Wildcats score early, hold off EB in sub-state

Baseball

     Tony Offerman pitched a three-hitter, and the Maquoketa Valley Wildcats led early and survived a late threat to win a Class 1A first-round sub-state baseball game 4-1 over East Buchanan July 9 in Delhi.

     Offerman struck out 11 and walked none as the Wildcats (20-7) moved on to the quarterfinal round.

     “Tony was outstanding,” Maquoketa Valley coach Mike Cook said. “He’s been spinning his curveball for a strike a little better, and I knew that was going to make a difference.”

     It also made a difference that MV scratched out two runs in the bottom of the first inning.

     “Absolutely humungous,” Cook said of the early lead. “If you happen to have a team that can just stand up there and bang, you don’t worry about much. We’re not that team, so it’s so important to add a run here and a run there.”

     MV scored a run in the third and a run in the fifth to take a 4-0 lead. The Buccaneers put on a threat in the seventh. A key play happened with a runner on second and none out. A grounder was hit to Wildcat third baseman Preston Roling as the runner was attempting to steal third. Roling bobbled the ball but made the throw to first, where the batter was called out on a close play, as first baseman Nathan Beitz took the throw. So instead of runners on first and third and none out, there was just the runner on third with one out.

     “It was probably the most outstanding play of the game,” Cook said. “He bobbles, and has the wherewithal to pick it up and throw it to first. Nate’s foot stayed on the bag until he caught it, then it came off. It was a great play all around.”

     East Buchanan did get one run in, but no more.

     The Wildcats had five hits; Parker Sternhagen went 3-for-3 with a triple and three runs scored.

     Earlier, the Wildcats scored a 14-8 non-conference victory at MFL MarMac July 2, scoring two or more runs in each of the first five innings. Offerman batted 3-for-5 with four runs batted in. Matthew Schaul was 3-for-5 with a double. Sternhagen was 2-for-2 with a double and two RBIs. Michael Schaul went 1-for-2 with two RBIs. Michael Schaul also was the winning pitcher, working five innings. Beitz pitched the last two in relief.

     On July 5, MV played Bellevue Marquette in a doubleheader at Bellevue High School. The host Mohawks won both games, by scores of 13-2 and 7-6. Statistics for these two games were unavailable at press time.

     Next, the Wildcats played host to Dunkerton July 6 in Delhi, and won 14-4 in five innings. A five-run second inning gave MV an early 6-0 lead. Preston Roling went 3-for-4 at the plate, with a double, two runs batted in and three stolen bases. Offerman was 2-for-3 with a home run and five RBIs. Also going 2-for-3 were Michael Schaul and Tim Harmon. Matthew Schaul had two RBIs. T.J. Cook hit a double. Michael Schaul and Sternhagen had two stolen bases apiece.

     Sternhagen pitched the first three innings and earned the win; Michael Schaul worked the final two.

Softball

     Maquoketa Valley’s softball season came to a close with a 3-1 loss to Starmont in the first round of regional play July 6 in Delhi.

     Starmont took a 1-0 lead in the third inning, tacked on two more in the fifth, and then held off an MV rally in the bottom of the seventh.

     “Starmont pitched well, with 13 strikeouts,” Maquoketa Valley coach Trevor Arnold said. “We did hit the ball hard a few times, we just didn’t put it in play enough, and especially not when we had girls on base. We stranded 11 runners in the game.”

     Pitchers Payton Beaman and Abbie Sheehy kept the Wildcats in the game. Beaman worked six innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits, struck out four and walked two, but took the loss. Sheehy pitched the seventh inning, giving up no runs on two hits.

     Beaman batted 2-for-2 in the game, walked twice and stole two bases. Carissa Sabers was 1-for-2 with a double. Also getting hits were Taya Tucker and Leah Ries. Tucker also had a stolen base.

     The Wildcats finished with records of 9-15 in the Tri-Rivers Conference, and 12-20 overall.

     “Overall I think we improved throughout the season, and our pitchers gave us a chance to win, in pretty much all but five games.”