OSKALOOSA — Oskaloosa and Albia squared off on the Oskaloosa diamond Tuesday night in a non-conference tussle and that is what is was.

The Indians took an early 5-1 lead only to see the Blue Demons battle back to tie the game in the top of the seventh. But the never-say-die Indians scratched out a run in the bottom of the seventh to walk off a 6-5 winner.

Pinch hitter Camden Cressley coaxed a base on balls to open the inning and Alex Hyland entered the game as a pinch runner. Darren Berthusen sacrificed Hyland to second and Cody Green followed with another walk. A popup to short left the Tribe one out from extra innings. Centerfielder Austin Redlich stepped to the plate and smoked a shot down the right field line to score the streaking Hyland with the winner.

“We needed that,” Indian coach Brandon Schmidt said. “We have been playing some close games and last night we dropped 6-3 and 4-3 games to once beaten Grinnell. The kids are playing better baseball and the young players are gaining some good experience.”

The Indians appeared to have scored twice in the first inning.

Berthusen drew a one out walk and Green deposited a ball over the 322-foot sign in right-center. But he was ruled out for missing home plate and was credited with an RBI triple.

Albia tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the second when Austin Summers smashed a drive over the fence in dead center.

The Indians had an answer.

Redlich led off the inning with a double to the gap in right-center and then swiped third. Kaden VanMaanen lifted a sacrifice fly to center to score Redlich.

Oskaloosa put three more runs on the board in the bottom of the third for a 5-1 lead. Pitcher Andy Upah led off with a walk and Nate Van Veldhuizen entered as a courtesy runner. Berthusen laid down a sacrifice bunt, but it was thrown away. That left runners at the corners. Green hit a ground ball to short to drive in Van Veldhuizen and when the ball was misplayed, Berthusen scored. A base hit by Clay Tucker kept the inning alive. A fielder’s choice erased Green, but a fielder’s choice by Nick Rutledge scored Tucker with the third run of the inning.

Oskaloosa would not score again until the bottom of the seventh. Meanwhile the Blue Demons would chip away at Upah. In the top of the seventh Albia’s Griffin Osing reached on a one-out error and Austin Luce singled.

At that point Schmidt went to Tucker to close the game down. Tucker got the second out as Gabe Gravert grounded out to second scoring Osing. Austin Summers ground ball was kicked allowing Luce to score the tying run. Tucker got Christian Summers to pop up to third to end the inning.

When the Indians scored in the bottom of the seventh the win went to Tucker and Schmidt spoke about the different roles taken on by members of this team.

“The kids are understanding their roles,” Schmidt said. “We are playing more as a team and a lot of guys are stepping up. Our pitching has improved and we have to use a lot of pitchers with the schedule we have been playing.”

Redlich led the Indians with a double and a single and Tucker added a pair of singles. Austin Luce led the Blue Demons with three singles, while Ethan Gray and Gabe Gravert each had a pair of singles and Austin Summers smacked a home run.

The Indians raise their record to 5-12 and 2-7 in the Little Hawkeye. The busy week continues with a JV-varsity contest with Chariton at the Lacey Complex on Thursday, followed by a conference doubleheader at Newton Friday. Saturday, they will play two games in the Perry tourney.



Oskaloosa 6, Albia 5

A    010    110    2    —    5    8    4

O    113    000    1    —    6    6    2

Oskaloosa battery — Andy Upah (6 1/3 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 1 K), Clay Tucker (W,  2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K) and Cole Pettyjohn

2B — Austin Redlich. 3B — Cody Green.

Hits — Green 1-for-3, Tucker 2-for-4, Redlich 2-for-4, Jacob Hance 1-for-2. Runs — Alex Hyland, Nate Van Veldhuizen, Darren Berthusen 2, Tucker, Redlich. RBI  — Green, Redlich, Nick Rutledge, Kaden Van Maanen.