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Nevada Journal sports round-up: Season ends for Nevada, Colo-NESCO in baseball and softball

joe randleman, ames tribune
·6 min read

This past week saw all four area baseball and softball teams end their seasons with losses in the postseason.

The Colo-NESCO softball team fell to Collins-Maxwell in the Class 1A Region 5 quarterfinals at Collins July 5 by a score of 7-0. The Royals finished their season at 11-15.

The Royal baseball team was dealt an 8-0 loss by South Hamilton in the 1A District 3 quarterfinals July 3 at Zearing. Colo-NESCO ended its season at 11-14.

The Nevada softball team concluded its season with a 4-24 record after falling to No. 9 Chariton in the 3A Region 2 quarterfinals at Chariton July 6. The Cub baseball team ended its regular season with a 10-0 loss at Boone July 5 then fell to the Toreadors again in the 3A Substate 7 quarterfinals Friday by a 19-4 score in four innings Friday at Boone.

The Nevada baseball team ended its season at 9-16.

Here is what we learned from this past week's Nevada and Colo-NESCO high school baseball and softball competition.

Cassidi Bartmess goes to lay down a bunt for Colo-NESCO during its 1A Region 5 quarterfinal game against Collins-Maxwell Wednesday at Collins. The Royals fell by a 7-0 score.
Cassidi Bartmess goes to lay down a bunt for Colo-NESCO during its 1A Region 5 quarterfinal game against Collins-Maxwell Wednesday at Collins. The Royals fell by a 7-0 score.

Colo-NESCO softball team hangs tough with Collins-Maxwell

Erica Houge did what she wanted in the beginning and at the end of Collins-Maxwell's Class 1A Region 5 quarterfinal game with Colo-NESCO Wednesday at Maxwell.

Houge struck out the first four batters she faced, and she retired the final two Colo-NESCO hitters on strikes in leading the Spartans into the regional semifinals with a 7-0 victory over the Royals.

"We hadn't played in a week and we knew we'd be a little rusty," Houge said. "It started out slow, but we started getting our bats going toward the end. Hopefully we get stronger as we keep going through the postseason."

Houge gave up five hits on the night. But she also struck out 13 batters and only had one walk.

"I started off well, but toward the middle my pitches were hanging a little bit and they were getting a piece of them," Houge said. "They found gaps, which happens. Toward the end I got stronger, which is good."

Cypress Erickson and Haylee Merryman sparked the Collins-Maxwell offense.

Erickson hit a leadoff single in the first inning and scored on a single from Houge to get the Spartans on the board. She finished 2-for-4 with two runs, one steal and one RBI.

Merryman tripled down the third base line and scored on a Houge ground out in the third inning. She also had a sacrifice bunt in the first and an RBI single in the sixth for the Spartans.

"I was just trying to make sure I got runs in and do what's best for my team," Merryman said. "We just go up there as confident as we can be and try to get on base and get our team pumped up so that the next few in line can hit us in."

Collins-Maxwell scored two runs in the fifth inning and three in the sixth to pull away. During the first 4 1/2 innings Colo-NESCO gave the Spartans all they wanted.

Colo-NESCO first baseman Riley Handsaker catches a fly ball in front of Royal second baseman Katherine Rouse during her team's 7-0 loss to Collins-Maxwell in the 1A Region 5 quarterfinal game at Collins Wednesday.
Colo-NESCO first baseman Riley Handsaker catches a fly ball in front of Royal second baseman Katherine Rouse during her team's 7-0 loss to Collins-Maxwell in the 1A Region 5 quarterfinal game at Collins Wednesday.

Annabelle Nessa only gave up two runs on three hits with six strikeouts and three walks through the first four innings for Colo-NESCO. The Royals also threatened to score in the third, fourth and fifth frames.

Nessa hit a leadoff single in the third inning and Colo-NESCO moved her courtesy runner over to third before Houge got Molly Angell to fly out to right to end the inning. In the fourth Abigail Hostetler walked, Riley Handsaker singled to put runners on first and second with one out before Houge picked up a strikeout and forced Jasmine Johannes to ground back to her for the final out.

The top of the fifth inning saw Cassidi Bartmess reach on a bunt single with two outs and Angell followed with another single. Houge got Kohlwes to ground out for the final out.

"Those first few innings we were right there," Colo-NESCO coach Candace Sutton said. "We stayed in the game the whole time. I'm super proud of the girls. They came ready to play."

Colo-NESCO's Trenton Beard snares a fly ball in right field during the Royals' 8-0 loss to South Hamilton in the Class 1A District 3 quarterfinal game at Zearing July 3.
Colo-NESCO's Trenton Beard snares a fly ball in right field during the Royals' 8-0 loss to South Hamilton in the Class 1A District 3 quarterfinal game at Zearing July 3.

Royal baseball team struggles at the plate in district loss

The Colo-NESCO baseball team could not get anything going offensively in its district loss to South Hamilton.

The Royals only collected four hits off South Hamilton pitcher Landon Sogard. They hung around for two innings, but South Hamilton pushed five runs across in the third inning and Colo-NESCO had no answers.

Isaac Harrington was 2-for-3 and Spencer Hansen and Breckin Clatt each had a single and drew a walk for Colo-NESCO. The Royals had trouble making contact with the ball all night as Sogard finished with 14 strikeouts.

Hansen was the losing pitcher after giving up one earned run on two hits and two walks with one strikeout in two innings. Drew Banks allowed four earned runs on six hits and three walks with six strikeouts in five innings for the Royals.

Nevada softball team refuses to back down against Chariton

The Nevada softball team entered its 3A Region 2 quarterfinal game July 6 at Albia as heavy underdogs.

The Cubs were able to last all seven innings against one of the top-10 teams in 3A. They finished with seven hits and only struck out five times as a team.

Jadyn Melohn was 2-for-3 with a double and Avery Hinson went 1-for-3 with one run and RBI apiece for Nevada in the loss. Joslynn Farmer went 1-for-2 with an RBI, Jorie Hillman singled and scored, Kylie Taylor singled and was hit by a pitch and Olivia Axmear singled once for Nevada.

Mya Spykerman was the losing Cub pitcher. She gave up 10 earned runs on 13 hits and two walks in six innings of work.

Difficult second inning haunts Nevada baseball team in substate loss

The Nevada baseball team was not able to overcome a forgetful second inning during its substate loss to Boone Friday.

The Cubs gave up 11 runs in the bottom of the inning. That put them in a 14-1 hole, and they were unable to dig out of it after scoring just one run in the top of the fourth and giving up five more runs in the bottom of the inning to end the game on account of the mercy rule.

Jackson Burlage was 2-for-2 with a walk and an RBI, Griffin Tamburo finished 1-for-2 with a run, Colyn Groat went 1-for-2 with an RBI and Anthony Eaton and Colton Leslie each added a single for Nevada. Karter Beving walked, stole a base and scored and Calvin Franzen and Connor King each crossed the plate once for the Cubs.

Beving was the losing pitcher. He allowed eight earned runs on four hits and five walks with one strikeout in one inning of work.

In the 10-0 loss to Boone two days earlier to close out the regular season Nevada gave up five runs in both the third and sixth frames. The game ended an inning early as the Cubs had no answers for Boone pitcher Archie Bell.

Nevada only recorded three hits off Bell. Beving was 2-for-3 and Burlage went 1-for-3.

Burlage took the loss after giving up five earned runs on five hits and walks apiece with one strikeout in five innings.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Season ends for Nevada and Colo-NESCO in baseball and softball