Indees sneak by Norse, Wolves, fall to Mustangs

The Independence/Gilmanton baseball team scored just enough to win two games last week, but not at all in a loss.

The Indees topped Whitehall, 4-2, last week Monday before besting Elmwood/Plum City, 2-1, on Tuesday. On Thursday, however, the team couldn’t get any runs across and gave up 10 in a loss to Melrose-Mindoro.

I/G (3-3) is set to play at Alma Center Lincoln on Tuesday before heading to Pepin/Alma on Friday, Eau Claire Regis next Monday and Arcadia next Tuesday. The team won’t play at home again until May 9 when it hosts Cochrane-Fountain City. 

I/G 4 Whitehall 2

The Norse took an early lead, but it was all I/G after that.

Whitehall scored two runs on consecutive RBI singles by Kade Foss and Grayson Pronschinske, but that’s all they’d manage in the game.

I/G tied the game with two runs in the third as Peyton Hovey and Chase Back hit consecutive doubles to bring one run home. Back scored on a wild pitch to tie the game. 

Preston Solberg singled to lead off the fourth and scored on a wild pitch with two outs. Hovey singled to lead off the fifth and scored on another wild pitch. 

Hovey and Back each had two hits as I/G managed five as a team. 

Back started the game and tossed the first three innings, striking out six with four hits and two walks. Hovey got the win, striking out four and allowing three hits in four innings.

Foss and Pronschinske both had two hits for Whitehall. Mason Pientok took the loss, pitching five innings with five hits and four walks allowed while striking out six. 

I/G 2 E/PC 1

An RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh gave the Indees the win.

Eric Lopez came up with two on and two outs before the runners moved to second and third on a passed ball. Lopez sent a 1-1 pitch through the infield, allowing Glenn Turner — who walked earlier in the inning — to score the winning run. 

The Indees took the lead on an RBI single by Hovey in the third, but the Wolves tied the game in the sixth.

Solberg got the win, pitching one inning with one strikeout. Ricky Lopez also pitched one inning with one strikeout, while Eric Lopez got the start and struck out 11 batters while allowing four hits and two walks on 98 pitches. 

Eric Lopez also had two of I/G’s four hits. 

Mel-Min 10 I/G 0

The Indees managed just five hits and couldn’t push any runs across after falling behind the Mustangs early.

Mel-Min scored two runs in the first inning, two more in the third and three in both the fourth and sixth innings to win by the mercy rule after six. 

Hovey had two hits for I/G, but the team struck out nine times to just two walks. I/G also struggled defensively, committing five errors, leading to five unearned runs. 

Back took the loss, pitching the first three innings with five strikeouts, four walks and three hits allowed. Hovey finished the game, striking out three while walking one and allowing three hits.