By Natalie Dillon
ndillon@themonroetimes.com
ARGYLE — The Orioles were on the wrong side of a pitching duel with the Chieftains, resulting in a 5-0 loss on Friday, May 3. Between four pitchers in the game, there were 25 recorded strikeouts.
“It’s a confidence thing with us right now,” ABH head coach Tyler Ritschard said. “If you think you’re not going to hit the baseball when you go up to the plate, you’re not going to hit the baseball. We are so down on ourselves when we step in the box.”
ABH started Ike Waage, who retired the first three Potosi-Cassville batters in order. He struck out Eli Adams and got the next two batters to fly out.
That set the Orioles up for their best scoring opportunity of the game. Max Godfrey beat out a one-out infield single, and Will Helfvogt drew a five-pitch walk. Alex Friederick escaped the jam by striking out Waage and Cole Scott.
Waage faced one batter over the minimum in the second, adding two more strikeouts to his total. Friederick matched him, though, striking out the first two Oriole batters in the bottom of the frame. Spencer Hay-Skattum then popped up to the shortstop.
Potosi-Cassville caught a break in the third, as Aidan Uppena reached on a bloop single that fell in no man’s land behind first base. Ben Infield then drew a full-count walk. Adams hit an infield single, and Friederick followed with another full-count walk to load the bases.
Ritschard visited the mound to calm Waage and talk to his infield. Waage got ahead of Dawson Weber 1-2, but Weber reached on an error by Jackson Berget at short.
ABH recorded its second out of the inning on an infield fly to Martin Johnson, but he dropped the ball and allowed another run to score. Waage fell behind to Kolton Vogelsberg 2-1 before hitting him to load the bases again.
That’s when Ritschard made a pitching change to ace Max Godfrey.
“We need to rely on some other people, not just Max. That’s why we went with Ike,” Ritschard said. “He pitched a good game, he really did. He just got himself into a little jam, it happens.”
Godfrey, who was behind the plate for Waage, came in and gave up a two-RBI single before striking out the last two batters.
Potosi-Cassville ended the inning with a five-run lead.
Godfrey reached base in the bottom of the frame with a two-out full-count walk. He stole second to get into scoring position, but Helfvogt struck out to end the inning.
The next three and a half innings went quickly, as relief pitchers Godfrey and Vogelsberg sat down their respective opponents in order. In that frame, Vogelsberg struck out five of six batters faced, and Godfrey struck out six of nine batters.
In the bottom of the sixth, Helfvogt broke up Vogelsberg’s momentum with a two-out double. The hit nearly took left fielder Damian Bauer into the football field goal post, positioned deep in the outfield. Helfvogt was the first batter to reach base since Godfrey’s walk in the third.
Potosi-Cassville also broke up Godfrey’s run in the top of the seventh, as Infield drew a full-count walk. He was the first Chieftain to reach since Jaxon Oyen’s two-RBI single in the third.
Godfrey erased the leadoff runner, snagging a comeback liner and doubling up Infield at first. He ended the inning with a strikeout of Weber.
Although Caleb McKenna reached on a two-out catcher’s interference error in the seventh — extending the game momentarily — the game ended on a groundout to second.
Godfrey and Helfvogt were the offensive sparks going 1-for-2 with a walk each. Waage suffered the loss, giving up three earned runs on three hits. He struck out three and walked two. Godfrey pitched 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. He struck out nine batters and walked one.
PALMYRA-EAGLE 10,
ARGYLE-BLACK HAWK 0
ARGYLE — The loss to Potosi-Cassville came on the heels of a nonconference loss to the No. 13 Panthers on May 2. The Orioles had more errors (6) than walks (5) and hits (1).
Helfvogt tallied the lone hit and suffered the loss. He gave up just two earned runs on six hits. He struck out two but walked seven.
Argyle-Black Hawk has six games left in the regular season, where the Orioles look to pick up their first win.
