North Mahaska won games on back-to-back nights to advance to Saturday’s Class 1A District 11 championship. The title game will pit the Warhawks against No. 3 Lynnville-Sully. North Mahaska defeated Mormon Trail 14-4 in Oskaloosa Monday and topped Twin Cedars 8-0 on Tuesday.
Tuesday’s contest was a solid hitting performance by NM and masterful pitching from junior Jaxon VanDerVeer. NM coach wanted to keep his pitcher available for Saturday so limited him to 90 pitches. VanDerVeer left the game in the seventh with two out and a 1-2 count on Reed McElroy. Jack Kelderman came in for relief and tossed a strike to end the game.
RD Keep/North Mahaska Communications
Jaxon VanDerVeer struck out nine batters Tuesday to help North Mahaska to an 8-0 victory over Twin Cedars.
“Jaxon pitched a great game,” said coach Kelderman. “We had good solid bats and were aggressive on the bases. Yes, we got thrown out a couple times, but I loved our aggressiveness.”
Twin Cedars managed just seven baserunners with only one reaching second base. North Mahaska, on the other hand, scored at least one run in every inning but the fourth. The Warhawks scored a run in the first, three in the second and another in the fourth. They added a run in the fifth and two in the sixth.
Tyson Feguson and Kelderman each collected two hits for NM. Kelderman recorded two RBI and Ferguson one. Ryan Groom and Dane Van Mersbergen each hit doubles and Hunter Wernli, and Lucas Nunnikhoven added singles.
VanDerVeer went 6 2/3 innings allowing one hit with two walks and nine strikeouts. Holden Roberts reached on a single in the sixth inning for the Sabers’ lone hit. Kaden Kloster took the loss for Twin Cedars. He worked five innings allowing seven runs on six hits, three walks, two hit batsmen and four strikeouts.
North Mahaska (14-9) plays at Lynnville-Sully (22-2) at 5 p.m. Saturday. The other half of the bracket will play the 7 p.m. game. That will see Baxter and Ankeny Christian squaring off.