Eagles hammer Bison
Jason Wilcox - Sentinel Sports WriterArticle Photos
BANCROFT, Iowa - North Sentral Kossuth's first three batters of the first inning reached via an error, hit by pitch and walk Tuesday night.
From there, the runs just kept piling up as the Iowa Class 1A, No. 3-ranked Eagles built a 10-0 lead and an eventual 18-0 win in four frames over the North Iowa Bison in District 4 quarterfinal baseball playoff action in Bancroft, Iowa.
North Sentral Kossuth (30-6) plays Graettinger/ Terril, a 13-8 winner over Armstrong-Ringsted, at 7 p.m. Thursday night in Bancroft, Iowa.
North Iowa ended its season at 14-15.
"We just took advantage of some mistakes and walks early," said Eagle co-head coach Mike Elsbecker.
Phil Maze started the first inning by reaching on an overthrow to first on a grounder back to the hill, before Chris Rock was hit by a Grady Eichenberger delivery and a walk to Aaron Siefken loaded the bases.
Eichenberger recorded an out on a fly ball to right, but Nick Larson followed with a two-run single up the middle, scoring Maze and Rock.
Shaun McGuire helped his cause on the mound for the Eagles by doubling off the left-field fence, knocking in Siefken and Larson for the 4-0 lead.
Kyle Rahm, McGuire's courtesy runner, moved to third on a wild pitch and a follow-up walk to Brett Beadle put two runners aboard. Beadle stole second and Rahm scored on a passed ball, before Griffin Hatten reached on a free pass.
Blake Pedersen then followed from the No. 9 spot in the order by singling down the third base line to bring in Brett Beadle for a 6-0 lead.
Ross Kettwick then replaced Eichenberger on the hill for the Bison and got a groundout, advancing Hatten and Pedersen into scoring position.
Hatten did not stay there long as a wild pitch on ball four to Rock allowed Hatten to score, Pedersen to get to third and Rock to claim second.
A dropped ball on a Siefken fly allowed him to reach and both Pedersen and Rock to cross the plate, before Siefken later came across with the 10th run on Brock Beadle's triple to right.
The Eagles scored five more in the second, led by a Maze sacrifice fly RBI. Two runs scored on wild pitches and two more on an infield error.
Maze's infield single in the third drove in another run, before Rock's hit to right drove in a pair of runners, completing the scoring at 18-0.
"When you've got 10 runs a lot of things will work," said Elsbecker.
McGuire was the lone Eagle to produce more than one hit, going 2-for-2 with two RBIs. Maze, Rock and Larson each drove in two runs, while Brett Beadle and Hatten each scored three times, with Hatten drawing three walks.
McGuire had a no-hitter going until the fourth inning when Clay Paulson singled to center with two out in the fourth, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double to end the game.
McGuire struck out five and walked one in four frames to earn the pitching victory.
Eichenberger took the loss, allowing eight runs on three hits in one-third of an inning. He walked three and hit one.
Kettwick gave up seven runs on two hits in 1.2 frames with five walks.
Ben Matson closed out the contest, giving up three runs on three hits in two innings. He struck out four and walked two.
NSK (10) 53 0 18 8 0
N. Iowa 0 00 0 0 1 4
Shaun McGuire (WP) and Chris Rock. Grady Eichenberger (LP), Ross Kettwick (1), Ben Matson (3) and Remi Bakker.
LOBNSK 4, N. Iowa 1. 2BMcGuire (NSK). 3BBrock Beadle (NSK). SFPhil Maze (NSK).
