Ottumwa Legion squad splits with Moberly

July 14, 2008 06:45 pm

— MOBERLY, Mo. — The Ottumwa American Legion baseball team has found it extremely difficult to get a whole host of games in this summer due to wet weather.
Ottumwa encountered the same problem on Saturday versus Macon, Mo. OAL’s doubleheader with the squad was rained out in the third inning of the first game and canceled.
Ottumwa did manage to squeeze in two games versus Moberly, Mo. on Sunday. Moberly took the first game 3-1 and Ottumwa responded in the nightcap by slamming the squad from Missouri 16-4 in five innings.
“We’ve had 14 or 15 games rained out this season,” said OAL head coach John Hart.
Ottumwa scored 12 runs in the third inning of the second game to blow the game wide open.
Justin Birch homered in the second game and Ryan Weston picked up the win on the hill for Ottumwa. Weston allowed four earned runs and fanned three. Birch and Justin Garman each collected three RBI. Trevor Fowler was 2-3 with four runs knocked in.
“The younger guys hit the ball well in the second game. In the first game, they threw two pretty good pitchers at us,” Hart said.
Jay Olson homered in the first game and Curt Mick was the tough-luck loser. Mick allowed just two earned runs and struck out seven.
“Mick pitched a good game but we left nine runners on base,” said Hart.
Ottumwa (5-8) hosts Johnson County in a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Legion Field.

Moberly (Mo.) 3, Ottumwa 1
OTT 001 000 0 — 1 7 1
MOB 001 110 x — 3 6 0
Ottumwa battery — Curt Mick (L) (6IP, 6H, 3R, 2ER, 7K, 1BB), Luke Watts catching.
2B — Weston Mitchell, Justin Birch.
HR — Jay Olson.
Hits — Olson 2-4, Birch 2-3, Mitchell 1-4, Ryan Weston 1-2, Mick 1-3.
RBI — Olson. Runs — Olson.

Ottumwa 16, Moberly (Mo.) 4
OTT 02(12)02— 16 13 1
MOB 004 00 — 4 6 3
Ottumwa battery — Weston (W) (4IP, 4H, 4R, 4ER, 3K, 2BB, HBP), Ben Ryder (1IP, 2H, 2K, HBP), Birch, Watts catching.
2B — Trevor Fowler.
3B — Jeran Courtney.
HR — Birch.
Hits — Olson 1-2, Ben Lott 2-3, Birch 1-1, Kyle Ward 1-3, Courtney 1-4, Adam Goodvin 1-2, Fowler 2-3, Justin Garman 2-3, Clint Utter 2-4.
RBI — Birch 3, Garman 3, Fowler 4, Lott, Ward, Courtney, Goodvin, Utter. Runs — Lott 2, Birch 2, Ward 2, Courtney 2, Goodvin 2, Fowler 3, Olson, Garman, Utter.