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Pitchers help power MHS sweep

T-R PHOTO BY STEPHEN KOENIGSFELD • Second baseman Jordan Smiley throws a ball he fielded to first base during Thursday night’s doubleheader against Waterloo East. The Bobcats won 9-1 and 10-0 in five innings to improve to 3-0.

Wade Canaday and Tate Kuehner pitched together a nearly perfect evening, and between the two, Marshalltown baseball was able to come away with a pair of wins, 9-1 and 10-0 (five innings) against Waterloo East on Thursday night.

Canaday (1-0) tossed a six-inning, no-hitter while striking out eight batters and walking two for the win. Kuehner followed up with a four-hit, five-inning shutout in game two.

With a week like the one the Bobcats (3-0) have coming up — five road games in four days — they didn’t shy away from practicing all facets of the game at full speed against the Trojans (1-3).

“It’s live bullets, and you get to see people in a little different environment,” said MHS head coach Steve Hanson. “Sometimes things that you take for granted being good or bad, aren’t as good as you thought or as bad as you thought. Anytime you can get out on the field, that’s a great thing.”

Despite outscoring the Trojans 19-1 and out-hitting them 14-4 between the two games, Hanson said there was still plenty to work on in the final practice day of the week. Marshalltown will hit the road on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before a single practice Thursday.

T-R PHOTOS BY STEPHEN KOENIGSFELD • Wade Canaday (28) and Tate Kuehner, right, deliver pitches during their respective games Thursday in a doubleheader with Waterloo East. Canaday threw a six-inning no-hitter, and Kuehner tossed a four-hit shutout to get their first wins of the season.

In game one, the only hiccup on the scoresheet was an error by second baseman Jordan Smiley. That allowed the first baserunner for the Trojans, followed by a walk by Canaday. That allowed a couple of ground outs to score an unearned run.

It’s moments like these Hanson said the Bobcats won’t be able to escape as easily in the coming week, with tougher opponents taking advantage at every turn.

“There were a couple things that we did incorrectly that, does it matter? Well, it might not have mattered to tonight’s outcome, but we know full well going into next week, when we have opportunities, we have to cash in on them, because there won’t be as many of them.”

The Marshalltown offense hasn’t had any issues thus far in its three wins this season. Collectively, the Bobcats have outscored opponents 24-1 in the three games. They’ve accrued two shutouts and allowed their first run in game one of Thursday’s doubleheader.

Sam Irwin was 4-for-5 Thursday night in the leadoff slot. He tallied four singles in the two games, walked once, reached on an error and stole three bases while taking second two more times.

T-R PHOTOS BY STEPHEN KOENIGSFELD • Wade Canaday (28) and Tate Kuehner, right, deliver pitches during their respective games Thursday in a doubleheader with Waterloo East. Canaday threw a six-inning no-hitter, and Kuehner tossed a four-hit shutout to get their first wins of the season.

Junior Kody Ricken has been batting third and was 4-for-5 as well. He punched in a pair of singles and an RBI in game one and had a single and a double in game two.

The Waterloo East pitching staff struggled, as Ty Newman went just two innings before being relieved by Breaden McNamara in the third inning of game one. In game two, TJ Peterson made it just 2 2/3 innings before having to be relieved by Cameron Berinobis for the final 2 1/3.

Smiley relieved Canaday for a one-inning relief stint, getting all three outs quickly and efficiently.

The Bobcats’ will have just a day of rest Thursday in the middle of a seven-game series with in five days’ time.

“Our week next week is very demanding,” Hanson said. “[Cedar Rapids] Kennedy, a perennial power. Fort Dodge, and now we start our league stuff. Then Valley for a doubleheader and Waukee for a rescheduled doubleheader on Friday. That’s going to be a really interesting week, as far as piecing it together and hoping you have enough arms to get through it.”

T-R PHOTO BY STEPHEN KOENIGSFELD

Marshalltown heads to Cedar Rapids Kennedy as part of the annual Memorial Day game, playing at 3:30 p.m. The first CIML Iowa conference doubleheader will begin Tuesday at 5 p.m. in Fort Dodge.

Game One

Marshalltown 9, Waterloo East 1

At Marshalltown

W. EAST 000 100 0 — 1 0 2

T-R PHOTO BY STEPHEN KOENIGSFELD

MHS 320 130 X — 9 8 1

Ty Newman, Breaden McNamara and Dylan Gehrke; Wade Canaday, Jordan Smiley and Kody Ricken. W–Canaday (1-0). L–Newman. LOB–East 2, MHS 6.

Game Two

Marshalltown 10, Waterloo East 0, 5 innings

W. EAST 000 00 — 0 4 4

MHS 018 1X — 10 6 0

TJ Peterson, Cameron Berinobis and Dylan Gehrke; Tate Kuehner and Miguel Torrez. W–Kuehner (1-0). L–Peterson. 2B–East: Landen Clemmenson; MHS: Kody Ricken. LOB–East 3, MHS 3.

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