Saturday, April 29, 2023

Grant McIntyre, Landon Wilmes Go Deep as Bluejays Win Big

Northeast Nodaway bounced back from their loss to Platte Valley with a big win Saturday as they beat East Harrison 21-0. Brayden Stevens tossed a shutout, and Grant McIntyre and Landon Wilmes both went deep as the Bluejays got the win. Wilmes’ blast was the first for his high school career.

The Bluejay bats started off hot as Dylan McIntyre singled to center, stole second, and went to third on an errant pickoff throw. Brayden Stevens walked and stole second. Grant McIntyre grounded out to score Dylan and consecutive singles from Tyler New and Drew Dack made it 3-0.

Landon Wilmes led off the second with his home run to left field; it traveled around 300 feet. With one out, Dylan McIntyre walked and stole second. With two outs, Grant McIntyre walked and Dylan took third on a wild pitch on the play. Jace Cameron (running for Grant McIntyre) stole second and Tyler New’s ground rule double made it 6-0. He took third on a wild pitch and Drew Dack walked and stole second. Boston Adwell singled to center to score two and make it 8-0.

East Harrison was victimized earlier in the year by Ethan Henson’s (North Harrison) no-hitter, but their bats had improved from the last time. Brayden Eakes hit a sharp grounder into the hole between third and short, but Boston Adwell, back at his natural position at third base with Stevens pitching, snagged it for the first out. Kaedan King gave one a long ride that might have dropped in for extra bases or even a home run, but Tyler New made a running backhanded catch from center for the second out. Trysen Ratliff finally broke up Stevens’ perfect game bid with a sharp single to right, but then he tried to catch Stevens, a freshman napping and take off for second before he delivered the pitch. Stevens stepped off correctly and Ratliff was out in a rundown.

The bottom dropped out on East Harrison in the third inning after Landon Wilmes walked, Sawyer Thurman reached on an error, and Dylan McIntyre walked after shattering a light cover with a high foul ball to load the bases. Walks lead to runs and sure enough, Brayden Stevens singled home one and Grant McIntyre doubled into the left field corner to score two more and make it 11-0. Tyler New, Drew Dack, Camdain Frisch, Jace Cameron, and Dylan McIntyre all followed with singles while East Harrison kept the inning alive with a couple of errors. The game got so out of hand that umpire Gilpatrick was calling everything remotely close to the plate as a strike. The inning was capped off when Grant McIntyre hit one that cleared the wall behind left for around 260 feet and the East Harrison players were sporting about it and congratulated him as he circled the bases. 

Garrett Baker walked to lead off the Bobcat third, and a wild pitch got away from Grant McIntyre and it rolled down the third base line. But Grant managed to run it down and throw a strike to Drew Dack at short to erase the Bobcats’ last threat.

The Bluejays will know right away how much they have improved, as the last three teams they play have winning records.


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