Clutch hitting proved to be the difference in a tightly contested Class 2A District playoff opener between Spirit Lake and Okoboji on Saturday in Estherville. The Indians wound up with the win, 3-0, to advance to the second round. With the bases loaded in the second, Andrew Ites singled to right to score Cody Poock and Tate Hanson to put Spirit Lake up early. The Indians did leave the bases loaded in the fourth, but a leadoff triple by Poock in the fifth and a Brandon Stoll single two batters later gave Spirit Lake a three-run advantage. Okoboji threatened in the seventh, with two walks and a hit loading the bases with one away, however, the Pioneers were unable to secure another hit and the game ended on a force out at second. Tyler Dean earned the win scattering three hits and Mitch Peschon picked up the save with two strikeouts. Zach Jones suffered the loss, allowing two earned runs on ten hits. Every Indians batter registered a hit, led by Hanson’s 2-for-3 effort and Poock finishing 1-for-3. Alex Koepp, Keith Oskvig, Keaton Jones, and Weston Burgeson had the four Okoboji hits. The Pioneers end their season at 7-21. Spirit Lake improves to 22-6 and will return to Estherville on Tuesday to take on North Sentral Kossuth/Armstrong-Ringsted. The Eagles defeated the Midgets on Saturday by a 4-3 final. Tuesday’s game will be broadcast live on KUOO Campus Radio.
In other Class 2A baseball action, Emmetsburg fell 13-1 at Alta/Aurelia. The E-Hawks finish 5-19. The Mustangs will play Pocahontas Area, who eliminated Sioux Central 14-5. Over in Sheldon, the Orabs took advantage of playing on their home diamond to close out Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn’s year behind a 3-0 shutout. The Hawks were 12-12 overall in 2011. Next up for Sheldon is South O’Brien, following the Wolverines 3-2 win against Sibley-Ocheyedan. The Generals were 4-20 overall.
