Raiders lead POI going into final week
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send your username and password to you.
The Raiders earned three wins last week over Pride of Iowa teams, defeating Lenox, Bedford and Southwest Valley, to stay ahead in the Pride of Iowa and hold onto the first place spot.
The Raiders need two wins this week to finish as Pride of Iowa champions with Southeast Warren, Martensdale-St. Marys and Nodaway Valley on the schedule this week.
Mt. Ayr 6, Lenox 0
The Raiders hosted Lenox on June 14 for their second meeting this season.
The Raiders and Tigers faced off earlier this season on May 31, where they went nine innings, resulting in a Mount Ayr win.
The Tigers proved tough once more, with the contest scoreless until the bottom of the third when the Raiders added a run on a Jace Grose solo home run.
A strong fourth inning saw five runs on the board for the Raiders before they were shut down in the next three, while also allowing no runs to the Tigers.
The Raider sticks saw an average of .320 on the night with eight hits and five RBI.
On the mound, Jace Grose received the win, throwing 65 pitches, allowing four hits and striking out six.
Jaixen Frost came in to close the game, allowing one hit and two strikeouts.
“You have to give all the credit to Jace and Jaixen,” said coach Anthony Maldonado. “They shut them down and our defense stood up behind them and made the plays. Jace got into a rhythm and kind of cruised.”
Coach Bill Huntington shared the same sentiments.
“I thought he [Jace] threw harder in the fifth and sixth, and we are trying to protect every arm and take him out incase he needs to pitch Friday,” said coach Huntington. “His home run was also a big one and it’s kind of fun watching us bat. I don’t want to jinx us but everyone is sending them to the fence right now.”
Stats
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 F
LEN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MA 0 0 1 5 0 0 0 6
Hitting
AB H R BI
Frost 3 1 0 1
Reynolds 3 1 0 1
Martin 3 1 0 0
Shay 3 1 1 0
Knight 3 1 1 1
Stark 3 0 1 0
Larson 3 1 1 1
Grose 3 1 1 1
Ehlen 1 1 1 0
Sackett 0 0 0 0
TOTALS 25 8 6 5
Pitching
IP H ER R K
Grose 5.1 4 0 0 6
Frost 1.2 1 0 0 2
TOTALS 7 5 0 0 8
Mt. Ayr 13, Bedford 2
The Raiders traveled to Bedford on Thursday, June 16 to face the Bulldogs.
The Raiders started things early with two runs scored in the top of the first, while Bedford answered with one.
The Raider bats stayed in top form with the Raiders adding 11 in the next four innings to close the contest out in five innings.
Jaydon Knight led the bats with five RBI, including a triple that drove in three runs.
Jaixen Frost was three-for-four at the plate with two RBI, hitting a single, double and triple.
“It was a fastball in the zone on a full count,” said Knight. “I knew he was bringing the pitch, so I was ready for it. We are in the drivers seat so we just have to keep playing hard.”
Adler Shay was three-for-four on the night with two RBI.
On the mound, Daron Drake received the win, pitching three innings, allowing one run off two hits and striking out two.
Raines Sackett relieved Drake, allowing one run on one hit.
The Raiders committed one error behind the mound, while recording 14 put outs on 18 total chances with three assists.
“Our bats were stinging from top to bottom,” said coach Huntington. “Bedford’s third baseman made three incredible plays and on shots. Our bats are going really well.”
Coach Maldonado spoke about the baserunning side of things for the Raiders.
“Guys were actually rounding first base today,” said coach Maldonado. “They were looking and seeing the balls get by and we were advancing that way.”
Stats
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 F
MA 2 5 4 1 1 x x 13
BED 1 0 0 1 0 x x 2
Hitting
AB H R BI
Frost 4 3 3 2
Reynolds 4 2 3 1
Shay 4 3 2 2
Knight 4 2 0 5
Stark 3 0 0 0
Larson 3 0 0 0
Grose 4 0 0 0
Drake 2 1 1 0
Ehlen 1 1 3 1
Sackett 0 0 0 0
Cole 0 0 1 0
TOTALS 29 12 13 11
Pitching
IP H ER R K
Drake 3 2 0 1 2
Sackett 2 1 1 1 0
TOTALS 5 3 1 2 2
Mt. Ayr 12, SWV 2
The Raiders ended the week at home, hosting the Southwest Valley Timberwolves.
The Raiders went five innings after putting up 11 runs in the first three innings, while allowing one in the first.
The Timberwolves stayed alive in the fourth, scoring one run, before the Raiders put the game away in the fifth, scoring a run to trigger the 10-run rule.
The Raider bats were led by Jaixen Frost with a solo home run, while scoring three runs off one hit.
Adler Shay had a great night at the plate as well, recording three runs on three hits with one RBI.
On the mound, Jaydon Knight threw 25 pitches, allowing one run off two hits and striking out two.
Jace Grose pitched the next four innings and received the win after allowing one run on two hits and striking out three batters.
“I really loved how many balls we hit hard, even on the outs, there was pop to each swing,” said coach Maldonado.
Coach Huntington agreed.
“We are hitting the ball hard top to bottom,” said coach Huntington. “That’s what we’ve got to continue to do. The turning point in the game was putting that first run across.”
Stats
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 F
SWV 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2
MA 1 5 5 0 1 0 0 12
Hitting
AB H R BI
Frost 2 1 3 2
Reynolds 4 1 1 0
Shay 4 3 3 1
Knight 3 3 0 3
Stark 4 1 0 1
Larson 3 0 1 0
Grose 2 2 0 0
Drake 3 1 1 1
Ehlen 2 1 1 1
Sackett 0 0 0 0
Cole 0 0 2 0
TOTALS 27 13 12 9
Pitching
IP H ER R K
Knight 1 2 0 1 2
Grose 4 2 1 1 3
TOTALS 5 4 1 2 5
Mt. Ayr 13, Wayne 10
The Raiders to traveled to Wayne Monday to makeup a postponed contest against the Wayne Falcons.
The Raiders were stunned in the first inning as the Falcons scored 10 runs to put the Raiders down by the biggest defict they have faced all year.
Daron Drake started on the mound for the Raiders, giving up seven runs on five hits.
Raines Sackett was put in to help relieve Drake, however, Sackett allowed three runs on two hits, while walking three.
Jaydon Knight and Jaixen Frost both came into the game later to combine for 6.1 innings and gave up one hit and struck out 14 combined.
The fielders behind the mound committed two errors, while recording 21 putouts on 28 total chacnes with five assists.
The Falcons didn’t score a run past the first inning, and the Raider bats made up ground throughout the rest of the contest to end up on top, 13-10.
The Raider bats saw one home run off the bat of Jaixen Frost who drove in four runs on the night, while scoring two runs himself.
Ryce Reynolds recorded two runs on one hit and one RBI.
Stats
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 F
MA 0 5 0 6 2 0 0 13
WAY 10 0 0 0 0 0 10
Hitting
AB H R BI
Frost 5 2 2 4
Reynolds 5 1 2 1
Martin 3 1 1 2
Knight 4 0 0 0
Shay 3 1 1 1
Drake 6 0 0 0
Grose 4 0 0 0
Larson 3 2 0 1
Ehlen 3 2 3 1
Sackett 0 0 0 0
Stark 2 1 1 2
TOTALS 32 8 13 13
Pitching
IP H ER R K
Frost 4 1 0 0 8
Knight 2.1 0 0 0 6
Drake 0.2 5 6 7 0
Sackett 0 2 3 3 0
TOTALS 7 8 9 10 14
