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MHS drops twinbill at Mason City

MASON CITY — A daunting schedule has done the struggling Marshalltown baseball team no favors.

The Class 4A No. 10 Bobcats dropped their sixth- and seventh-consecutive games on Thursday night, falling 3-0 and 5-0 to Mason City in a CIML Iowa Conference doubleheader at Roosevelt Field.

Marshalltown (14-13, 6-8) managed eight hits in the twinbill but no runs for the fourth and fifth times in the current seven-game slide, during which time the ‘Cat bats amass just two runs.

“Tonight was reminiscent of the past week in many respects,” said MHS head coach Steve Hanson. “We didn’t pitch it terribly and we didn’t field it terribly, but we weren’t good enough in either department to get a leg up on Mason City.

“Mason City pitched it better and played better defense than we did. Mason City ran the bases more intelligently than we did and outhit us by a good margin. When you put all of that together, it’s really hard to win.”

The host Mohawks (11-17, 5-11) scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning of both games, and that proved to be enough each time. Marshalltown managed five hits against Mason City ace Harrison Nagel, but only got one runner as far as third base. None of the Bobcats’ hits came in the same inning as another one.

Wyatt Himes went 2-for-3 at the plate, Nate Vance and Wade Canaday had doubles, and Kody Ricken added a single in the loss. Mason City’s Dawson Wedeking was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI to support Nagel, who struck out two and walked three in the complete-game performance.

Tate Kuehner pitched 5 2/3 innings in a losing cause, allowing nine hits and two earned runs while walking one and striking out seven. Ricken struck out the only batter he faced in relief.

In the nightcap, Marshalltown was held to just three hits by Josh Ball, who walked two and struck out three in another complete-game effort. Canaday took the loss, allowing three unearned runs on six hits and a walk while striking out four from the mound for the Bobcats.

Canaday doubled, and Ricken and Will Van Buren added singles as the Bobcats’ offensive woes persisted.

“The calendar is about to flip to July, and that means our opportunities are dwindling,” said Hanson. “We need to do all we can to right the ship [Friday] night. The one thing we have to maintain is good effort. Without a willingness to work and improve, you have no chance.”

Marshalltown hosts Ames for a JV/varsity doubleheader starting at 5 p.m. at the MHS diamond.

At Mason City

Game One

Mason City 3, Marshalltown 0

MHS 000 000 0 — 0 5 3

MC 200 100 X — 3 9 0

Tate Kuehner, Kody Ricken (6) and Ricken, Will Van Buren (6); Harrison Nagel and Brian Vandenberg. W–Nagel (4-4). L–Kuehner (3-3). 2B–MHS: Nate Vance, Wade Canaday; MC: Bryce Butler, Jake Rood, Dawson Wedeking. LOB–MHS 6, MC 10.

Game Two

Mason City 5, Marshalltown 0

MHS 000 000 0 — 0 3 2

MC 200 102 X — 5 7 1

Wade Canaday, Ricken (6) and Van Buren; Josh Ball and Vandenberg. W–Ball (1-2). L–Canaday (2-2). 2B–MHS: Canaday; MC: Wedeking, Ball. LOB–MHS 5, MC 9.

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