SEASON ENDS FOR INDIAN BASEBALL TEAM WITH 5-2 LOSS TO NEW HAMPTON IN CLASS 3A DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP

The 2000 season for the Waukon Indian baseball team came to an end Tuesday, July 18, as the baseball Tribe dropped a 5-2 decision to the New Hampton Chickasaws in Class 3A District Championship play in Decorah. Despite a valiant effort, the Indian diamond dwellers could not quite overcome a 5-0 headstart they gave the Chickasaws in the first two innings of play.
"We got off to a bad start, but the guys did do a nice job of pulling themselves together and playing pretty well after the second inning," Waukon baseball coach Paul Norton said. "New Hampton has a very good ballclub, and we just gave them too large of an early lead."
That early lead got off to a quick start with a two-run homerun by New Hampton catcher Darron Kobliska in the top of the first inning. Chickasaw second baseman Kyle Collins belted a one-out double to get himself on the bag before Kobliska's delivery over the center field fence.
Already trailing 2-0 after being set aside in the bottom of the first with just a base on balls, the Indians aided New Hampton's cause even further with a couple defensive miscues in the top of the second frame. The first of those errors came in the lead-off at-bat, and was followed by a single to put Chickasaw baserunners on the corners. A ground ball to second base was turned into a double play for two quick outs, but also allowed the runner from third to score for a 3-0 Chickasaw lead.
A base on balls and the second Indian error of the inning put another pair of Chickasaws on the bags before an infield single and a wild pitch brought both runners home to boost New Hampton to a 5-0 lead before the inning was ended.
The Indians brewed up a threat to that 5-0 Chickasaw lead in the bottom of the second inning, loading the bases with just one out. But that threat never materialized, as a pair of Indian ground balls forced an out at home and at third to end the inning with the five-run deficit still looming.
After surrendering those five early runs in the first two frames, the Indian defense settled in through the final five innings to keep New Hampton in check and limit the Chickasaws to just three harmless baserunners in those final five innings. A base on balls in the third frame and a pair of doubles, one each in the fifth and sixth innings, were all New Hampton could muster offensively in innings three through seven, each one of those baserunners being left stranded on the basepaths before they could add to the Chickasaw scoreboard total.
With the defensive aspect of the game under control, the Indians set to work to try and make up the 5-0 deficit that still faced them. After being turned away with just a base on balls in the third frame, the Indians finally got themselves on the board in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of runs.
Junior designated hitter Mike Searcy got the Indian production started with a lead-off single, but was forced out at second on a one-out fielder's choice that put junior first baseman Josh Johnson on first. Senior center fielder Craig Stott was then hit by a pitch to join Johnson on the basepaths before a single by junior pitcher Heath Hesse loaded the bases with Indians. Sophomore left fielder Chad Bakkum then stepped to the plate to deliver both Johnson and Stott home with a single to right field, pulling the Indians within a 5-2 deficit through four complete innings.
New Hampton pitcher Ryan Murray and his defensive counterparts made sure that was all the closer the Indians would get, however, turning the Indians away in order in the final three innings of play to secure the 5-2 Indian defeat. The Indians did manage a lone baserunner in the bottom of the sixth frame when Stott drew a two-out walk, but the Indian senior was then caught stealing to end that inning. Three Indian strikeouts and four ground outs during those final three innings kept the Indians from threatening New Hampton's advancement to the substate level of play.
Hesse suffered the pitching loss for the Indians in the contest, giving up six New Hampton hits, walking two batters and striking out none in the complete game. New Hampton's Murray secured the win on the mound, limiting the Tribe to just four hits, while walking four batters and striking out seven.
The Indians wrap up their 2000 season with an overall record of 10-31, including a Northeast Iowa Conference mark of 4-14. New Hampton went on to fall to Class 3A second-rated West Delaware Friday, July 21 in substate play at Decorah. West Delaware will be the Substate #7 representative at this week's Class 3A State Tournament in Carroll.