Cardinals boost H-10 lead

Clarinda staved off Creston’s quest to gain a share of the Hawkeye Ten Conference baseball lead Thursday with a late rally at Panther Field.

Panther senior Cael Turner and Clarinda junior Karsten Beckel were cruising along in a 1-1 pitching duel for six innings. In Clarinda’s seventh at-bat, three runners reached base on a walk, hit by pitch and infield error before Parker Varner was brought in to relieve Turner after three times through the Cardinal lineup and 95 pitches.

Clarinda leadoff batter Cole Baumgart delivered a two-run single that proved to be the winning margin in a 3-1 victory. Beckel worked out of a jam with two runners aboard and no outs to keep the Panthers scoreless in the bottom of the seventh.

“Their best player made a play and we have to live with it and move forward,” Creston coach Brandon Phipps said. “Tip your cap to them. It was a good baseball game. We just have to produce more.”

Beckel allowed four hits with six strikeouts and two walks in his complete-game win. His chances for a shutout were erased in the bottom of the third when Panther leadoff batter Dylan Hoepker hit a solo home run to left field.

Hoepker’s blast answered Clarinda’s first run of the game in the top of the third resulting from an error and wild pitch with a runner at third.

Turner and Beckel were in command the rest of the way until Clarinda’s seventh-inning rally. Turner had seven strikeouts, three walks and just three hits allowed in 6 1/3 innings.

Phipps explained his decision to pull Turner just before the pitch-count limit in the seventh inning, with the bases loaded.

“He was getting a little fatigued and started getting behind some hitters,” Phipps said. “It was going to be his fourth time through the lineup there with the top of the order coming up. We planned on going with PV (Varner) at that point. Their kid caught a barrel and found a gap with two strikes. Tip your cap to them for producing late, and we just didn’t execute late.”

Beckel and the Cardinals appeared to be in a jam when McCoy Haines drew a walk to lead off the Panther seventh and Tyler Riley singled. With Gavin Millslagle at the plate and Creston’s top of the lineup — Hoepker and Turner — on deck, Beckel threw a curveball in the dirt.

Haines broke for third, but Cardinal freshman catcher Ryan Wagoner retrieved the ball in time to fire a strike to third baseman Sam Kline for the inning’s first out. Beckel struck out Millslagle for the second out. Coach Rod Eberly intentionally walked Hoepker and Turner grounded out to Beckel for the game’s final out.

“We had a lot of soft contact tonight. Their pitcher did a nice job of mixing it up,” Phipps said. “We knew his ERA was low coming in and he was a good pitcher for them. Cael was pitching well, too. We just needed more production.”

Clarinda moved to a two-game lead in the conference race at 13-1 to Creston’s 11-3, and improved to 15-2 overall. The loss ended a six-game winning streak for Creston, which took a 17-7 overall mark into Friday’s game at Class 2A No. 3-ranked Underwood, the defending state runner-up.

Friday’s loss

Runs were in short supply again Friday as the Panthers held a 1-0 lead over state-ranked Underwood through six innings. Varner pitched five innings for Creston, pulled after 54 pitches.

Mason Boothley and pitcher Jack Vanfossan rallied the Eagles with run-scoring hits in the seventh against Panther reliever Kal Barber. VanFossan had seven strikeouts and six hits allowed. The Eagles improved to 18-2 and it was the 400th career victory for Underwood coach Andy Vanfossan.

Mikkelsen had two hits for the Panthers and Hoepker’s hit scored Riley for the team’s only run.

Lewis Central (14-8 overall and 8-5 conference), hosts Creston in a Hawkeye Ten doubleheader Monday.