| | 
The
Official Newspaper of Manchester and Delaware County, Iowa
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
| |
Hawks top Oelwein 13-6, advance to District Championship game vs. Western Dubuque
by Ken Boesenberg
|
Last Friday night in Farley the West Delaware boys baseball team took their first step in reaching their season long goal of making it to Des Moines and the Class 3A State Baseball Tournament.
The Hawks defeated Oelwein by a score of 13-6 in a game that was closer than it should have been but not really as close as the seven run final margin of victory.
The Hawks were the visiting team and jumped out to a 3-0 advantage in the top of the first inning.
|
At left, Junior, BJ Hermsen meets teammates at home plate after hitting a two-run first inning homer against Oelwein, his 17th of the season. At right, West Delaware senior pitcher, Phil Keppler delivers a pitch during the early innings of the Hawks win over Oelwein. |
With Brad McDonald on second, running for pitcher Phil Keppler, BJ Hermsen swatted home run number 17 of the year over the 370-foot mark in left center field to give the Hawks a 2-0 lead.
Nate Lahr then walked and courtesy runner Seth Engelken stole second and advanced to third on an error by the Huskie catcher.
After Justin Gideon walked, Garrett Linderwell stroked a double to score Engelken with the Hawks third run of the inning.
West Delaware added four more runs in the top of the second inning.
Chris Harbaugh and Phil Keppler stroked back-to-back singles for the Hawks to start the inning.
Harbaugh scored when the Huskies misplayed Zach McCool’s ground ball. Brad McDonald, running for Keppler, scored the Hawks second run of the inning on when Nate Lahr reached on a fielders choice.
After Justin Gideon walked Garrett Linderwell delivered a two-run triple to right center field to put the Hawks up 7-0.
The Hawks stretched the lead to 8-0 in the top of the fourth when Phil Keppler led off with a double
. Brad McDonald, again running for Keppler scored on BJ Hermsen’s one-out single.
Keppler had retired the Huskies in order through the first three innings. B
ut he gave up a run in the bottom of the fourth on a couple of hits a walk and a Hawk error.
The Hawks bounced right back in the top of the fifth with a pair of runs.
Chris Harbaugh had an RBI single to score Lucas Kafer who had singled and stole second.
Later in the inning Zach McCool scored Harbaugh when he doubled off the wall in left field.
The two runs gave the Hawks a comfortable lead at 10-1.
Oelwein pushed across five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning as they made the best of three hits, a hit batsman a couple of walks and a couple of critical Hawk errors.
West Delaware put some distance between themselves and the Huskies by scoring three runs in the top of the seventh.
Phil Keppler reached on an error, Zach McCool double and BJ Hermsen was
walked intentionally.
The big blow of the inning came when Justin Gideon belted a long fly ball and was narrowly thrown out at third trying to stretch a stand up double into a triple.
Garrett Linderwell struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh to give the Hawks the 13-6 win and a shot at Western Dubuque on Monday night as the Bobcats defeated Dubuque Wahlert 3-2 in game two.
A win over the Bobcats on Monday night would put the Hawks in the sub-state final in Oelwein on Wednesday night.
|
Murphy picks up 100th win at Waterloo Columbus
by Ken Boesenberg |
The West Delaware girls softball team climbed up to the sixth spot in the Class 3A final rankings last week.
Early on in the week the Hawks did nothing to hurt that ranking as they won their first five games of the week.
They then dropped three straight contests to end the week with a 5-3 record with just a non-conference tilt with Waverly Shell Rock before starting tournament action on Wednesday evening on Sill Field in Manchester.
The Hawks traveled to Waterloo Columbus where they swept a WaMaC Conference double header from the Sailors, 1-0 and 5-2.
The 1-0 win was the 100th win in senior pitcher Katie Murphy’s career at West Delaware.
It was a gem of a performance as Katie gave up no runs on one hit, struck out seven and walked just one batter while facing one batter over the minimum for the game.
The game was tied 0-0 through six innings. In the top of the seventh Renee Bockenstedt led off with a sharp single to center.
Kayla Bries executed a sacrifice bunt to move Bockenstedt to second. Katlyn Heiserman followed with a bunt single to put runners on at first and third.
