Raiders still on top of POI
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By RYAN
STONEBRAKER
LENOX, Iowa — The Mount Ayr baseball team picked up a big Pride of Iowa Conference road win last week, when they beat Lenox 6-5. The victory kept the Raiders unbeaten in the POI standings with top ranked Class 1A Martensdale-St. Mary’s.
The Raiders hosted MTSM on Tuesday (results were not available as of press time. The Raiders have an incredibly busy week with three conference games and a home game against a good Murray team that was played on Monday at home. Southwest Valley is in town on Thursday and the Raiders goes to Wayne Friday to end their four-game week.
Mount Ayr took the lead late in their 6-5 victory over Lenox last Friday. The game was tied at five in the top of the seventh inning when a passed ball scored one run. The Raiders built a 4-run lead in the third inning and then held off the Tigers the rest of the way.
Mount Ayr opened the scoring in the top of the first thanks to two ground outs. Mount Ayr extended their early lead with two runs in the top of the third with RBI singles by Rowan Sackett and Drew Graham to take a 4-0 lead.
Lenox scored their first runs in the bottom of the third inning pushing two runs in to cut the Raiders lead to one-run, 3-2. Lenox took the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Laramie Stoaks doubled, scoring one run, and an error later scored two runs to give Lenox a 5-4 lead.
Mount Ayr and Lenox would keep that score until the top of the seventh. The Raiders tied the game in the top of the seventh inning on a Graham ground out that scored a run making the score 5-5. Then, Tyler Still had a sacrifice fly to score what would be the winning run, making the score 6-5.
Mount Ayr out-hit Lenox nine to six in the game and had three players with multi-hit games. Adler Reed, Sackett and Avery Wolfe all had two hits. Jaxsen Walter, Graham and Tytan Gourley each had hits. Wolfe had a double and triple. Walter had a double and RBI. Sackett and Graham each had two RBI.
Walter started on the mound and went four innings. He struck out seven, walked five and gave up five runs on five hits. Graham pitched the final three innings in relief and got the win. He struck out five and gave up one hit. He did not allow a run or walk a batter.
Chase O’Riley started and took the loss for Lenox after working six innings. He struck out two, walked three and gave up four runs on seven hits.
The Raiders used their game at Winterset on Monday, June 1 as a measuring stick. Though it was a 3-1 loss, Mount Ayr played a solid team tough. The Huskies are a traditional power team in Class 3A out of the Racoon River Conference. The loss snapped Mount Ayr’s four-game win streak to begin the season.
Winterset broke a scoreless tie with a run in the third inning for a 1-0 lead. Winterset took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth. Mount Ayr’s run came in the top of the seventh.
Adler Reed took the loss for the Raiders after working five innings. He gave up three runs while striking out five and walking four batters. Rowan Sackett pitched an inning of scoreless relief, striking out one and giving up one hit. Mount Ayr out-hit Winterset five to four. Hayes Stogdill and Jaxen Walter each had doubles. Other Mount Ayr hits were from Drew Graham, and Tyler Still.
Grant Heithoff was the winning pitcher after seven innings of work. He struck out six, gave up five hits and one earned run.
