Lacking bats put Mustangs at loss

By Editor | March 21, 2017 |

North Nodaway’s pitcher through the first three and a half innings was Arron Coleman, who struck out four battered and gave up just one run. The Mustangs fell 6-3 to Plattsburg Tuesday at Hopkins to go 1-1 on the season into their conference matchup Friday against Northeast Nodaway.

Despite scoring first, the North Nodaway Mustangs baseball team gave up runs later in the game in its first loss of the season. The Mustangs fell 6-3 to the Plattsburg Tigers Tuesday at Hopkins to go 1-1 on the season.

“We just weren’t aggressive with our batting,” said North Nodaway coach Jake Shipman of his team’s degression from last week’s win. “We went to the plate hoping for a walk, when we need to have more confidence at-bat and expect to get hits.”

After a scoreless first inning for both teams, the Mustangs held the Tigers scoreless again in the second as the lower portion of North Nodaway’s batting order proceeded to set up an early-game scoring opportunity. Mustang players Jordan Snyder and Austin Bird both recorded two-out walks.

A pop fly by Tyler Bix flew just over the reach of the second baseman to bring both runners home. One play later leadoff hitter Dakota Smyser knocked a low ball along the first baseline to bring home Bix for the Mustangs to lead 3-0 into the third inning.

“All the problems we seemed to have at bat in the later innings, we solved that inning,” Shipman said, referring to the positive at-bats North Nodaway had early.

A sacrifice fly into left field allowed Plattsburg to close the gap to 3-1 behind the Mustangs, who didn’t score the rest of the game despite a loading the bases in the fifth with just one out.

Arron Coleman was replaced on the mound by Dakota Smyser in the fourth inning after he reached his pitch count limit. Coleman finished with four strikeouts and just one earned run.

Plattsburg came up with a single into left field for one run. Two hitters later, a North Nodaway error at third base, and the Tigers got a second run in while keeping multiple runners on. The very next play a high drive into centerfield brought in two more runs before the Mustangs could end the top of the inning.

“Arron looked like he needed to be taken out, and he was approaching his pitch count and I need him Friday for our conference game,” Shipman said of the decision to pull his starting pitcher. “Dakota pitched a great game, but it took him just a bit to settle down.”

The Mustangs trailed 5-3 into the fifth, and both teams were scoreless to carry Plattsburg’s two-point lead into the sixth.

The Tigers earned one more run in the sixth on the second error of the inning by North Nodaway. Making the most of their mistake, an overthrown ball to first, a play from first baseman Ryan Riley found the glove of catcher Tyler Bix in time for the tagout at home. The Mustangs still trailed 6-3 going into the seventh inning.

The seventh ended in another scoreless inning for both teams for Plattsburg to win it. Shipman was pleased with several things he saw on his team’s defense, but would like to see a little more tenacity at bat on Friday when the Mustangs take on Northeast Nodaway on the road. Game time is set for 4:30 p.m.

MaKayla Cross secures a catch from an infield pop fly in the first inning to have her hand in every out of the inning as North Nodaway holds Plattsburg scoreless early on.