Joseph Harris

CEDAR RAPIDS — Until the schedule opens up to offer practice time to address areas of the game that need improvement, the Marshalltown baseball team is going to have to figure out how to win on its own.

On Thursday night, that meant outscoring Cedar Rapids Kennedy.

The Bobcats finally made up their annual Memorial Day showdown with the Cougars and got one more run than their hosts, holding on for a 9-8 victory on Thursday night.

MHS junior Joseph Harris finished 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and a go-ahead, two-run double and then held off Kennedy (2-8) from the mound for the nailbiting win.

“It’s nice to go on the road and sneak out of Cedar Rapids with a win,” said Marshalltown head coach Steve Hanson. “Kennedy has been a real tough place for us to play over the years and tonight was no exception.

“It seemed like every time we got a tie or the lead, back Kennedy would come. Kennedy puts pressure on you in a lot of ways so it was a good test for our guys heading into a healthy stretch of conference road games in the coming days.”

Both the Bobcats (5-3) and the Cougars scored in all but one inning, with Marshalltown’s three-run eruption in the top of the sixth standing as the deciding at-bat. Tate Kuehner reached with a one-out walk and Bennett Hageman doubled off Kennedy starter Eli Parks, who got a flyout before intentionally walking leadoff batter Wade Canaday to load the bases.

Dylan Eygabroad was the recipient of a walk as well, forcing in a run and chasing Parks from the mount. Harris greeted reliever Charlie Haefner with a two-run double that gave the Bobcats an 8-5 lead.

After Kennedy chiseled away at the deficit by scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth, Marshalltown added a much-needed insurance run when Carson Williams singled with one out and eventually scored after a balk, a wild pitch and a passed ball moved him around the basepaths.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Cougars got a one-out double from Austin Burkhart and an infield single by Kaden Waack. Trenton Wheatley’s grounder got Burkhart home to slim the margin to one, but Harris struck out Nate Mead to strand the potential tying run at first base.

“We didn’t play particularly clean tonight, but I guess well enough to win,” Hanson said of his team’s five errors. “Playing games every day can take a physical toll on players, but it is also difficult to make improvements in various areas of the game. We will continue to work at throwing more strikes and making routine plays, which will take some pressure off of our offense.”

Kuehner went four innings as the Bobcats’ starting pitcher, allowing five runs — three earned — on seven hits and three walks. He struck out two. Harris gave up six hits and three earned runs over three innings, striking out one, but got the win.

Williams went 2-for-3 with a run scored and six other Bobcats had one hit apiece: Canaday, Eygabroad, Van Buren, Dru Dobbins, Hageman and Blake Trowbridge.

Kennedy outhit Marshalltown 13-10 but couldn’t come up with the clutch hit when it needed it.

The Bobcats are back out on the road today, facing Des Moines North for a cross-CIML doubleheader. Marshalltown opens a six-game week next week with Monday’s twinbill at Fort Dodge.

Marshalltown 9, Cedar Rapids Kennedy 8

At Cedar Rapids

MHS 012 113 1 — 9 10 5

CRK 111 202 1 — 8 13 2

Tate Kuehner, Joseph Harris (5) and Will Van Buren; Eli Parks, Charlie Haefner (6) and Trenton Wheatley. W–Harris (1-0). L–Parks (1-2). 2B–MHS: Bennett Hageman, Dylan Eygabroad, Wade Canaday; CRK: Mason Behn, Austin Burkhart, Jake Weissenberger. HR–MHS: Harris (1). LOB–MHS 5, CRK 7.