Northeast Nodaway scored six runs in the first inning as they advanced past Linn County and kept their undefeated season intact. Linn County came in with only one win, but they had gone the distance in the majority of their games despite playing the numbers game. There were 12 players listed on the roster, but only 10 dressed out for Friday’s game.
Chet Spire took the mound for NEN and looked sharp, getting Kade Ward to ground out and getting strikes outs from Cody Murrell and Corben Liebhart. In the bottom of the first, Northeast batted around as Spencer Weir started off the inning with a high chopper up the middle for a base hit and stole second. Reed McIntyre walked on a 3-2 pitch and they advanced on a successful double steal. Cameron Staples then hit a drive to deep left center field. The wind, blowing in from left, kept the ball in the yard, but it was hit so hard it crashed off the ball for a double as two runs scored. Staples then stole third.
Chet Spire popped out for the first out of the inning, but Ethan Adwell restarted the NEN inning as the first baseman’s foot came off the bag for an error as Staples scored. Ethan stole second and then went to third on a wild pitch. The catcher tried to throw down there, but the ball got away and Adwell scored to make it 4-0.
Brayden Welch worked a 3-2 count, fouled off a pitch, and walked to restart the inning. Spencer Gray reached on an error by the second baseman, who bobbled a ball and everybody was safe with runners on first and second. Gray and Welch went to second and third on a wild pitch and Welch scored when Maverick Price hit a slow chopper back to Cody Murrell at the mound. He had no play anywhere except at first and NEN was up 5-0. Levi Boulting singled between first and second to score Gray to make it 6-0.
#13 shot a single up the middle to start the Linn County second, but #2 struck out and #13 was out stealing as catcher Ethan Adwell threw a strike down to shortstop Spencer Weir for the out. Spire got Cole Flummer to chase a high pitch for the third out of the inning.
Linn County pitcher Cody Murrell settled down in the second, striking out McIntyre on a late swing. Cameron Staples narrowly missed a home run that hooked and went foul wide of the left field foul pole before he flied out. But Chet Spire shot a single up the middle and Ethan Adwell and Brayden Welch walked to set up Spencer Gray’s pop fly single to right center to bring in two runs to make it 8-0 after two.
Ethan Adwell came on to pitch in the third and got Michael O’Kane to strike out with some high heat and then a breaking ball on the outside corner. Brendan Ratliff shot a single past second, but #31 was late on a fastball and Adwell worked the outside corner to strike out Kade Ward. NEN was scoreless in the third as Spencer Weir doubled with one out down the left field line, but Reed McIntyre and Cameron Staples grounded out.
Linn County got their lone run in the fourth when Corben Liebhart walked and stole second. Catcher Chet Spire’s throw was in the dirt and got away, allowing Liebhart to take third. Adwell tried to pick him off, but nobody was covering and Liebhart came in to score to make it 8-1.
Northeast couldn’t score in the fourth. Chet Spire started off the inning with a walk. Ethan Adwell was called out on strikes, but #13 came on in relief as Murrell was out of pitches and Brayden Welch doubled off the wall in center as the wind shifted out to center, pushing the ball out of everyone’s reach. That put runners on second and third with one out. A long fly ball would bring a run home, but Spencer Cray could only manage a weak popup and Maverick Price hit a grounder hard, but right at the shortstop for the third out.
Cole Flummer doubled off the wall in right to lead off the Linn County fifth, but Ethan Adwell was able to get out of the inning thanks to an outstanding defensive play. Michael O’Kane struck out and then Brendan Ratliff roped one that looked like a run-scoring base hit. But second baseman Levi Boulting made a diving backhanded shoestring grab to take a base hit away and keep the score at 8-1. Trae Hoerrmann struck out to end the inning.
Northeast finally got the game ended in the fifth as Levi Boulting walked to start off the fifth and took second on a wild pitch. Spencer Weir shot one up the middle for one run and Reed McIntyre caught hold of a breaking ball and shot one down the right field line for a base hit, putting runners on first and third. McIntyre then stole second. Linn County intentionally walked Cameron Staples, as he had been hitting the ball hard all game, but Chet Spire hit the first pitch he saw off the center field wall to bring in two runs to finish the game.
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