Big innings. If you are giving them up, and not getting them, things aren’t likely to go your way.
Mount Vernon baseball lost its first game of the week Monday, June 10, dropping the first half of a doubleheader against Clear Creek Amana 8-2 at Ash Park.
“That’s been the theme, the early part of the season,” Mount Vernon coach Charles Chatman said. “We haven’t figured out how to get that fifth, sixth, and seventh guy out.”
The rest of the week was a mixed bag. The Clippers won the nightcap, 7-5. On Wednesday, June 12, Mount Vernon lost a game at Cedar Rapids Washington, 8-3.
A WaMaC doubleheader on Thursday, June 13, at Williamsburg was a split, 9-1 for the Mustangs and 4-2 for the Raiders.
Mount Vernon capped the week with an 8-3 win at Atlantic on Friday, June 14. That long road trip included the Mustangs’ annual trip to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. The team got to see Kentucky vs. North Carolina State.
“It gives kids an opportunity to get to know each other again,” Chatman said. “Guys are four-sport athletes and move from one thing to the next. The College World Series give them a chance to be baseball guys.”
Back to where it began. Mount Vernon opened the week with a bunt single by Jase Jaspers. He advanced on a single by Colin Bentley, and scored on a single by Michael Ryan.
Three straight hits to open the game.
That lead lasted until the third inning, when the Clippers plated two runs on two hits. It remained a tight game after that, with CCA leading 3-2 after five innings.
Then the top of the sixth happened. Robert Meade led off with a single. With two outs, a hit batsman, a single by freshman pinch-hitter Beckett Boeset loaded the bases. A late force out at second base led to a two-run single by Ty Fuller and a two-run double by Maclane Morgan.
“We’ve had pretty tough luck with the last couple innings,” Bentley said. “We’ve got to learn to get past it.”
Trailing 8-2, the Mustangs couldn’t conjure up a big inning of their own, going down in order in the sixth and seventh innings. The bottom five spots in the batting order combined to go 0-for-14 with one walk and eight strikeouts.
“It’s a process, and it’s not easy,” Chatman said. “We just trying to string some hits together. We’re still in that figure-it-out phase.”
Mount Vernon (9-10, 4-8) is scuffling at the bottom of the WaMaC East. CCA (12-10, 9-5) is one game out of first in the WaMaC West.
“Every WaMaC team is a great team, and it is a battle every time you come out here,” Bentley said. “It doesn’t matter who’s on, and who’s off.”
“It is just baseball,” Chatman said. “The reality is, we’re trying to get better for July. We’re going to lose some games trying to figure things out.”
In the second game, Mount Vernon was held to five hits. Including a double and two RBIs by Garet Swartzendruber.
In the win over Williamsburg, the Mustangs had 15 hits. Including three for Colin Bentley and two each for Cole Thurn, Tait Rentschler and Camden Merino. Sophomore Cael Foreman got the pitching win, striking out eight over seven innings. He only gave up three hits.
After the long drive to Atlantic, the Mustang bats stayed hot, with 10 hits against the Trojans. Swartzendruber had two doubles, with one each for Bentley, Ryan and Jaspers.
Chatman said Bentley had a strong week, hitting close to .500. Mikey Ryan and Jaspers also were strong at the plate.
Sophomore Cael Foreman got the pitching win at Williamsburg – “he went 104 pitches and battled,” Chatman said — and sophomore Kellen Haverback got the win at Atlantic in his first varsity start.
CCA 002 015 0 – 8 8 0
Mount Vernon 100 010 0 – 2 6 0
Kaden Phan, David Klapperich (7) and Wyatt Key; AJ McDermott, Maddox Thede (7) and Jase Jaspers. W – Phan. L – McDermott. 2B – Maclane Morgan (CCA). 3B – Colin Bentley (MV), Maclane Morgan (CCA).