Indee baseball team falls in three games

The Independence/Gilmanton baseball team had a difficult time stopping its opponents in three losses last week.

The week began with a 20-0 thumping at the hands of Arcadia (see story elsewhere in Sports). On Tuesday, the Indees lost to Cochrane-Fountain City, 12-2, before losing to Augusta, 9-4, on Friday.

I/G sits at 1-11 as the regular season winds down. The team played at home against Eleva-Strum on Tuesday and will head to Osseo-Fairchild on Thursday and Eleva-Strum on Friday. This coming Monday I/G hosts a rematch with Augusta before playing its last scheduled regular season game at home against Whitehall next Thursday. 

C-FC 12 I/G 2

The Indees scored early, but couldn’t keep up with the Pirates.

I/G took a lead in the top of the first inning when Blake Slaby scored on a groundout. The lead wouldn’t last long, however, as a two-run double in the bottom of the first put C-FC ahead. The Pirates added three runs in the third to take a 5-1 lead. 

Dalton Jason hit an RBI single for the Indees in the top of the fourth, but the Pirates pulled away after that. C-FC scored three more runs in the bottom of the fourth and two in both the fifth and sixth innings to win by the mercy rule.

I/G had six different players get one hit in the game. 

Preston Solberg got the start on the mound and pitched the first three innings before Chase Back relieved him. The duo combined to allow 13 hits and six walks while striking out five. 

Augusta 9 I/G 4

The Beavers scored six unanswered runs after the Indees took the lead in the third.

I/G trailed 3-1 entering the top of the third, but Blake Slaby, Solberg, and Back hit consecutive doubles, bringing home two runs to tie the game. I/G took the lead when Jose Cantu Lucio singled, to bring Back home. 

That’s the last run I/G would score in the game, however. The Beavers answered with four in the bottom of the third to take a three-run lead. They scored one more in the fourth and one in the sixth.

Back had two hits for the Indees and four other players had one. The junior also split pitching duties with Ricky Lopez. Back pitched the first 1.2 innings before Lopez tossed the rest of the game. They combined to allow 11 hits and four walks while striking out nine.