NEVADA — The Prairie City-Monroe baseball team ran into an all-state caliber pitcher Thursday during its regular season finale against Nevada.
Tyler Shafer struck out 13 batters and walked none for the Cubs, and Nevada downed the Mustangs, 4-1, at home during Heart of Iowa Conference play.
Nevada had only four hits in the game, but freshman Derek Brown and junior Brady Fagen walked eight Cubs in the loss.
“Derek threw a very good game,” PCM coach Jeff Lindsay said. “Even the walks he had were scattered. He walked the lead-off guy in the fifth and then we committed an error to allow that runner to score.”
Brown gave up just the run in the fifth. PCM tied the game in the sixth, but Nevada (13-9 overall, 8-8 in the HOIC) plated three runs in the sixth off Fagen to earn a season split against the Mustangs.
Brown allowed one earned run on one hit with five walks, five strikeouts and one hit by pitch in 4 1/3 innings pitched. Fagen (0-1) took the loss after surrendering three earned runs on three hits with three walks and two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings pitched.
The Mustangs (18-9, 9-7) had six hits at the plate.
Senior Noah Clark had two hits and an RBI, and senior Ethan Thomas had two hits. Sophomores Brayton Van Dyke and Preston Van Wyk each had one hit, and sophomore Reed Worth walked and scored PCM’s lone run in the sixth.
“Considering the pitcher we faced, we did a nice job for the most part,” Lindsay said. “(Shafer) is a good pitcher. He throws it hard and has good command. He mixed in a good, hard slider, too.”
Shafer improved to 6-2 on the season. He now has 85 strikeouts in 62 2/3 innings pitched. Shafer threw 94 pitches over seven innings.
PCM opens Class 2A District 14 play at 5 p.m. Tuesday against either Roland-Story or Woodward Academy.