Cedar Rapids ends Ottumwa’s season

August 03, 2008 11:11 pm

— CEDAR RAPIDS — The Ottumwa American Legion baseball team exacted some revenge on Iowa Lakes Saturday but couldn’t get past host team Cedar Rapids at the state American Legion tournament.
Ottumwa — which had lost 6-3 to Iowa Lakes on Friday — bounced back for a 15-10 win led by five RBI each from Jay Olson and Justin Garman. Ottumwa then suffered a season-ending 12-6 loss to Cedar Rapids in the double-elimination tourney. Cedar Rapids went to the finals but lost to state champion Dubuque County.
“We still made five errors, but we won,” said Ottumwa American Legion coach John Hart. “It was a strange summer. I don’t think we really came together as a team until after that first state tournament game Friday.”
The legion team is made up of players from Ottumwa and several other area high schools — including Davis County, Cardinal and Albia. The squad had to battle through several postponements and cancellations with the rainy weather this spring.
In the first game of the tourney Friday, Ottumwa allowed five unearned runs in the 6-3 loss to Iowa Lakes before bouncing back with a 19-11 win over Story County.
“These guys never really got a chance to learn how to play together until this weekend,” said Hart, who’s team finishes with a 10-11 record. “They still played hard and did a really nice job. The experience was good for them.”
Olson had a double and a home run against Iowa Lakes for Ottumwa, while Garman batted 3-for-4 and also picked up the win on the mound in just under three innings of relief of starter Ben Ryder. Justin Birch had two doubles for Ottumwa, while Devin Williams had a pair of doubles and two RBI. Preston Roberts also doubled and knocked in two runs.
Against Cedar Rapids, Adam Goodvin had a pair of RBI and a pair of runs scored. Trevor Fowler, Ryan Weston, Kyle Ward and Roberts each had an RBI in that contest.
Ottumwa 15, Iowa Lakes 10
I.L. 104 031 010 — 10 8 1
Ott 050 001 54x — 15 17 5
Ottumwa battery — Ben Ryder (4 2/3 IP, 3H, 8R, 7ER, 6K, 7BB), Justin Garman (W) (2 2/3IP 2H, 2R, 1ER, 0K, 2BB) Ben Lott (1 2/3 IP, 3H, 1R, 1ER, 2K, 1BB) Justin Birch catching.
2B — Jay Olson, Preston Roberts, Birch 2, Devin Williams 2.
HR — Olson.
Hits — Olson 4-for-6, Roberts 2-for-6, Trevor Fowler 1-for-5, Nirch 3-for-3, Weston Mitchell 1-for-3, Williams 2-for-3, Garman 3-for-4, Ryan Cooper 1-for-4.
RBI — Olson 5, Garman 5, Roberts 2, Williams 2, Jeran Courtney. Runs — Olson, Fowler, Cooper, Birch 3, Mitchell 3, Williams 3, Garman 3.
Cedar Rapids 12, Ottumwa 6
Ott 000 001 230 — 6 11 3
C.R. 310 230 03x — 12 17 0
Ottumwa battery — Curt Mick (L) (1IP, 5H, 3R, 3ER, 0K, 0BB), Ryan Weston (3IP, 6H, 4R, 2ER, 3K, 0BB), Olson (4IP, 6H, 5R, 3ER, 4K, 1BB) Birch, Luke Watson (7) catching.
Hits — Olson 2-for-3, Roberts 1-for-4, Fowler 1-for-3, Courtney 1-for-2, Weston Mitchell 1-for-4, Garman 1-for-2, Weston 1-for-2, Adam Goodvin 2-for-3, Kyle Ward 1-for-1.
RBI — Fowler, Weston, Ward, Roberts, Goodvin 2. Runs — Goodvin 2, Weston, Clint Utter, Mitchell, Olson.