March 29, 2024

Hawks baseball surrenders 14 runs in home loss

SULLY — There were plenty of runs to go around on a terrific Thursday afternoon for baseball as the Lynnville-Sully Hawks took on the visitors from Colo-Nesco.

Despite the Hawks jumping out to a big five run lead early in the game, the Royals stormed back with patient at-bats and fortunate bounces to pull away with the 14-8 victory.

The Hawks trailed 1-0 going into the bottom of the first, but it took quite a while before the Royals were able to record an out. Following a dropped pop-foul to the first batter, senior Cale Van Wyk, who then stroked a single out to right field. Sophomore Caleb James proceeded to walk followed by a single off the left field fence by junior Brandon Dunsbergen, which scored Van Wyk to tie the game at one.

Junior Daniel Zimmerman followed with an infield single to the shortstop to load the bases. The Royals then walked the next four batters before finally switching pitchers without recording an out. After another run crossed the plate, the first inning ended promisingly for the Hawks, as they led the Royals 6-1.

The top of the second seemed like it was going to be a breeze for Lynnville-Sully pitcher Ross Van Wyk. Van Wyk recorded the first two outs on back-to-back pitches. However, the inning went due south from that point forward.

A two-out walk is never a good thing, and it came back to bite Van Wyk in the second. He gave up the aforementioned walk followed by a single to right field to put runners on the corners.

An error then brought in the Royals’ second run of the game to make the score 6-2. That error was followed by a double to right field. After another walk, a stolen base attempt led to two more Hawks’ errors, and in the blink of an eye, the game was tied at six.

None of the second inning runs given up by Van Wyk were earned due to the two-out error, but the walk opened the floodgates to what turned out to be the crucial inning in the ballgame, as the Royals were able to quickly lift their spirits from a rough first inning.

The Royals picked up another three runs in the top of the third to take a 9-6 lead.

In the bottom of the third, the Hawks mounted another rally and put a crooked number on the board, but it would be their final rally of the day.

Senior Austin Newell led the inning off with a walk. Sophomore Baker Zeger then walked as well to put runners at first and second.

Junior Zach Maasdam layed down a bunt, which he beat out for a single, and the ball was thrown away, allowing the seventh Hawk run to cross the plate. Maasdam then stole second base, and a fielder’s choice brought the score to 9-8.

That would be the final run of the game for the Hawks, though, and they were unable to keep the Royals’ bats at bay. The Royals picked up three runs in the top of the fourth and two more in the top of the fifth to arrive at the game’s final score of 14-8.

The big trouble for the Hawks in this game, by looking at the box score, would appear to have been on the mound, but it was really more the sloppy play in the field that did the Hawks in. All-in-all the Hawks committed five errors, which accounted for more than half of the 14 Royals runs.

The Hawks will attempt to sharpen their tools as they try to get a win in their next game at Tri-County tonight.

Sports writer Dustin Turner may be contacted at (641) 792-3121, ext. 440, or at dturner@newtondailynews.com.