By KELLY TERPSTRA, Courier sports writer
July 03, 2008 12:12 am
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OTTUMWA — No baseball games are ever won on paper. There are also obviously no victories accomplished on a team’s previous best outing.
That’s what the Ottumwa baseball squad has going for them — that and a five-game win streak after a 6-2 victory over Des Moines Roosevelt on Wednesday night at Legion Field.
”It’s not about what you’ve done, it’s what you can do,” said Ottumwa head coach Ryan Woods.
Ottumwa (13-15, 9-8) will need that kind of attitude in a very tough Class 4A Substate 6, which includes the likes of seventh-ranked Southeast Polk and eighth-ranked West Des Moines Valley.
The mini-run Ottumwa is experiencing has been aided by what any baseball squad wants in the long run — pitching.
Ryan Weston gave it to the Bulldogs on this night.
Weston worked a productive five-hit complete game for Ottumwa. The senior’s quick work on the mound beat the rain, which came pouring down and canceled the second game.
“It’s nice to be able to get it going at the end of the year like this going into substate. Hopefully we can keep it rolling into the state tournament,” said Weston.
Weston’s efficient formula of fastball, curve and sinker worked to a tee.
Yes, Weston has a sinker. Don’t tell that to coach Ryan Woods.
“It’s a curve ball,” said Woods.
Justin Birch, Weston’s senior battery mate, countered.
“I think it might be a sinker,” said Birch.
Regardless, the hill was a friendly piece of territory for Weston, who is now 2-4 on the year. He struck out five and walked just one.
Ottumwa’s defense went a long ways toward Weston’s goal of getting a victory. The Bulldogs’ play in the field was sparking and not one error was committed. Ottumwa turned a key double play in the sixth inning with runners on first and third and no outs.
The Bulldogs headed to the final frame on the 4-6-3 turn. Weston then managed to induce a grounder to short for an out that was sandwiched in between two come-backers to him. The last one right up the box that was snared by his glove ended the CIML Metro clash.
“There is probably not a guy who’s worked harder than Ryan Weston between his sophomore year and his senior season. It’s great to see that work pay off for him,” said Woods, who has led Ottumwa to three state tournaments in his tenure.
Weston was also helped by four runs plated by Ottumwa right off the bat in the first inning.
A sacrifice fly by Birch and a wild pitch accounted for the Bulldogs’ first two runs. Ottumwa junior first baseman’s Jake Steinbach’s solid RBI single up the middle made it 3-0. Brian Delker’s looping single to left made it a four-run advantage for the River City residents.
Another sacrifice fly, this one by senior Weston Mitchell in the second, saw the scoreboard flash to 5-0 in Ottumwa’s favor.
Roosevelt starter Frank Anschutz faced only one batter in the second inning and was pulled in favor of Steven Arens. The Roughriders plated their two runs on an RBI single by Arens in the fourth.
Ottumwa added an insurance run on another sac fly, this one in the fourth, by junior Chris Cordray.
Ottumwa is vying for a four or five seed with Indianola in its Class 4A Substate 6 according to Woods. This is the first year the state seeds the postseason in baseball.
Ottumwa’s likely opponent is either Valley or Waukee on the road. Polk has locked up the No. 1 seed and Oskaloosa has done the same with No. 6 spot.
The first 30 games of the regular season or games played until July 4 determine the seeding. The pairings will be released by the Iowa High School Athletic Association early next week.
“If we can keep playing well, we’ll try to make our run. Which is what we always try to do. If we do that, you never know,” said Woods. “There is nobody in our substate that’s unbeatable. It’s all about who’s playing well right now.”
Ottumwa has six games remaining in the regular season. The Bulldogs play a doubleheader with Des Moines Hoover tonight. Ottumwa closes with Dowling Catholic this Monday and Ankeny Tuesday.
The Roughriders swept Ottumwa in Des Moines in early June, 13-4 and 6-4. Roosevelt falls to 13-16 and 12-5 in the conference.
Ottumwa 6, Des Moines Roosevelt 2
DMR 000 200 0 — 2 5 2
OTT 410 100 x — 6 8 0
Des Moines Roosevelt battery — Frank Anschutz (L) (1IP, 4H, 5R, 5ER, 1K, 3BB), Steven Arens (5IP, 4H, 1R, 0ER, 3K), Dustin Bean catching.
Hits — Jackson Dahlquist 1-3, Jake Johnson 1-3, Keegan Reed 1-3, Arens 1-2, Bean 1-3.
RBI — Arens 2. Runs — Ty Larsen, Johnson.
Ottumwa battery — Ryan Weston (W, 2-4) (7IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, 5K, 1BB, 2HBP), Justin Birch catching.
2B — P.J. Shaeffer, Weston Mitchell.
Hits — Shaeffer 1-3, Birch 1-3, Mitchell 1-2, Chris Cordray 2-2, Jake Steinbach 2-3, Brian Delker 1-3.
RBI — Birch, Mitchell, Cordray, Steinbach, Delker. Runs — Ben Lott, Shaeffer 2, Mitchell 2, Cordray.
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