DES MOINES — The Marshalltown baseball team committed 12 errors and struck out 21 times over the course of Thursday’s doubleheader sweep at the hands of Des Moines East.
The host Scarlets (6-13) piled up 23 hits during the Iowa Alliance Conference twinbill to take both games from the Bobcats, 15-1 in five innings and 11-3.
Marshalltown (6-15) made eight errors in the opening game, leading to eight unearned runs for Bobcat pitchers. Des Moines East did its part behind pitcher Devin Audsley, who allowed just two hits, two walks and one hit batsman during his five-inning complete game. Audsley struck out eight.
Marshalltown’s lone run in the opening game came in the third inning, when Luke Stalzer was hit by a pitch with one out and scored on a two-out double by Larrs Schoenfelder.
Tayven Dutton’s fourth-inning single was the only other hit for the Bobcats. Sam Greazel and Garrett Thede both walked, but those were the only five MHS batters to reach base in the game.
Zander Stupp took the loss on the mound, allowing seven runs — four earned — on seven hits and two walks while striking out two. Dutton, Wyatt Peters and Treyton Gilliland pitched the remainder as Des Moines East finished off the run-rule victory.
The Scarlets had 12 hits in the game, scoring five times in the first inning, once in the second and third, and eight times to close it out in the fourth.
The Bobcats threatened to score throughout the second game, but couldn’t cash in on enough opportunities in the 11-3 loss. MHS went 2-for-7 at the plate with runners in scoring position and left seven runners on base.
“From senior to eighth grade, we made both mental and physical errors throughout both games,” said Marshalltown head coach Colton Hanke. “There was a chance for us to get over the hump in Game 2 where we could have put ourselves in the lead. However, we left guys stranded and fell short.”
A bases-loaded walk to Stalzer drove in Madden Martin, who had singled, with the Bobcats’ first run, cutting into Des Moines East’s 5-1 lead in the top of the fourth.
In the fifth, Stupp reached on an error and scored on John Schoenfelder’s triple, and Martin plated him with a sacrifice fly to make it 7-3 East.
The Bobcats couldn’t push another run across, and East tacked on with four runs in the bottom of the fifth to send the score to its eventual final.
John Schoenfelder was 2-for-3 with a triple, an RBI and a run scored, and Dutton was 2-for-3 as well to lead MHS. Stupp doubled and scored, while Martin and Stalzer each added singles in the loss.
Stalzer was tagged with the loss, allowing five runs — one earned — on three hits and two walks over 2 2/3 innings. He struck out two. Aiden Holmgren and Greazel pitched the final 3 1/3 frames for MHS.
Jordan Cason allowed one run on five hits and one walk over four innings for the win, striking out six. Johnathon Giefer got seven strikeouts in his three innings of relief, allowing two unearned runs on two hits.
Marshalltown returns to action with a home doubleheader against Ames on Monday night.