Dylan McIntyre and Chase Atkins went deep for Northeast Nodaway Thursday, Anne Schieber gunned down a Mustang runner at the plate in a play that turned the game around, and Northeast Nodaway, with a makeshift lineup, used an eight run fifth to put North Nodaway away 11-1 after five innings.
The Bluejays were playing shorthanded, without Zach Pride, who was injured on Monday, April 26th during practice. But rather than go in the tank following the loss of one of their scrappiest players on the basketball court and the baseball diamond, Northeast overcame their hitting woes against Osborn/Stewartsville and beat them 11-1 last Tuesday behind the pitching of Dylan McIntyre. Against North Nodaway, they were playing with a makeshift lineup with Boston Adwell at third and Anne Schieber in right field.
North Nodaway looked like they were starting to turn the corner following wins against DeKalb (7-6) and West Nodaway (15-7), but fell hard against King City 13-6 last Tuesday. They came ready to play against Northeast and got on the board first when Jordan Jenkins singled to left, stole second and went to third on a throwing error, and scored when Northeast threw away a dropped third strike. The Bluejays prevented any further damage when a pop fly dropped behind Ben Boswell at short, but he alertly threw to Dylan McIntyre at second to force out Karson Oberhauser. Two years ago, against East Atchison, the Bluejays had to play a patchwork lineup and lost to end their 27 game conference winning streak; however, Boston Adwell fielded Cody Cline’s grounder cleanly and threw to first to end the inning.
The Mustangs had trouble holding baserunners on earlier in the year, but that changed in a hurry to start the Bluejay first after Ben Boswell singled. He took off for second, but then catcher Aydan Blackford threw him out stealing for the first out. Northeast Nodaway tied it anyway when Dylan McIntyre hit a home run to dead center that landed beyond the new road that will link up the two ball diamonds.
The game settled down into a pitching duel for the next two innings as Mustang pitcher Jordan Jenkins kept Northeast’s batters off balance with an assortment of fastballs, knuckle balls, changeups, and an Eephus pitch that looked more like a slow pitch softball throw. North Nodaway couldn’t take advantage in the second as Bluejay catcher Colton Swalley threw Jordan Jenkins out stealing after he had led off the inning with a single.
North Nodaway threatened a big inning in the fourth when Cody Cline beat out third baseman Boston Adwell’s throw for a base hit and Aydan Blackford’s ground rule double put runners on second and third with nobody out. Andrew Phillips struck out and then Darron Bix’s third strike was dropped and he took off for first. But instead of throwing to first, catcher Colton Swalley picked Cline off third, and he was out following a rundown as Bix reached first. Blackford and Bix took second and third on a wild pitch, but Damian Dailey grounded out to end the threat with the game still tied.
Colton Swalley beat out an infield hit to start the Bluejay fourth. Lane Dack put a charge in one of Jenkins’ changes, but Cody Cline made the first of two outstanding defensive plays in left when he robbed Dack to keep the game tied at 1-1. Chase Atkins, however, promptly untied it when he dug a pitch out of the dirt and hit it over the center field fence to make it 3-1. Auston Pride walked and Brayden Munns shot a single past third to put runners on first and second. Grant McIntyre caught hold of one of Jenkins’ knuckle balls and crushed it into left field, where it took a crazy bounce. But left fielder Cody Cline made a great stop of McIntyre’s shot, saving another run and keeping the score at 3-1 with the bases loaded. Jenkins struck out Boston Adwell to end the inning.
Jordan Jenkins led off the fifth by hitting a screamer that right fielder Anne Schieber lost in the sun for a double. Andrew Blackford hit a single to right and Jordan flew around third base headed home. But Anne Schieber atoned for the previous play in a big way as she charged the ball and threw a laser beam to first baseman Auston Pride, who threw a perfect relay home to get Jenkins out at the plate to keep it at 3-1 and swinging the momentum in Northeast’s favor. Karson Oberhauser reached on an error, moving Blackford to third, and stole second, but Lane Dack struck out Dakota Wray and Cody Cline to get out of the inning with Northeast still up 3-1.
The floodgates opened in the fifth for the Bluejays after Ben Boswell reached on an error. Dylan McIntyre walked and Colton Swalley singled to load the bases. That set up the big inning as Lane Dack singled to bring in two and put Swalley on second. They reached second and third on a wild pitch. Chase Atkins singled, scoring Swalley and putting Dack on third; Atkins stole second. Auston Pride singled to left to score both Atkins and Dack; Pride took second on the throw home. Brayden Munns doubled off the left field wall. Grant McIntyre grounded out to advance Munns. Boston Adwell was hit by a pitch and Ben Boswell beat out a slow roller down the third base line as Munns scored and Brycen Kennard (running for Adwell) took second. Dylan McIntyre was hit by a pitch and Colton Swalley’s single ended the game on the ten run rule.
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