Bobcats bounce back to split with Mohawks
The pitching provided a pair of chances for the Marshalltown baseball team, but the Bobcat bats could only deliver one of them.
MHS split with visiting Mason City in Wednesday’s CIML Iowa Conference doubleheader, falling 4-0 in the opener before capturing a 3-2 triumph in the nightcap.
Starting pitchers Nate Vance and Tate Kuehner combined to keep the Mohawks in check, but four runs in the opener was enough for Mason City hurler Dylan Miller. Miller scattered three singles and did not walk a batter, striking out one to help the Mohawks take the first game by shutout.
Mason City (11-13, 5-9) scratched together two runs in the second game against Kuehner, but Marshalltown’s three-run at-bat in the bottom of the first inning delivered the second game for the hosts.
“After a sluggish game one, we put enough offense up in the first inning of game two to hold on,” said MHS coach Steve Hanson. “Mason City is playing with a lot of confidence after knocking off No. 1 Johnston on Monday.
“Our pitching was pretty good in both games. Vance pitched well enough to win the first one and Kuehner did a real nice job in game two pitching to a talented, senior-heavy lineup.”
Three of Mason City’s nine hits against Vance went for extra bases in the first game, though only one of them led to a run. Weston Schultz made it 3-0 Mohawks in the fifth after his leadoff triple was followed by Josh VandenBerg’s single.
The Bobcats (11-15, 7-7) put only three runners on against Miller, and none of them advanced beyond second base. Dru Dobbins singled in the first, Wade Canaday started the second with a hit, and Miguel Torrez tallied a leadoff single in the fifth, but none of Marshalltown’s hits led to more.
In the nightcap, MHS tagged Mason City starter Josh Ball for three runs in the home half of the first inning to take a lead that lasted the remainder. Vance walked, Sam Irwin reached on a bunt single and Dobbins drove them both across with a double. Two outs later, Wyatt Himes hit Dobbins home with a single.
The Bobcats got three hits in the first frame and only three more the rest of the way, but Kuehner made it stand up. He allowed two runs on five hits and two walks, striking out five to improve to 3-3 this season.
Irwin went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead MHS. Vance and Canaday also singled.
“We did a pretty good job on the bases but left some runs out there,” said Hanson. “Our execution has to be better, but we have four more games this week to sharpen things up.
“Playing that many innings in a week is physically challenging but maybe more demanding mentally once you get worn down and a little tired. Our guys have responded well in this situation and I wouldn’t expect anything less then next couple days.”
The Bobcats play a doubleheader today at Des Moines North and round out an eight-game week with two games on Saturday in the Brent Prange Classic. MHS goes to Johnston to face Sioux City Heelan at 10 a.m. and Sioux City North at 12:30 p.m.
At Marshalltown
Game One
Mason City 4, Marshalltown 0
Mason City 100 111 0 — 4 9 0
MHS 000 000 0 — 0 3 3
Dylan Miller and Hunter Dingman; Nate Vance and Miguel Torrez. W–Miller (3-1). L–Vance (3-3). 2B–MC: Dingman, Mac Skogen. 3B–MC: Weston Schultz. LOB–MC 10, MHS 2.
Game Two
Marshalltown 3, Mason City 2
Mason City 010 001 0 — 2 5 0
MHS 300 000 X — 3 6 2
Josh Ball, Skogen (6) and Nate Janssen; Tate Kuehner and Wyatt Himes, Torrez (7). W–Kuehner (3-3). L–Ball (1-1). 2B–MHS: Dru Dobbins. HR–MC: Schultz (4). LOB–MC 6, MHS 5.