Conference competition was all the rage this week on the diamond in Dallas Center-Grimes. (Events covered June 10-16)
Softball (19-2)
The first challenge of the season came this week, with the Mustangs splitting a doubleheader with Norwalk on the road on June 11. While one loss still leaves DCG the inside track to the Little Hawkeye crown, the margin of error just shrank with a 10-1 league record, while the Warriors stand at 9-2.
But it could be an even tighter rope to walk over the next couple of weeks if not for some late heroics, as the Mustangs scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning to take Game 1. Delaney Fetters led the team with two runs scored while Sophia Bauman had a two-hit, two RBI game to help give that final 4-3 edge.
Runs were a bit easier to find over the weekend in Creston, where the Mustangs scored double digits for wins over Clarke and Clarinda, but would fall 8-7 to Ankeny. While Addie Abens and Tessa Jones both pushed a home run over the fence, the Hawks had the final advantage.
DCG’s offense had no issue picking up the pace Monday against Pella in a 17-0 win, with Bauman and Jenah Gray picking up their second and ninth home runs, respectively.
That helped move the Mustangs up the statewide leaderboard, now with 27 home runs collected. That ranks fourth overall and third behind Indianola (36) and Norwalk (31) within the Little Hawkeye Conference ranks.
Baseball (11-6)
Monday was more of a track meet than it was a baseball game, with 25 total runs posted by Pella and the Mustangs, with three home runs helping give the advantage at the end of extra innings.
Remarkably, all three home runs belonged to the Dutch, winning 13-12 over DCG.
With the Mustangs unable to keep pace with the power that Pella was swinging, they turned to an onslaught of small ball to score in chunks. Their 19 hits are the fourth-most collected by a team this season, and they came from virtually the entire roster, as eight players logged at least one hit. Caethen Stocker led the team with four hits and three runs scored, while Cross Bandy pushed three runs across on his three-hit performance.
Runs were also featured on the menu in a 17-2 win over Waterloo West, where Tate Perrin logged his third home run of the season. Bandy’s hot streak was also alive against the Warhawks, posting another three hits and four RBI. In an 11-3 win over Pella Christian, Bandy was the only Mustang with an extra base hit, with the team scoring double digits on just four hits thanks to 13 walks.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Mustang softball’s conference race heats up, baseball goes deep with Pella
Reporting by Sean Cordy / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