Senior Lindsey McDowell delivered a two-out single to score Bockenstedt with what would prove to be the winning run.
In game two, pre-freshman, Jenna Hermsen notched her first varsity win of the year. She tossed five and a third innings, giving up two runs on two hits while striking out two and walking a pair.
Katie Murphy went the final inning and two thirds for the save.
Katlyn Heiserman had a single, double and a triple for the Hawks. Sara Hermsen had a double and Renee Bockenstedt had a pair of hits for the winning Hawks.
Ashley Hood and Katlyn Heiserman each scored a pair of runs in the victory.
The Hawks hosted Turkey Valley in a non-conference tilt on Sill Field on Tuesday night.
Again the Hawks were able to sweep a twin bill, winning game one 3-1 and game two 3-0.
Game one pitted a pair of 100 game winners against each other, Katie Murphy for the Hawks and Megan Novotny for Turkey Valley.
Murphy came out on top, 3-1, as she struck out 12 while tossing a one hitter.
The Hawks scored a single run in the bottom of the second inning as Haleigh Klein doubled in pinch runner Kayla Vaske.
The Hawks added a pair of runs in the sixth when Katlyn Heiserman single, Sara Hermsen walked and Katie Murphy delivered a double to score both base runners.
In game two the Hawks scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning and another in the home half of the second to record the sweep.
After Katlyn Heiserman walked and Lindsey McDowell singled Jenny Hood double to drive in Heiserman and McDowell for a 2-0 Hawk lead.
Haleigh Klein doubled to start the second inning and came into score on Ashley Hood’s two-out single.
Jenna Hermsen picked up t
he win, pitching six innings. She struck out two, scattered four hits and walked three. Katie Murphy tossed the seventh inning for the save.
On Thursday night the Hawks traveled to Monticello for a non-conference double header with the Panthers.
The Hawks took game one 3-1 before dropping game two 1-0.
In the 3-1 win West Delaware scored a single run in the fourth on singles by Jenny Hood, Katie Murphy and Haleigh Klein.
The Hawks scored two runs in the top of the seventh when Katie Murphy and Haleigh Klein singled. Renee Bockenstedt sacrificed both runners up a base.
Ashley Hood and Katlyn Heiserman both hit ground balls that were misplayed by the Panthers allowing the final two runs to score.
Katie Murphy picked up the win in game one by allowing one run on three hits while striking out six batters.
In game two the Hawks struggled with the bats as they lost 1-0.
Jenna Hermsen scattered three hits during the contest and walked just one batter.
The Panthers scored their only run of the game on a fifth inning home run.
The last action of the week saw the Hawks travel to Dubuque Hempstead for another non-conference double header.
It was not a kind trip for West Delaware as they dropped both contests, 2-1 and 5-2.
The Hawks had the lead in game one, 1-0 in the top of the first as Ashley Hood singled and scored on sister, Jenny Hood’s single.
Hempstead scored a lone run in the fourth and the winning run in the bottom of the sixth.
Katie Murphy took the loss, striking out six, allowing five hits and walking four batters.
In game two Ashley Hood was 3 for 4 with a pair of runs scored and Katie Wessels was 2 for 3 with a double. However, that was not enough as the Hawks fell 5-2 to Hempstead.
Hempstead scored a lone run in the second inning and four more in the fourth for the win.
The Hawks rotated three pitchers with Lauren Lammers tossing two strong innings
and giving up one run.
Paige Heiserman took the loss with one and a third innings of action.
Jenna Hermsen got into the act, tossing two and two thirds innings. She allowed one run and struck out three batters.
This week the Hawks played Waverly Shell Rock last night.
Tournament action starts on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. with the Hawks hosting Marion.
The winner of that contest takes on the winner of the Decorah vs. Waukon game. That district final will be in Manchester on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m.
The Regional Final will also be in Manchester, on Monday, July 23 at 7:00 p.m.
The winner advancing out of Region 7 which included Western Dubuque, Dubuque Wahlert, Anamosa and Mount Vernon will take on the Region 8 winner for the right to advance to Ft. Dodge.
|
109
E. Delaware - P.O. Box 245 - Manchester, Iowa 52057
563-927-2020 / FAX 563-927-4945
Copyright
Manchester Press 2005-2006
Thede
Web Works - Web Questions
|