It’s been feast or famine for War Eagles baseball to start the season
Caden Helle slides into home during the War Eagles’ double-header sweep of Postville. (Photos by Jarod Bormann)
Jordan Everitt swings at a low pitch against the Pirates. The War Eagles scored a combined 34 runs in the victories over Postville.
Kurt Ross books it to home as the War Eagle offense comes alive against the Pirates.
By Willis Patenaude, Times-Register
It’s been an all or nothing start to the 2022 Clayton Ridge-Central baseball season, as the team lost its first three games scoring zero runs while winning the last two with a combined 34.
In the first game of the week, the War Eagles lost 10-0 to Waukon. The offense managed just three hits—all singles—and struck out nine times in 22 at bats, but Kahne Bolsinger did steal a base.
As for fielding, CR-C committed two errors while allowing five stolen bases. Kurt Ross pitched four innings, giving up four hits, three walks and two earned runs. Colton Hoeger pitched the remaining 2.2 innings, giving up six hits, two walks and five earned runs. The duo finished with a combined nine strikeouts.
On May 24, the War Eagles lost both games of a double-header to South Winneshiek. CR-C lost the opener 7-0, as the team’s pitching staff of Max Nuehring and Nate Meier combined to give up nine hits, five walks and seven earned runs.
The defense also improved, giving up just three stolen bases and committing one error, but the offense struggled mightily at the plate, finishing with a single hit from Nuehring.
As a team, the War Eagles struck out 14 times, but stole four total bases, one by Nuehring and three by Caden Helle.
The second game ended in a 15-0 mercy rule victory for the Warriors. The War Eagle offense went to the plate 12 times and came away hitless, while the defense committed two errors and gave up five stolen bases.
The War Eagles used four pitchers, including Caden Helle, Kyler Millard, Carson Ruegnitz and Caden Fette. Fette recorded one out, while allowing two hits, two walks and two earned runs, while Ruegnitz completed one inning, facing six batters and giving up two hits, three walks and five earned runs. Millard pitched an inning, surrendering five hits and four earned runs. He walked one South Winn batter. Helle was the most efficient of the bunch, pitching one inning, giving up one hit and one earned run while striking out three batters.
However, the War Eagles turned things around in a double-header versus Postville on May 26.
They won the opener 18-3, holding the Pirates to a .048 batting average and striking out 10. The offense, meanwhile, amassed 16 hits and drew six walks.
The War Eagles continued the offensive explosion in game two, winning 16-1 behind 10 hits and nine walks. The Pirates were held to just two hits.
CR-C will look to overcome the feast or famine tendency this week, starting with a double-header versus Turkey Valley on May 31. On June 1, the team will travel to Waterloo Riverfront Stadium for games against Don Bosco. The War Eagles will finish the week June 3, against Edgewood-Colesburg.
