War Eagles cap off week with sweep of Turkey Valley

By Audrey Posten, Times-Register

The Clayton Ridge/Central (CR/C) War Eagles upped their record to 3-11 last week, capped off by a Friday sweep of Upper Iowa Conference foe Turkey Valley.

The busy week, which included six games, started June 30, with a doubleheader against Kee. The War Eagles took an early 1-0 lead in the first game, but the Hawks tied it up in the bottom of the second, then tacked on runs in four more innings to win 12-2.

Drake Ostrander led the CR/C offense with two hits, including a double, and also had a walk. He drove in a run and scored once himself. Caleb Helle finished the game 1-3, with a double and walk, and Oakley Harbaugh went 1-4 with an RBI. Hazen Loan picked up a hit, stole a base and scored a run.

Caleb Helle pitched three innings for the War Eagles, surrendering four hits and one earned run. Brandon Thiese also pitched three innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs.

Kee won the second game, 10-0, thanks to a nine-run first inning. Aydan Millard was 1-1 for CR/C, while Sean Wilwert was 1-2.

The War Eagles next faced off against North Fayette Valley on July 1, losing 11-5. CR/C again led early, 2-0, but the TigerHawks erupted for five runs in the second inning and three each in the third and fourth innings to claim the victory.

Wilwert was 1-2 in the contest, walked twice and drove in two of the team’s runs.  Thiese racked up two hits and two RBIs, and Harbaugh went 1-3 with an RBI and run scored. Caleb Helle’s stat line included two hits and a run scored, while Loan doubled, stole a base and scored a run.

CR/C was back at it July 2, hosting a non-conference match-up with Jesup. The J-Hawks netted three runs in the first inning, but the War Eagles kept it close with two runs in the bottom of the frame. Jesup quickly pulled away, however, scoring in the next four innings to win 16-3.

Thiese had another big game for CR/C, picking up a hit, walk, stolen base and RBI. Harbaugh was 1-2 and also walked; he stole a base and scored a run. Caleb Helle tallied a hit, stolen base and run scored, and Evan Schroeder went 1-2.

The War Eagles closed out the week with a doubleheader against Turkey Valley on July 3. CR/C scored first in game one, with a run in the bottom of the first inning. The Trojans then took a 2-1 lead in the second, but the War Eagles snagged back control with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Both teams scored once in the fifth inning, before Turkey Valley tied the game 4-4 in the sixth. CR/C broke the stalemate with a walk-off run in the seventh, winning 5-4.

Caleb Helle pitched a gem for the War Eagles, allowing just two hits and three earned runs over six innings. He also had nine strikeouts. Thiese closed out the game with a hitless inning that included two strikeouts.

Thiese was also the hero offensively, going 2-2 with a double and two walks. He drove in two runs, including a walk-off RBI single. Harbaugh racked up three hits, including a double, and scored a run, and Ostrander was a perfect 2-2 with a double, two stolen bases, RBI and run scored. Loan added two hits, stole two bases, drove in a run and scored twice.

The War Eagles also won game two, 10-8. The team received a big boost with a four-run second inning, and was able to hold off a late rally by the Trojans.

Harbaugh finished the game 1-2, drove in three runs and scored once himself. Thiese added a hit, two RBIs and a run scored, while Loan had a hit and scored twice. Elliot Kelly picked up one hit, walked and scored, and Dylan Ludovissy went 1-1.

Loan earned the victory, pitching four and one-third innings. He gave up five hits and two earned runs and struck out five Trojan batters.

CR/C closes out the regular season this week, starting with a doubleheader against MFL MarMac on Monday, July 6. The team will then face Sumner-Fredericksburg on Tuesday, July 7, and Starmont on Wednesday, July 8.

The War Eagles will begin postseason play this Saturday, July 11, at Bellevue. The game starts at 7 p.m.