CONCORDIA -- Early runs would allow the Cloud County baseball team to take leads that they would never relinquish to earn their second-straight doubleheader sweep over Marshalltown Community College by scores of 8-6 and 12-1 at Lee Doyen Field in Concordia on Saturday.
Cloud County reaches the double-digit win plateau just 11 games into the season and caps off a perfect 5-0 week to improve to 10-1 overall this year while the Tigers finish off their opening weekend of the 2020 season with an 0-4 record.
"It's always good to sweep a series despite the fact that we didn't play particularly well early in the series" said head coach Eric Gilliland in a post-game interview. "In game four we put together a complete performance and it was good to see everything come together for us in the series finale." "To sweep a well-coached team like Marshalltown is not an easy feat early in the season and is a good sign of what we hope will be good things yet to come."
GAME ONE
The ball would be flying off the bat in game one as Cloud County would work around a two-out hit batter to put away the Tigers quietly in the firs tand string together a leadoff single, one-out walk, and two-out hit-by-pitch to load the bases for Trevor Stevens. Facing a 2-2 count, Stevens would be able to connect on an inside pitch and turn on the ball to send it over the right field fence for a grand slam as the T-Birds would put up a four-spot in the bottom of the first and go up 4-0 after one inning of play. Marshalltown would get a run back in the top of the second with a leadoff solo home run to center field and hold the CCCC scoreless in the second, but go down in order in the top of the third to keep things at a 4-1 Cloud County lead going to the bottom of the third. CCCC would be unable to get anything going in the bottom of the inning as momentum would begin to flip in the top of the fourth with the Tigers using a pair of walks to score two runs on a single hit to cut the once four-run lead down to just a single-run at 4-3.
Needing a response in the bottom of the fourth, Cloud County would get a run back right away as Ed Scott would connect on a leadoff solo home run to right center field that would appear to get Cloud County back on track offensively as the T-Birds would go on to score three runs on one hit while taking advantage of a Marshalltown error to go up 7-3. The scoring wouldn't be down however as Marshalltown would get a run back in the top of the fifth to make it a 7-4 ball game which is where things would stand heading to the bottom of the sixth as the T-Birds would be held scoreless in the bottom of the fifth before returning the favor in the top of the sixth. A solo home run by Noah Olson in the sixth would tack on an insurance run for CCCC as the T-Birds would double-up the Tigers through six innings of play and stand just three outs away from a series victory. The victory would not come easily however as Marshalltown would threaten in the top of the seventh by putting together back-to-back two out hits before a throwing error would allow two runs to score and bring the game-tying run to the plate. Relief pitcher Bradan Pierce would then put matters into his own hands and end the game with a strikeout as the T-Birds would hang on for the two-run win.
Stranding just five runners in the game, Cloud County would score eight runs on six hits with five of the six hits going for extra-bases which included three home runs. A two-for-three performance from Olson at the top of the lineup would see the freshman drive in two runs and score twice with Stevens also providing the offense with four RBI. On the mound, Tylor Jans would pick up his second win of the year after going five innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on just two hits while striking out four before turning things over to Pierce for the final two innings. Coming on in a save situation, Pierce would work his way around two hits and strike out four to convert his second save opportunity of the year.
GAME TWO
A pitching gem would be overshadowed by a 12-run performance from the T-Birds as Cloud County would take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on Olson and Clayton Loranger back-to-back doubles to score what would be the only run through two-plus innings of play. CCCC would then see Marshalltown threaten to tie things up in the top of the third with a leadoff double, but thwart the potential threat by two strikouts and a pop up to third to strand the runner 90 feet from home and flip momentum back in favor of the T-Birds. Olson and Loranger would prove to be the spark again for the Cloud County offense with Olson hitting a leadoff double followed by Loranger single to make it a 2-0 lead with a runner on base and no outs. Back-to-back singles from Scott and Griffin Larsen would be followed by a balk and groundout to leave runners at second and third with just one out to allow Davis Pratt to hit the fourth single of the inning and make it a 4-0 Cloud County lead to force a Marshalltown pitching change. After a perfect top of the fourth, Cloud County would continue to put together quality at-bats which would lead to another four runs on four hits with Scott nailing his second homer of the day with a two-run blast to right field as the lead would balloon to 8-0 after four.
The lone Tiger run would come in the top of the fifth as a leadoff walk and throwing error would put a runner on second with no outs before a groundout advanced the runner another 90 feet. After a pitching change, Marshalltown would get the run home on a wild pitch as MCC would be held hitless in the inning and face an 8-1 deficit and the Cloud County offense firing on all cylinders. A leadoff double, hit batter, and RBI single would get the run back for CCCC as the T-Birds would threaten to end the game early via run rule, but see a strikeout put a damper on things. Following a wild pitch and sacrifice fly to drive home another run, Cloud County would only need to find a way to bring home Jaden Parsons from third to end the game and one out to work with. It would be Loranger playing the role of game-ender as the sophomore would drive a pitch over the right-center field wall for a two-run home run that would secure the victory in walk-off style for CCCC as the lead would grow to 11 and see the game called with the T-Birds up more than 10 in the fifth of a game that was scheduled for seven innings.
Ten of Cloud County's 12 runs driven in would come from the top three batters in the lineup (Olson, Loranger, and Scott) with Olson going three-for-three with three RBI and three runs scored. Loranger would nearly match him, going three-for-four with four RBI and two runs scored as the duo would hit four of CCCC's seven extra-base hits. Joseph Karall (1-0) would finish just shy of a complete game, going 4.1 innings and allowing just one unearned run on one hits hwile striking out six batters and walking one. The two-base runners would be all that Marshalltown would get as Javier Cruz tossed the final two-thirds of an inning and struck out one.
What's next?
As things currently stand, Cloud County is scheduled to play host to Highland Community College in a 2 p.m. non-conference game on Tuesday at Lee Doyen Field. Weather conditions are not looking favorable at the moment for the game to take place, and a decision on the game will be made either late Monday or early Tuesday. If a change were to be made, the announcement will be made on www.cloudtbirds.com as well as the Cloud County athletics social media pages (Facebook and Twitter).
--cloudtbirds.com--