McGinness, Hull help Rockets top Mustangs
JASON LAWRENCE/DAILY FORUM
West Nodaway junior center fielder Damon Hull hit a three-run double in the bottom of the sixth to allow the Rockets to walk-off with a 14-3 victory, their first of the year, Wednesday. It was Hull’s lone hit of the afternoon.
Despite muddy conditions that nearly canceled Wednesday’s game against North Nodaway, the West Nodaway baseball team played its cleanest game of the season and walked off with a 14-3 six-inning victory in Burlington Junction.
“We had no errors, so that was huge,” West Nodaway head coach Bryce Buholt said. “The first two games we had 13 (errors). Twenty-four runs, eight earned, so I’m happy about no errors.
“I didn’t think we were gonna get this in. I told (athletic director) Roger (Johnson) to cancel it because it was so crummy down here, but we got it going and the boys came to play.”
Playing its first game in nearly two weeks due to rainouts, the Mustangs got on the board first as junior Koby Reynolds drove in sophomore shortstop Peyton Coleman with a sacrifice fly in the top of the first.
“There was a lot of rust,” North Nodaway head coach Andrew Webster said. “You practice, you practice, you practice. You try and replicate things you see in the game so much. Tonight I think we had trouble doing that.”
West Nodaway had a near-immediate answer in the bottom of the first against Reynolds, as senior shortstop Trevor Meyer reached on an infield single, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on an error as Mustangs’ sophomore catcher Dakota Smyser tried to get Meyer at third base after Reynolds’ pitch got to the backstop.
“It starts with Trevor,” Buholt said. “When he gets on base, it’s kind of a relief to everyone else. … It’s been like that since last year. Trevor gets on and we start doing good things.”
After senior first baseman Blake Sanders walked and junior third baseman Blake Farnan was hit by a pitch, junior Josh McGinness helped his own cause by launching a three-run home run over the left field wall to give himself a 4-1 cushion on the mound heading to the second inning.
“We’re not a power team by any means, but hit more home runs already than we had last year,” Buholt said. “We’ve had a couple good days of practice, which I think really paid off.”
The Rockets tacked on another run in the second on an RBI single by Meyer and added two more on a two-run single by junior Jakob Cordell in the bottom of the third to score Farnan and McGinness, who had both singled to open the inning.
“The hitting surprised me tonight, just the rough time we’ve been having,” Buholt said, “but the boys have been working hard.”
North Nodaway got a run back in the top of the fourth after Smyser led off with a single — one of only two hits McGinness allowed over 5-plus innings — moved to second on a passed ball, stole third and scored on a dropped third strike throw to first.
West Nodaway got it back and then some in the home half of the inning. Meyer, who reached base in four of five plate appearances, led off with a walk, stole second, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a ground rule double by Sanders as the ball hoped over the right center field fence. Farnan then traded places with Sanders, slapping a double of his own down the left field line. Cordell brought Farnan in two batters later to push the Rockets’ advantage to 10-2, and end Reynolds’ day with nine strikeouts and five walks.
In the sixth, the Mustangs manufactured a little more offense. Coleman walked to lead off the inning — signaling the end of McGinness’ day, he struck out nine and walked two — and Smyser followed suit with a walk after Coleman moved to third on a passed ball and a stolen base. Reynolds grounded into a fielder’s choice, by Smyser got caught in a rundown, allowing Coleman to tap home.
“Coleman has speed, Smyser has a lot of speed, so it was nice to be able to do something with that when they got on,” Webster said.
West Nodaway loaded the bases on an error and a pair of fielder’s choices to open the bottom of the sixth. Junior Bryson Smith, who came on in relief of McGinness on the mound, worked a walk to drive in a run, and junior center fielder Damon Hull ended the game an inning early with a two-out double to clear the bases.
“We played a complete game tonight,” Buholt said. “We didn’t get down, we didn’t make errors, we kept putting the pressure on them and that’s all you can ask for.”
Both North Nodaway (0-2) and West Nodaway (1-2) are back in action Saturday in the West Nodaway Tournament. The Rockets open the tournament with a 9 a.m. first pitch against the Maryville freshmen. North Nodaway takes on East Atchison in game two.
JASON LAWRENCE/DAILY FORUM
North Nodaway junior Koby Reynolds delivers a pitch in the first inning of the Mustangs’ 14-3 loss to West Nodaway Wednesday afternoon in Burlington Junction. Reynolds threw four innings and struck out nine while walking five and allowing 10 runs.
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West Nodaway junior Josh McGinness taps home plate following a first-inning three-run home run to give the Rockets the only lead they would need against North Nodaway Wednesday night. McGinness went 2-for-4 at the plate and also picked up the win on the mound.
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West Nodaway senior shortstop Trevor Meyer takes a cut at a pitch during the Rockets’ 14-3 six-inning victory against North Nodaway Wednesday afternoon. Meyer was 2-for-3 with an RBI and reached base four times in the victory.
JASON LAWRENCE/DAILY FORUM
West Nodaway junior Josh McGinness hurls a pitch toward the plate in the second inning of the Rockets’ 14-3 win Wednesday night. McGinness went five-plus innings, striking out nine and allowing just two hits.
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North Nodaway sophomore catcher Dakota Smyser locks in on a pitch to record one of the Mustangs’ three hits in their 14-3 loss to West Nodaway Wednesday afternoon at the Burlington Junction City Park.
JASON LAWRENCE/DAILY FORUM
West Nodaway junior third baseman Blake Farnan just misses the sweet spot, but still went 2-for-3 with an RBI double during the Rockets’ 14-3 win over North Nodaway Wednesday.
JASON LAWRENCE/DAILY FORUM
North Nodaway sophomore Peyton Coleman came on in relief of junior starter Koby Reynolds and threw 1.2 innings and struck out three as the Mustangs fell 14-3 to West Nodaway Wednesday afternoon.
