Thunder pick up rivalry win in Guilford
ANTHONY CRANE/THE FORUM
Nodaway Valley junior Tye Hoyt catches a pop up Monday in Guilford.
GUILFORD, Mo. — Awaiting the Nodaway Valley Thunder is the Rock Port Blue Jays in a game that may decide the 275 Conference champion. But Monday evening was about crossing Highway 71 for a matchup with their rivals in Platte Valley. After a rocky start on the mound and at the plate, the Thunder ended an 8-game losing streak to their rivals with an 12-0 win.
Junior Jon Smock got the start for Nodaway Valley, but immediately ran into trouble on the bump. Freshman Grady Gockel and sophomore Ezra Morriss started the top of the first drawing back-to-back walks.
Smock recovered with a strikeout of junior Dylan Klamm, but a seven-pitch at-bat from Mason Holaday ended with another free pass to load the bases. The Thunders’ starter then forced an Emalee Langford pop out to right field before turning a 2-0 count on Aiden McQueen into a strikeout to leave the bases loaded.
“Taking those small victories, you know, getting guys into scoring position,” Platte Valley coach Zach Dyer said. “The next step is we have to hit them in and that just comes from experience.”
After needing just seven pitches in the first inning, Morriss found some trouble in the top of the second. Senior Deontrae Mincy’s fly ball to right got past the outfielder, leading to a 1-out triple. Smock broke the scoreless tie one pitch later, scoring Mincy with a single back up the middle.
After throwing just under 30 pitches in the first, Smock gave way to junior Tye Hoyt in the second inning. Koleby Staples led off the second with a single, but Hoyt recovered with a ground out and back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.
“Trying to work guys in the last couple games when our starter hasn’t gone as deep as we’d like him to,” Thunder coach Mike Hollingsworth said. “We have a good bullpen, and we trust anybody we put on the mound. We just wanted to make sure that we got this one after losing the last one.”
Hoyt caused more problems for Platte Valley in the third with a one-out double to right field. The junior then attempted to steal third where an errant throw ended up in left field, allowing the Thunder to go up 2-0.
Morriss ran into more trouble after the error, allowing a single to Smock and a Cooper Snodderley walk. But the sophomore dialed in and struck out the next two batters to get out of the inning with limited damage.
“I thought he did well and really grew from his last start where he struggled to throw strikes — but he bounced back this time,” Dyer said. “They were just really good at situational baseball and they’re a little more experienced. These are situations we’re learning from each game.”
Nodaway Valley brought the thunder in top of the fourth with one out hits from Hunter Jackson and Cooper Morrow. Hoyt kept the streak going with an RBI single into left field, followed by a two-run double from Smock.
Tyler Gray’s single up the middle put the Thunder up 6-0. Two batters later, Mincy’s long drive to left center field landed at the fence, scoring Gray and Snodderley. Nodaway Valley put together seven-straight hits and scored seven runs in between the first and second outs of the inning.
“It was a big energy change,” Hoyt said. “Once we have that big energy, we’ll usually do what we need to do and hit the ball well.”
Hoyt, Gray and Mincy all ended the evening with three hits each with Gray and Mincy combining for five RBI. Jon Smock ended the day with two hits and three RBI for the Thunder.
Hoyt pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and striking out six, bringing his season total to 12 in just over eight innings, while leading the team with an 0.80 ERA.
“I mean, every game you have to think about what you can do for your team, how you can help them, and then just go execute it,” Hoyt said.
The Thunder will host Rock Port on Thursday for the first of two matchups in five days. The Bluejays are 5-1 this season and have won the last two matchups in the series.
“It’ll be a good matchup,” Hollingsworth said. “In recent years, there’s been a bit of a rivalry between the two schools having played for a lot of district and conference championships. They’ll be ready for the challenge, that’s for sure.”
Platte Valley’s schedule doesn’t get much easier over the next week. Platte Valley will end the week back at home against King City before another big matchup in the 275 with East Atchison on Monday.
“They’re frustrated right now because not only are they not winning, but we just want to be competitive in these games,” Dyer said. “I can see the frustrations and that’s a positive because I wouldn’t want a team that’s just excited about being here and losing. The competitiveness I’ve seen the past week or so is just getting better.”
