The Waverly-Shell Rock baseball team fell by mercy rule to Linn-Mar by a score of 20-0 on Wednesday, June 25. Despite the disappointing result in the game, the Go-Hawks did get to honor their two seniors before the game.

Nolan Foster and Luke Harman were both recognized as the lone seniors on the Go-Hawks squad. Head Coach BJ Hermsen talked about the two graduates.

“[Foster] has been one of our mainstays the last few years at the varsity level. He has done a great job for us, and he’s had some big moments.

“[Harman] hasn’t gotten quite as much varsity experience as he may have wanted, but we were able to get him an at bat tonight and he [pitched] in the JV game. It’s just one of those things where you try and get those guys an at bat or an inning or whatever it is [to show thanks] for the contributions and effort they’ve put into our program in the last few years,” said Hermsen.

The game itself was much less ceremonious. Linn-Mar came out of the gates swinging the bats aggressively and effectively. When they weren’t finding gaps in the defense, they were either being walked or reaching base safely via a Go-Hawk error.

In just four innings, the Lions finished with 14 hits, 10 walks, and three reached-on-errors. Those numbers allowed the Lions to run away with the victory early, winning 20-0.

In those four innings, the Go-Hawks committed four total errors on the defensive side. They also used four different pitchers throughout the matchup.

Hermsen talked about what his message to his team was after the blowout loss.

“We’ve talked about it before where you can’t necessarily win a game in the first inning, but you can certainly lose it. I felt like we could have came out a little better and had a little more energy. It starts on the mound. Kids know that when we throw strikes and get out ahead [in the count] on guys, we can compete with a lot of teams, and that wasn’t the case tonight.

“It’s a part of baseball and that happens. Good news is we get to practice tomorrow, so we’ll flush it and we’ll get better,” said Hermsen.

Hermsen also gave props to the Lions and the offensive performance they turned in.

“I thought [Linn-Mar’s] approach was really good. They play tough competition all year in the [Mississippi Valley Conference], and so there’s nothing they haven’t seen before on the mound. They put some good swings on the baseball and found some gaps, unfortunately for us,” said Hermsen.

The Go-Hawks were able to get some production out of their offense. Ian Sedgwick ripped a double down the third base line that, if not for a great relay by the Linn-Mar defense, would have scored Grady Harris. Jack Wedemeier, Jack Elsamiller, and Gehrig Tibbits also recorded a hit each for the Go-Hawks, but were unable to sustain any rallies to chip away at the Lions’ lead.

Despite the disappointing result, the Go-Hawks wouldn’t have to wait long to get redemption.

W-SR baseball gets pair of ranked wins at North Polk

Just two days after falling to Linn-Mar by a score of 20-0, the Waverly-Shell Rock baseball team bounced back in a huge way at the North Polk tournament on Friday, June 27. The Go-Hawks defeated class 4A No. 7 Waukee 13-3, and class 2A No. 3 Van Meter 4-2.

Go-Hawks defeat Waukee in five innings

The Go-Hawks got their day going with a massive win against Waukee. Not only did the Go-Hawks defeat one of the best teams in class 4A, but they were able to do so by mercy rule.

The Go-Hawks showed a balance of aggressiveness and patience at the plate that helped them bring home the victory. They finished with five walks and six hits in the shortened game, and were also able to collect four hit-by-pitches and one reach-on-error for a total of 16 baserunners.

Leading the offensive effort for the Go-Hawks was leadoff hitter Jack Wedemeier. Wedemeier finished the game batting 2-for-2 with a single, a triple, an RBI, and one hit-by-pitch. Also collecting two hits in the game was Nolan Foster, who batted 2-for-3 including a single, a triple, and a team-leading three RBIs. Cash Ryan and Braden Seversen both also added one hit a piece to the Go-Hawks’ total.

In addition to his great game at the plate, Foster pitched a solid game on the mound for the Go-Hawks. Foster pitched all seven innings, striking out five batters and allowing just three earned runs.

Foster was also helped in a big way by his defense. The Go-Hawks finished with just one error, which was charged to Wedemeier. Despite the error, Wedemeier still led the team with four assists in the game. Catcher Jack Elsamiller also threw out all three attempted Warrior base stealers.

The combination of offensive and defensive production allowed the Go-Hawks to build a 12-1 lead after two innings. One final score in the bottom of the fourth and a scoreless top of the fifth allowed the Go-Hawks to finish the game by a score of 13-3 in five innings. The Go-Hawks would take the momentum from their first game upset to get another huge win just a few hours later.

Go-Hawks pick up second ranked win of the day against Van Meter

Unlike their first game of the afternoon, the Go-Hawks would take Van Meter down to the wire. Although the scoring output was smaller, the Go-Hawks were just as effective on the offensive end as they were against Waukee.

As a team, the Go-Hawks finished with eight hits and five walks. Once again, Foster would slug a single and a triple to lead the team offensively. Seversen also finished the game batting 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and an RBI. Wedemeier, Grady Harris, Gehrig Tibbits, and Calvin Gunderson all also finished with one hit in the game.

Leading the Go-Hawks to victory on the mound was Wedemeier, who turned in another great performance on the mound. Wedemeier pitched a complete game, finishing with eight strikeouts and two earned runs. Wedemeier also allowed just five hits and walked no batters.

Both of the Bulldogs’ runs came in the bottom of the fourth inning, where they would cut the Go-Hawk lead down to just one run. Wedemeier and the Go-Hawk defense would finish the game in which they started it; with three shutout innings to come out once again on top.

The wins move the Go-Hawks to 12-10 with perhaps the most confidence they have had all season. With just under two weeks until the postseason, it’s a great time to for them to be finding their stride.

Next for the Go-Hawks will be a double-header at Decorah on Wednesday, June 2. Those games are scheduled to begin at 5 and 7 p.m.