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Heelan handcuffs Bobcat bats

Crusaders take ranked clash with Marshalltown

ANKENY — The Bobcat bats have fallen on hard times.

The Class 4A No. 10 Marshalltown baseball team came up with just one hit and lost a 2-0 showdown with 3A No. 2 Sioux City Bishop Heelan on Friday at the annual Brent Prange Classic.

Heelan junior Tom Schiltz delivered a one-hit gem over a complete-game performance, allowing just one walk while striking out four in delivering Marshalltown (14-7) its fourth scoreless loss of the season — and in the last eight games.

Dru Dobbins hit a one-out single in the second inning for the Bobcats, while Sam Irwin walked with one out in the fifth and advanced as far as third base. They were the only two Marshalltown batters to reach base.

“The bottom line is pretty simple — we got one hit,” said MHS head coach Steve Hanson. “One hit won’t win many games at any level.

“We didn’t pitch it too badly and we played pretty good defense, but we only had two baserunners all day. That kind of offensive production will generally get you beat and it did today.”

MHS senior left-hander Nate Vance suffered his first loss on the mound this season, slipping to 5-1 after allowing one run in 3 1/3 innings pitched. Tate Kuehner tossed 2 2/3 scoreless frames but Heelan (18-7) tacked on an insurance run against Wade Canaday in the seventh.

The Crusaders had just four hits and two walks, but managed to do more with their chances. Heelan had four leadoff batters reach base in respective innings and two of them scored. Cael Boever walked to start the fourth, moved up on another walk and a flyout to center field before scoring on a Brenden Roder grounder.

Hunter Hope led off the seventh with a double, took third on a wild pitch and came plateward on a single by Roder to put the Crusaders up 2-0.

The Bobcats went down in order in five of their seven at-bats, and fell to 3-5 in their last eight games having scored a combined 11 runs in that span.

Marshalltown’s rearranged schedule will feature nine varsity games next week, starting with a home twinbill Monday against No. 2 Urbandale followed by Tuesday’s return trip to the J-Hawks’ home diamond to complete a previously suspended doubleheader.

The ‘Cats go to No. 1 Johnston on Wednesday for two games, to Mason City on Thursday for another makeup doubleheader, and back home for one game against Ames next Friday.

“That’s a heavy load of games that we need to take one at a time,” said Hanson. “We’ll certainly test our pitching depth. Plus we’ll be playing against quality teams that will quickly take advantage of any mistakes.”

Sioux City Heelan 1, Marshalltown 0

At Ankeny

HEELAN 000 100 1 — 2 4 1

MHS 000 000 0 — 0 1 0

Tom Schiltz and Elijah Hazekamp; Nate Vance, Tate Kuehner (4), Wade Canaday (7) and Kody Ricken. W–Schiltz (2-1). L–Vance (5-1). 2B–SCH Hunter Hope. LOB–SCH 2, MHS 2.

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