April 16, 2024

PCM baseball rallies past 3A Gilbert, snaps long losing skid

By Troy Hyde

Prairie City-Monroe junior Wes Cummings, right, slides into second base during a game earlier this season. Cummings had three hits, including the game-winning RBI single in the eighth inning of the Mustangs’ 8-7 win over Gilbert on Monday. (Troy Hyde)

PRAIRIE CITY — For the first time in 10 tries, the Prairie City-Monroe baseball team walked off the field with a win against Class 3A Gilbert.

The Tigers were in control most of the way, but a four-run seventh inning forced extra inning and then a bases-loaded, walk-off RBI single by junior Wes Cummings gave PCM the 8-7 victory during Heart of Iowa Conference play.

The Mustangs continued their momentum from the weekend with 16 more hits, and they won the game despite five errors.

“It was a continuation from the weekend,” PCM coach Jeff Lindsay said. “We hit the ball hard right out of the gates. We had a lot of loud outs early.”

Gilbert led 2-1 after one inning and then plated three runs in the fourth to go up 5-1. PCM got one back in the fifth, but a two-run sixth put the Tigers (11-7 overall, 6-4 in the HOIC) up 7-2.

The Mustangs (7-8, 2-7) scored one in their half of the sixth to cut their deficit to four. They broke through with a big seventh inning before winning it in the eighth.

It was PCM’s first win over Gilbert since the 2013 season.

The Tigers had won 10 straight games in the series.

It was the third straight win for PCM. Gilbert’s three-game win streak was snapped. The Tigers had outscored their opponents 28-0 during that stretch.

Cummings wound up with three hits, including a double, three RBIs and a run scored.

Junior Preston Van Wyk collected four hits, two runs and two steals, and recorded his first victory on the mound.

Van Wyk (1-0) entered the game in the sixth inning.

He allowed one run on one hit with two walks and one strikeout in 2 2/3 innings.

Senior Noah Henkenius started on the hill, and allowed six runs — four earned — on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings.

“The pitchers threw strikes,” Lindsay said. “Noah scattered the hits he gave up. He gave us a chance to win. Preston pitched with a lot of confidence. He’s going to be pitching a lot more for us down the stretch.”

Junior Reed Worth finished with two hits, including a double, three runs, a walk and a stolen base at the top of the batting order.

Junior Brayton Van Dyke tallied three hits, including a double, and also had one RBI and one run scored.

Freshman Caleb Duinink, freshman Sage Burns and Henkenius all had one hit.

Henkenius and sophomore Derek Brown both an RBI.

The Mustangs play 3A Nevada at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Nevada.