The Raptor baseball team pulled off yet another one-run victory, this time edging MVAO-COU 3-2 on Wednesday night in Holstein. Ridge View struck first with a pair of runs in the second inning. The score would remain 2-0 until the fifth inning, when Blake Myrtue was called safe at home on a call that could’ve gone either way, giving the Raptors a crucial third run for a 3-0 lead. The Rams got on the scoreboard in the sixth inning, plating a run to trim the margin to 3-1.
The Falcon baseball squad played host to Lawton-Bronson last Monday in Ida Grove. The Eagles struck quickly with a first inning run and a 1-0 lead. OABCIG retook the lead in the second inning with a pair of runs for a 2-1 advantage. L-B responded by scoring twice in the third inning, twice more in the fourth, and once in the top of the fifth for a 6-2 lead. The Falcons fought back with a pair of runs in their half of the inning, one coming by way of a Treyten Kolar home run, to trim the margin to 6-4.
The Ridge View softball squad traveled to Moville on Friday to take on Woodbury Central. The Wildcats struck first, taking a 1-0 lead after one inning. The Raptors bounced right back with a pair of runs in the second inning for a 2-1 advantage. Woodbury Central tied the game at 2-2 in their half of the inning. The rest of the contest was all Ridge View, as they plated three runs in the third inning for a 5-2 lead, one run in the fifth, three more in the sixth, and tacked on an insurance run in the seventh inning for a 10-2 victory.
The Falcon softball team squared off against East Sac on Thursday night in Battle Creek. The two squads treated the crowd to an exciting contest, with the outcome not decided until the final inning. Following a scoreless first inning, East Sac pushed three runs across home plate in the second inning. OABCIG loaded the bases with nobody out in their half of the second, but could only drive in one run as the Raiders held a 3-1 advantage after two innings. The Falcons bounced back in the third inning, scoring three runs for a 4-3 lead.
The Ridge View baseball squad traveled to Ida Grove on Tuesday, to take on OABCIG in a Western Valley Conference showdown. Both teams were hungry for a win after coming off tough losses, and the game would turn out to be a defensive showcase. The Raptors struck first, scoring a pair of runs in the second inning for a 2-0 lead. As it turned out, that lead would hold up for most of the game, as the two squads held each other scoreless for the next four innings. A crucial series of plays came in the sixth inning, when the Falcons loaded the bases with no outs.
The Ridge View baseball squad matched up against Westwood on Thursday in Holstein, in a game that was rain-delayed from the previous night. The contest would come down to the final inning, with the Raptors pulling off a one-run victory. The Rebels struck quickly, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning for a 3-0 lead. That score would hold up until the fifth inning, when Ridge View exploded for six runs and a 6-3 lead. After a scoreless sixth inning, Westwood pushed two runs across home plate to trim the margin to 6-5.
A big second inning proved to be the difference for the Ridge View softball team, as they defeated Westwood 6-1 on Thursday in Galva. After a scoreless first inning, the Raptors plated six runs in the second inning. The score would remain 6-0 until the Rebels managed to bring one run home in the sixth inning. That was all the Raptors allowed, however, as they came up with a 6-1 victory.
The OABCIG baseball squad traveled to Onawa on Wednesday, to take on the West Monona Spartans. After two scoreless innings, the Falcons got on the board with three runs in the third inning. In the fifth inning, OABCIG tacked on four more runs for a 7-0 lead. The Falcons put the finishing touch on the game by plating five runs in the seventh inning for a 12-0 shutout victory.
The Raptors and Falcons squared off in Battle Creek on Tuesday in a conference softball matchup. Ridge View got on the board first with a run in the first inning and two more in the second for a 3-0 lead. OABCIG battled back, plating three runs in the third inning to tie the game at 3-3. The Raptors would answer, however, with four runs in the fourth inning for a 7-3 lead. In the fifth inning, Ridge View blew the game wide open, scoring 11 runs compared to the Falcons’ two scores for an 18-5 victory.
The Falcons lost some talented seniors to graduation, but also returned some skilled players. Coach Tyler Johnson talked about the team’s outlook for this summer.
“We graduated a lot of baseball talent in Easton Harms, Zach Hemer, Max Webb, and Zach Thayer,” said Johnson. “But I have several top returning players coming back this year. Treyten Kolar will be our top returning hitter and pitcher. Other top returning players include Damon Dausel, Kelton Ladwig, and Brysen Kolar.”
Johnson has some young players he expects to play bigger roles this season.
