Northeast Nodaway’s baseball team had every right to expect to go home early against North Nodaway. The Mustangs had not won a game, had been run ruled in most of their losses, and had yet to score more than two runs in a game. But in a game that featured bizarre playing conditions, with high winds whipping up dust in the players’ eyes and temperatures that felt like 30-40 degrees out instead of 60, it turned into a comedy of errors, with 30 walks, 10 errors, 10 wild pitches, and three passed balls. The umpire had a tight strike zone all day, with everything being a ball until shown otherwise.
Neither side could find anyone who could solve the strike zone or the playing conditions until finally, Lance Runde came in and restored order for the Bluejays, allowing them to pull away for an 19-8 win over North Nodaway for their third win of the year and their second straight. The game lasted almost two and a half hours; without Runde coming in to restore order, the game could have very easily gone on to four or five hours and ended at 9 or 10 at night.
It looked like the Bluejays were on their way after the first inning. Landon Wilmes started off on the mound; he got off to a rocky start by walking the first two, but he looked to be settling in after striking out the next two and picking off Weston Alexander at third after a rundown.
And it looked like the Bluejays were on their way to closing it out early after taking advantage of four walks and two errors and running wild on the basepaths, swiping three bags in the inning. They jumped on top 4-0, and it would have been worse had it not been for catcher Blaine Clements running a long ways to catch one in front of the Mustang dugout and second baseman Kaeden Nave catching a pop fly on the third base side of second.
Gannon Volner came up sporting an unorthodox swing with a vicious uppercut; it looked harmless, but he showed he could pack some serious pop as he caught hold of one for a base hit to start the Mustang second. It looked like Wilmes would pitch his way out of the inning, striking out the next two. But then, his control deserted him as he hit three batters and walked one. Camdain Frisch came on in relief, but he walked the next three batters before striking one out to get out of the inning. By the time the dust had settled, the Mustangs were up 5-4, taking their first lead all year, and scoring the most runs they had scored on anyone.
Jace Cameron grounded out to score Brayden Stevens to knot it at 5, and then Carter Chapman got the Bluejays’ first hit, a pop fly just out of the shortstop’s reach to plate Reece Gray to make it 6-5. Two Mustang errors put the Bluejays up 8-5.
But then Camdain Frisch continued to fight the strike zone, giving way to Lance Runde after walking three batters. It would have been worse for the Bluejays had not Landon Wilmes, now at catcher, made the first of three outstanding defensive plays in the inning, throwing Draven Rader out stealing. At first, it looked like it was more of the same after Runde came in as he walked Weston Alexander and a dropped force play let in a run. Blaine Clements then singled in two more runs and the game was tied again at 8-8.
But then Landon Wilmes bailed his pitcher out, grabbing a pop fly for the second out and then picking off Kaeden Nave at third. Those plays gave Runde all the confidence he needed to settle in and throw strikes the rest of the way.
Reece Gray legged out an infield hit, beating out third baseman Gannon Volner’s throw, to set up a four run Bluejay third as they regained control and took a 12-8 lead, taking advantage of five walks and two wild pitches.
Lance Runde settled in and set down the Mustangs in order in the fourth.
The bottom dropped out for the Mustangs as Northeast plated seven more in the fourth. The big blows were a solid hit by Camdain Frisch and a triple over the left fielder’s head by Brayden Stevens, who took advantage of the vast confines of the Bluejays’ home field. Chase Clabaugh came off the bench for Northeast to hit a solid shot that forced a Mustang error.
Runde struck out the side in the fifth to close out the win.
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