Baxter baseball scores historic win over rival Spartans

MILO — Colton Moffit and Cael Wishman combined to toss their second straight one-hitter this postseason, and the Baxter baseball team used 10 singles to score four runs during a 4-1 victory over rival Collins-Maxwell on Thursday.

The Bolts advanced to the district championship game for the first time in program history after scoring twice in the third and twice in the sixth during the Class 1A District 12 semifinals.

Baxter won two of the three meetings against Collins-Maxwell this summer. The Bolts won the game despite committing four errors in the field.

Moffit improved to 9-1 on the mound after allowing an unearned run on one hit and one walk. He struck out eight in six innings and used 90 pitches.

Wishman struck out the side on 13 pitches in the top of the seventh to earn his second save of the season and second save in the playoffs.

Wishman also had two hits and one steal to help the offense. He leads Baxter (17-6) with 50 total bases and 16 steals and he’s batting a team-best .423.

Hayden Burdess led the Baxter offense with three hits, one run, two RBIs and one steal and Cody Spurgeon finished with two hits and one RBI.

Colton Damman, Liam Trent and Aiden Johnson had the other hits, Damman scored one run and James Esqueda walked once, scored one run, totaled one RBI and stole one base.

Cole Frasher scored one run and Jace Bottorff was hit by a pitch.

Collins-Maxwell (10-14) scored its run in the top of the six, and the Spartan pitchers fanned 10 in the loss.

The Bolts will play Ankeny Christian Academy (14-10) in the district championship game at 7 p.m. on Saturday in Sully.

The game is part of a doubleheader as host and Class 1A No. 3 Lynnville-Sully plays conference rival North Mahaska in the District 11 title game at 5 p.m. in Sully.

The two winners face off in the substate championship game at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in Newton.