INDIAN BASEBALL TEAM TRYING TO FIND RIGHT MIX, STILL SEEKING FIRST VICTORY OF SEASON

The Waukon Indian baseball team is still in search of its first win of the season, remaining winless in a total of five games, including four contests within a 24-hour period this past weekend. Back-to-back nights of baseball for the Tribe, Tuesday, May 30 at Turkey Valley and Wednesday, May 31 at home against Central Elkader, were both claimed by rain this past week, being postponed until later this season.
Finally getting the chance to play on back-to-back dry days, the Indians dropped a Northeast Iowa Conference doubleheader at Waverly-Shell Rock Friday, June 2, falling by identical, 4-1 tallies in both contests, and then finished fourth in the four-team Shooky Fink Tournament in Lansing/New Albin Saturday. The Indians were put away in five innings, 10-0, by the host Kee Hawks in the tourney opener, and then also fell in the consolation final, 18-15, to Crestwood, leaving the Tribe with a mark of 0-5 for the year.
"We knew that the early going would be tough for us," Waukon baseball coach Paul Norton said. "We're still trying to get the right pieces to fit together in the right spots, and get everything to work together at the same time. It's going to take some time, and our schedule doesn't make it an easy task."
The Indians will face another full slate of competition this week, playing a total of eight games in six days. That stand will begin with a varsity doubleheader at Cascade Monday, June 5 before the Tribe hosts both Kee High, Wednesday, June 7, and Charles City, Friday, June 9, in varsity double-dips. The Tribe will then play in the Anamosa Tournament Saturday, June 10.
The Indians will then face an even fuller slate next week, with five consecutive nights of competition. Beginning Monday, June 12, the Tribe will host Decorah, MFL/Mar Mac, Oelwein and South Winn in succession, before playing at New Hampton Friday, June 16. All five of those consecutive dates will be played in varsity reserve/varsity format.

W-SR doubleheader ...
The Indian offense did not make much of an appearance in the Tribe's varsity double-dip at Waverly-Shell Rock Friday, June 2. The Indians managed just one run in each of the two ballgames, getting no more than five hits in either contest.
The Tribe collected five hits in its twinbill opener, getting three of those five in a final inning comeback attempt that fell short. Waverly jumped on top of the Indians right away in the first inning, scoring a run off two singles and a ground ball to take a 1-0 advantage after the initial frame.
Three more runs were added by the Go-Hawks in the third inning, as a two-out error by the Indian infield gave way to three consecutive Go-Hawk hits that drove in the three runs for a 4-0 Waverly-Shell Rock advantage. Indian pitcher Heath Hesse settled in after that third-inning Go-Hawk surge to allow just two Waverly hits in the remaining three innings, retiring eight batters in a row from the fourth through sixth frames to help keep the Go-Hawk run total at just four runs.
The Indian offense was not having much luck with Go-Hawk hurler Zach Smith, as he limited the Tribe to two harmless singles through six complete innings. The Indians went down in order in three of those frames, and could not make use of the help they got from an error and walk that brought the Indian baserunner total to just four through those six frames.
Finally, in the top of the seventh, the Indians were able to string together a trio of hits that produced hope of a comeback finish. With two outs already in the books, senior third baseman Jason Manning, senior center fielder Craig Stott and junior pinch-hitter Jared Jones each record consecutive singles, the offering by Jones pushing Manning across with the first Indian run of the ballgame.
With Stott and Jones on second and first, respectively, the Indian hopes were doused when a fly ball to right field was tracked down to end the ballgame with the Tribe on the short end of the 4-1 final.
Hesse went the distance in the ballgame, giving up eight Go-Hawk hits, striking out three batters and walking none in the loss. Smith struck out nine Indians on his way to giving up just five hits for the pitching victory.

