The Waverly-Shell Rock baseball team defeated Waterloo West by a score of 8-4 on Thursday, June 5 at Wartburg College’s Hertel Field in Waverly. After giving up a one run lead early, the Go-Hawks were able to outpace the Wahawks over the final four innings to secure the win.
The first three innings of the game saw very little scoring. The Wahawks took the lead with a second inning run, which represented the only run of the game until the fourth inning.
It would be in that fourth inning that Go-Hawks would take the lead by scoring four runs. After the Go-Hawks took the lead, they never surrendered it.
Head Coach BJ Hermsen talked about his team’s at-bats, and the fourth inning when the team was able to take the lead.
“I though our at bats got better as the game went. They started putting better swings on the baseball. I basically told the kids ‘make louder contact,’ and good things are going to happen when that’s the case. After that, a few balls started to fall in and we put some runs on the board,†said Hermsen.
The Wahawks would add a run a piece in the top of the fifth and sixth innings, which would be answered by the Go-Hawks with another four runs in the bottom of the sixth. The Wahawks would score one run in the bottom of the seventh, but were unable to get any more across as the Go-Hawks took the 8-4 win.
Offensively, Jack Wedemeier, Grady Harris and Calvin Gunderson all finished with two hits a piece. Harris and Cash Ryan both finished with two RBIs in the game, and Gunderson added an assist.
On the mound, Nolan Foster turned in a great performance. In five innings of work, Foster allowed two earned runs and struck out seven batters.
Hermsen talked after the game about the team’s effort to have better approaches on the offensive end, and the results showed during the game.
“I think a lot of it started [May 31] at Benton. I though we made a really conscious effort to change some things in terms of our approach at the plate. I thought that carried over against [Iowa City Liberty].
“It started off a little slow [on offense], Those first few innings I thought guys kind of got away from what we’re trying to do and doing their own thing. But those last few innings, I though we went back to what we do and results happened,†described Hermsen.
Following their game against the Wahawks, the team traveled to Mason City for a doubleheader against the Riverhawks. In the first game, the Go-Hawks surrendered 11 runs in the third inning, which would eventually allow the Riverhawks to win in just five innings 16-6.
The second game would be much more competitive, with the Go-Hawks finding themselves in the lead 6-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth. It would be in that bottom of the sixth that the Riverhawks would have another big inning, scoring six runs to take a one-run lead heading into the final two innings. Neither team would be able to add to their total in those final two innings, and the Riverhawks took the second game by a score of 7-6.
Next for the Go-Hawks will be another double header against Cedar Rapids Kennedy at home on Wednesday, June 11. The first game will begin at 5 p.m. and the second will begin at 7 p.m.
