The Marshalltown baseball team fought off a pair of South Tama comebacks to overtake the Trojans in the ninth inning, winning 7-5 in Monday’s season opener for both teams.
“There’s still stuff for us to work on, but the things we did correctly tonight, we need to be consistent with,” said MHS first-year head coach Colton Hanke.
A pair of bunts plated two runs for the Bobcats in the top of the ninth inning after JJ Schoenfelder led off with a walk. Luke Stalzer’s subsequent bunt was misplayed, allowing Schoenfelder to score the eventual game-winning run.
Stalzer took third on the play and came across on Sam Greazel’s bunt one out later. Bobcat junior Tayven Dutton’s second scoreless inning secured the victory in the bottom of the ninth as the defense erased a one-out single by Tanner Large by catching him trying to steal second.
Zander Stupp pitched five innings of one-hit ball for MHS, allowing three walks and nine strikeouts. Errors haunted the Bobcats after Stupp left the mound, allowing South Tama to rally back from deficits of 3-0 and 5-3.
Daniel Wiese struck out seven over four innings as STC’s starter, allowing one run on one hit and one walk.
Dale Greene hit a two-run single in the top of the eighth for Marshalltown, driving in Caleb Kusserow, who had singled, and tripled, who reached via error.
Kusserow, Stupp and Greene accounted for the Bobcats’ only hits. Chase Gustafson was 2-for-5 with a run to lead STC. Michael Henry singled and Nicholas Upah added an RBI hit in the eighth for the Trojans.
Gustafson took the loss for South Tama, allowing four runs, though only one earned. He struck out six and walked two in 4 2/3 innings.
Marshalltown is off until Friday, hosting the Benton Bobcats for a 5 p.m. doubleheader at the MHS diamond.