Game two proved to be a near reversal of the first game, as the Tribe's offense showed itself early, but could not come up with much late in the ballgame. After putting six runners on base in the first three frames, the Indians managed just four baserunners in the final four innings of play.
The Tribe presented an early scoring threat with a bases-loaded situation with two out in the top half of the opening frame, juniors Josh Johnson and Chris Kamm both drawing walks before fellow junior Andy Snitker joined them on the basepaths by virtue of a Go-Hawk defensive miscue. An ensuing strike out brought that opportunity to an abrupt end, however.
The Indians were turned away in order in the top half of the second frame, the bottom third of the Tribe's batting order being retired by Go-Hawk pitcher Jason Bruxvoort on a fly ball and two strike outs. Following that simple half of the second inning, Waverly was able to get itself on the board in the bottom half of the frame with two consecutive singles followed by a run-scoring triple and a run-scoring error that produced a 2-0 Go-Hawk lead.
The Tribe was able to respond in the next half-inning, pushing its lone run of the ballgame across in the top of the third frame. Junior left fielder Heath Hesse drew a lead-off walk and was singled to second by sophomore shortstop Chad Bakkum. A ground ball to shortstop by Johnson retired Bakkum at second, but also eventually led to Hesse crossing home plate, as the throw to first in an attempt to complete the double play was mishandled by the first baseman, allowing Hesse to scoot around third and head for home to make the score 2-1.
Waverly-Shell Rock got that run right back in the bottom of the third frame, following a one-out base on balls with a ground ball and wild pitch to make for a 3-1 tally through three complete innings of play.
From there, the Indian offense faltered to produce just three hits over the next four innings. Each of those three was a lead-off single to start the fourth, sixth and seventh innings, but the Tribe could not come up with the necessary complement to any of the safeties, leaving them with just one run for the contest.
Waverly-Shell Rock did tack on its fourth run in the bottom of the fifth frame, turning a lead-off single and stolen base by speedster Steve Bubb into a run with a one-out double by Rick Hillard. That would prove to be the final tally in the 4-1 end result.
Senior Eddie Frick managed the first five innings on the mound for the Indians, allowing six hits, striking out one batter and walking another for the pitching loss. Sophomore Seth Kelly came on in relief in the sixth frame, striking out one batter and walking another in the four he faced. Bruxvoort went the distance for the Go-Hawks, allowing just four Indian hits, striking out 10 batters and walking three for the victory.

Shooky Fink Tourney ...
The 18th annual Shooky Fink Baseball Tournament proved to be troublesome for the baseball Indians Saturday, June 3, as the Tribe dropped both its contests in the event to finish fourth in the four-team field. The Indians fell victim to a no-hit effort against the host Kee Hawks, dropping a 10-0 decision in five innings, and then came up just short against Crestwood of Cresco in the consolation finals, falling by an 18-15 result to finish fourth.
Three Indians were named to the All-Tournament team for their efforts on the day. Juniors Heath Hesse, Josh Johnson and Chris Kamm each received those All-Tournament honors. Kee High secured the tournament crown this year, downing the Indians by that 10-0 final and then handling Western Dubuque by a 6-3 final in the championship game.
It was a barrage on both sides of the ball for the Tribe in the tournament opener against the host Kee Hawks. Unfortunately, the Indians were on the receiving end on both sides.
The combined pitching efforts of Kee Hawks Justin Shepard and Tom Becker produced a no-hitter against the Indians, with the Tribe managing just three baserunners in the five-inning affair, all of those coming on walks. Meanwhile, the Kee Hawk bats pounded away at the Indians right from the start, letting up just a bit in the second and third frames before returning to life in the fourth to finish off the Orange and Black.
A five-run first frame included a lead-off walk followed by a hit batsman and then an alternating pair of singles and doubles to boost Kee High to a quick, 5-0 advantage. Indian junior Jared Jones was on the mound during that uprising, but was soon replaced by sophomore Seth Kelly, who just as quickly retired the Kee Hawks in order on strikes to end that first frame and then turned them away again in order in the second inning.
Kee High added another run in the third frame on a one-out walk followed by a single and an Indian error, but the finishing touches were put on in the bottom of the four-run fourth frame. A lead-off walk and an Indian error gave way to four consecutive Kee Hawk singles that pushed four more runs across home plate and ballooned the host squad's lead to double digits at 10-0.
The Tribe's last chance at continuing the game in the top of the fifth was turned away just as easily as in the previous four innings, three batters coming to the plate and all three being set down in order, bringing the game to a halt with the 10-run mercy rule in five innings.
Jones suffered the pitching loss for the Tribe, giving up four hits, hitting one batter, walking another and striking out none for five earned runs before the first Kee Hawk out of the ballgame was recorded. In relief, Kelly gave up six hits, walked two batters and struck out four in four innings on the mound.
Shepard and Becker combined for the no-hitter, Shepard starting the masterpiece with four strike outs and one walk in three innings, and Becker finishing the final two innings by walking two batters and striking out one.

