By Becky Walz,
The Decorah baseball team (18-4, 13-0 NEIC) continues to pace the league after picking up a trio of conference wins last week, sweeping Charles City and blanking Waukon.
Still perfect in NEIC
The wins keep coming for the Vikes as Decorah shut down the Charles City (7-15, 7-6 NEIC) offense on the road Wednesday, 8-0 and 3-0.
“The pitching efforts of both Cael Luzum and Cai Brevig tonight really set the tone for us to play solid team baseball on the defensive side. Our offensive approach in game one was really good with productive innings early in the game,” said Coach Adam Riley. “As we hit our final home stretch in conference play, we are really looking forward to improving in all phases of the game with our pitchers leading the way.”
Decorah used two hits, two errors and a sac fly to drive two runs home in the first. In the second frame, the Vikes padded their lead with three runs scored on two outs. Decorah would score again in the third and finished with two runs in the fourth while allowing just three Comets on base.
Luzum threw a strong game with nine strikeouts and just two hits.
Briggs Duwe and Kody Bodensteiner rapped out doubles, while James Marx connected for three singles.
Game two was a quieter affair with the Vikes garnering just four hits in the contest, including a double by Noah Storts in the second, who scored on a James Marx ground out two batters later. As the pitchers’ duel ensued, Decorah managed to scrape two more runs across home plate in the fifth when Marx was issued a walk and Drew Snyder was hit by a pitch.
It was a monster of a game for Brevig who fanned 13 batters on the mound.
R H E
Decorah 2 3 1 2 0 0 0 8 9 1
CC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 6
Cael Luzum (WP) – 7IP, 2H, 9K
2B – Briggs Duwe 1; Kody Bodensteiner 1; 1B – James Marx 3; Luzum 1; Tyler Thompson 1; Keenan Tyler 1; Noah Breitenbach-Dirks 1; RBI – Thompson 2; Tyler 2; Duwe 1; Marx 1; SB – Noah Storts 1; Marx 1; Ben Wymer 1
R H E
Decorah 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 3 4 1
CC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1
Cai Brevig (WP) – 7IP, 5H, 13K
2B – Storts 1; 1B – Luzum 1; Duwe 1; Joseph Hjelle 1; RBI – Duwe 1; Marx 1; Hjelle 1; SB – Luzum 1; Duwe 1
Back at home
Despite the threatening weather, the Vikes defeated Waukon (11-11, 5-10) at home, 5-4, Friday to make it five in a row.
“What an exciting Northeast Iowa Conference win! Gunnar Steine and Drew Snyder did not have their best stuff on the mound, but they did a great job tonight of making pitches to give us a chance to play defense and win,” said Coach Riley. “Offensively, while Waukon did a great job of keeping us off balance, we found ways to execute offensively with great bunting and effective baserunning by a lot of guys in our lineup. We are continuing to mature and exhibit the mental toughness necessary to win close games like this.”
The Indians struck with a run in the top of the third when John O’Neill was walked. O’Neill eventually plated the first run of the game on Isaac Roe’s double to centerfield. Decorah responded in the bottom half of the inning as Brady Hogan reached first on an error. Gunnar Steine sent the ball into shallow left field to advance Hogan. A sac fly by Luzum and a single by Duwe gave the Vikes the tying run.
Decorah took advantage of a walk issued to Tyler Thompson and Kody Bodensteiner getting hit by a pitch in the fourth to plate two additional runs. Waukon answered with one run in the fifth before the Vikings saw Luzum and Duwe score in the bottom of the inning.
The Indians managed to put the tying run on base in the sixth after scoring twice, but came up empty. Decorah’s defense ended Waukon’s threat with a three up, three down seventh to take the win and keep an unblemished record in the NEIC.
On the mound, Steine got the win with Drew Snyder picking up the save as the two combined for seven strikeouts.
The Vikes had seven hits, led by Duwe with two singles and an RBI. Also coming up with singles were Luzum, Thompson, Bodensteiner, James Marx and Steine.
R H E
Waukon 0 0 1 0 1 2 0 4 6 3
Decorah 0 0 1 2 2 0 x 5 7 2
Decorah stats
Gunnar Steine (WP) – 5-2/3IP, 3R, 1ER, 4H, 2BB, 5K; Drew Snyder (Save) – 1-2/3IP, 1R, 1ER, 2H
1B – Duwe 2; Luzum 1; Thompson 1; Bodensteiner 1; Marx 1; Gunnar Steine 1; RBI – Duwe 1; Thompson 1; Bodensteiner 1; Brady Hogan 1; SB – Tyler Thompson 1; Kody Bodensteiner 1
Waukon stats
Gabriel Weighner (LP) – 5IP, 5R, 2ER, 5H, 2BB, 3K; Carter Schellsmidt (RP) – 1IP, 1K
2B – Isaac Roe 1; 1B – Lincoln Snitker 2; Matt Ronan 2; Schellsmidt 1; Konnor Krambeer 1; Nathan O’Neill 1; RBI – Snitker 1; Roe 1; Ronan 1; N. O’Neill 1; SB – Snitker 1; Krambeer 1
Coming up
Decorah takes on Waverly-Shell Rock on the road tonight (Tuesday, June 29) at 5 p.m., and hosts Columbus Catholic Wednesday, June 30, at 7 p.m. The Vikes will close out the week with a JV/varsity non-conference game at MFL MarMac Thursday, July 1 at 5:30 p.m., and at Oelwein Friday, July 2, at 5 p.m.
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