short as another run scored to make it 3-2.
NEN regained control in the bottom of the inning as Chet Spire walked and Ethan Adwell helped himself out by hitting a home run just to the left of the flagpole to make it 5-2. Northeast got out of trouble in the fourth as #1 roped a hard grounder up the middle with two outs with a runner on. But shortstop Spencer Weir, despite having his view blocked by the base umpire, managed to pick up a short-hop and throw him out to retire the side.
Levi Boulting started off the NEN fourth by singling between third and short. It looked like his efforts would go to waste as Northeast hit two hard balls right at people, with Weir hitting a hard grounder to third that resulted in a force at second, and Reed McIntyre hit one to the opposite field that looked like it was in the gap, but was caught by the left fielder. But then Cameron Staples singled between third and short to keep NEN’s chances alive and Chet Spire got a bad hop single that went through to score Weir. Ethan Adwell walked to load the bases and Brayden Welch hit a hard shot to short that he knocked down, but had no play as Staples scored to make it 7-2.
In the Platte Valley fifth, NEN catcher Chet Spire threw out the first of three Longhorn runners trying to steal; Ethan Adwell uncorked a pitch that got away from him with one out and a runner on first, but Spire scooped it up with his bare hand and threw out the runner at second. Later, third baseman Cameron Staples caught Nate Jermain’s laser beam that looked headed for extra bases and retired him for the final out. Maverick Price started off the NEN fifth by a single; #3 walked the bases full and then walked Reed McIntyre to force in a run, finishing his day. #1 came on in relief, but Cameron Staples flied out to right to score one run and Ethan Adwell flied out to center to score another to make it 10-2.
Chet Spire threw out his second runner out stealing to start the sixth after a walk. That loomed up strongly as #22 was hit by a pitch and #44 hit a sinking line drive that sliced away from Dylan Mildfeldt and over the fence for a two run home run to make it 10-4, chasing Adwell and bringing on Spencer Weir. But Weir got out of the inning and Reed McIntyre doubled in Maverick Price to make it 11-4.
Platte Valley made another attempt to rally in the seventh, putting runners on first and second with one out, but Weir overpowered Nate Jermain for a three pitch strikeout and Chet Spire threw out #10 trying to steal following a rundown to end the game.
That game clinched at least a tie for conference, and NEN won it outright Thursday when they downed West Nodaway 9-7.
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