The Indian offense definitely came alive in the consolation game of the tournament against Crestwood, as the Tribe pounded out 16 hits and scored 15 runs against the Cadets. Unfortunately, that offensive display was only half of what took place in the game, as Crestwood bettered the Tribe's output by two hits and three runs, hammering out 18 hits in handing the Indians an 18-15 loss.
The Tribe wasted little time in getting on the board in the consolation final, hammering out three hits to start the game and then manufacturing a couple runs. A lead-off double by junior right fielder Heath Hesse was followed by a single from sophomore shortstop Chad Bakkum and a run-scoring double by junior second baseman Chris Kamm. A base on balls earned by junior first baseman Josh Johnson loaded the bases with Indians before junior catcher Mike Searcy and junior designated hitter Andy Snitker both sacrificed a run in to make for an early 3-0 Indian advantage.
Just as quickly as that Indian advantage had appeared, however, it was also soon wiped away in the bottom half of the opening frame. Crestwood took advantage of four walks and hammered out six hits to post nine quick runs on its side of the scoreboard. Indian senior Josh Tweedy walked four of the first five Cadet batters of the contest, allowing a single to the fifth, before he was replaced by junior Bill Van Gorp, who gave up five more hits to the Cadets before closing out the inning.
In response to that Cadet uprising, the Indians exploded for five additional runs in the second frame to close the gap to just one run, getting five hits, drawing a walk, and taking advantage of a Cadet error to make for a 9-8 tally. Juniors Jared Jones, Heath Hesse, Chris Kamm and Josh Johnson all had singles in the inning, Hesse and Kamm both driving in runs, before senior left fielder Eddie Frick belted a two-run single to close the gap to a single run.
The offensive barrage continued in alternating lop-sided fashion, Crestwood posting another two runs in the third inning on four singles, and five more runs in the fourth on five more singles and an Indian error. The Indians could not counter in either inning, facing a 16-8 deficit through four frames.
A quiet, scoreless fifth frame then gave way to another small Indian surge, as the Tribe turned two walks, an error and a one-out double by Johnson into another pair of runs to pull the Indians closer at 16-10. Crestwood had an answer for those two runs, however, getting both back with two singles, a ground ball and a wild pitch to push the lead back to eight runs, 18-10, through six complete innings.
The Tribe's last chance got off to a great start, as the first five batters in their half of the inning all reached safely, Jones, Hesse, Chad Bakkum and Kamm all stroking singles and senior center fielder Craig Stott drawing a walk. The singles by Bakkum and Kamm both drove in runs before Hesse and Bakkum were both allowed to score on consecutive balks by Cadet pitching.
After a new pitcher came on for Crestwood and recorded the first out of the inning, Searcy kept the comeback drive alive with a single that scored Kamm and brought the Indians within three runs, 18-15. That three-run spread would remain, however, as the next two batters were retired in order, leaving the Indians with a fourth-place finish at the Shooky Fink Tournament.
Tweedy took the pitching loss for the Tribe, walking four batters and allowing one hit before being replaced in the opening frame. Van Gorp came on to pitch three and two-thirds innings, giving up 14 hits and striking out two batters. Bakkum was brought on to finish the final two and one-third innings, giving up three hits, walking one batter and striking out another Cadet.
Crestwood's Drew Zahasky picked up the pitching win, giving up 15 Indian hits and walking five batters in six complete innings. Dustin Sobolik came on in the final inning to allow one hit and strike out two batters.