GHV Cardinals split four games in action last week

by Michelle Watson

The Garner-Hayfield-Ventura baseball team moved its record to 5-17 with two wins and two losses in action last week. The team opens Class 2A District 3 Tournament play on Saturday, July 13, when they travel to Forest City.  Game time is 7 p.m.

Lake Mills 14, GHV 5

The Cardinals fell behind early and just couldn’t get back on their feet in a loss to Lake Mills on Monday, July 1.

The Bulldogs opened the game with three-run homer.  They had a 8-0 lead before GHV could get a run across the plate.  The Cardinals scored in the top of the fourth on two wild pitches. One pitch allowed Jared Shaw to advance to third and the next allowed him to score.

The Cardinals kept pace for the remainder of the game.  GHV held the Bulldogs scoreless in the fourth inning and scored two more runs in the top of the fifth when Rafe VanDusseldorp hit a single that scored Sam Childress and Noah Boeckman, 8-3.  Lake Mills matched that with two of their own runs.  The Cardinals went to work again in the top of the sixth when a double fly ball to center field by Landon Dalbeck brought in Sam Wood and Dakota Burress.  The Bulldogs scored three more runs in the bottom of sixth.  GHV couldn’t plate any runs in the seventh and the game ended, 14-5.

The Cardinals managed six hits with singles from Dalbeck, VanDusseldorp, Shaw, Brody Boehnke, Dalton Graff and Childress.  Dalbeck and Shaw both had doubles.

The Cardinals had a hard time figuring out the pitching duties with four pitchers taking a turn.  Shaw suffered the loss. He surrendered seven runs on four hits over one and one-third innings.  He struck out two.  Childress, Kevin Meyers and Wood also saw time on the mound.

GHV 14, West Hancock 11

West Hancock 16, GHV 4

The Cardinals recorded a win and a lopsided loss when they faced West Hancock in a double header on Tuesday, July 2, in Britt.

A huge first inning by GHV gave them an 8-0 lead.  The Eagles slowly started to chip away at the lead.  Two five-run innings helped even the playing field.  The game was tied 11-11 heading into the seventh inning.  Jared Shaw got the scoring underway with a single ground ball to left field that plated Rafe VanDusseldorp. That was followed by a single by Brody Boehnke that allowed Shaw to score.  Dalton Graff sealed the win with a triple on a fly ball to center field that plated Boehnke and gave the Cards the 14-11 victory.

Jordan Upmeyer led the team to victory on the mound.  He pitched one and two-thirds innings.  He allowed two hits and struck out two.  Graff, Sam Wood and Noah Boeckman also saw time on  the mound.  Graff pitched three innings.  He gave up three hits and six runs, while striking out six.  Wood gave up one run and struck out one, while Boeckman gave up three hits and four runs and struck out one.

The Cardinals had a whopping 14 hits in the game.  Landon Dalbeck led the team with four hits on five at-bats.  He also had two RBIs.  Jack Ermer, Boehnke and Graff had two hits apiece.  Boehnke led the team with three RBIs.

The Cards just couldn’t keep pace with the Eagles in the second game of the night.  GHV’s defense fell apart in the seventh inning, allowing Eagle Grove to score eight runs on their way to a 16-4 landslide victory.

The Eagles connected on 16 hits, compared to only five for the Cards.  Dalbeck had two hits and Shaw, Boehnke and Will Eastman each managed one hit.  Both of Dalbeck’s hits were doubles.

Upmeyer started the game and pitched five innings.  He gave up 10 hits and eight runs, while striking out four.  Nathan Roberts and Dalbeck came in as relief pitchers and each pitched one inning.  Roberts gave up four hits and seven runs, while Dalbeck gave up two hits and one run and struck out one.

GHV 18, Eagle Grove 0 (4)

Jack Ermer was credited with a shut-out win against Eagle Grove on Wednesday, July 3.  Ermer didn’t allow a single run, throwing a complete game in an 18-0 victory.  Ermer pitched all four innings, allowing just three hits, while striking out two.

The Cardinal bats were on fire, with two home runs and two doubles.  Both Landon Dalbeck and Rafe VanDusseldorp smacked home runs, while Noah Boeckman and Sam Childress each had doubles.  Dalbeck, VanDusseldorp and Childress all had three hits apiece.  Jack Ermer, Jared Shaw, and Dalton Graff had two hits apiece.

Childress led the team in RBIs with four.  Dalbeck, Shaw, Brody Boehnke and Boeckman had two RBIs each.