Belle Plaine ‘wins the week’; 2-1 after loss to ranked Lynnville-Sully

BELLE PLAINE — The Belle Plaine baseball team won two thrilling extra innings to start the week.

Its reward? Playing Class 1A No. 3 ranked Lynnville-Sully Friday night.

  Buy Photo

The Hawks lived up to their ranking and led from start to finish in this one.

After two innings Lynnville-Sully was up 4-0, and that lead grew to 7-0 after RBI singles from Blake Van Wyk and Davis Utech in the third inning.

Belle Plaine fought until the end and had the bases load on four occasions in the game.

“I thought we held our own at the plate tonight,” Belle Plaine head coach Matthew Mengler said.

“We fought well as a young team.”

The first two occasions came in the bottom of the first and third, but the Plainsmen were not able to capitalize.

“We had a lot of opportunities, and we just weren’t able to come through on some of them,” Mengler said.

The third time around, in the fourth inning, the Plainsmen finally got on the board. Belle Plaine’s Will Sankot, who had been making solid contact all game, came through with an RBI single.

  Buy Photo

An error in the next at bat gave the Plainsmen a 3-run inning.

After a 6-run fourth inning, the Hawks added one more in the fifth with an RBI by Utech, making the final 14-3.

A loss to one of the state’s best teams does not diminish the great week it’s been for the Plainsmen baseball team.

“The goal is to win each week, and we did that this week (by winning 2 of 3),” Mengler said.

On Tuesday, Belle Plaine defeated Keota 6-5 in eight innings.

Wade Sankot threw seven solid innings and a sac fly from Rhett Parrott brought in the winning run in the extra inning.

On Thursday, Belle Plaine defeated BCLUW 3-2 in nine innings after a Will Sankot winning RBI in the 9th.

“BCLUW had a really good pitcher with a good curveball,” Mengler added.

“To win these close games as a young team is a great experience for us.”

Following Friday nights game, Belle Plaine was 3-4 on the season with a 1-2 conference record.

AT BELLE PLAINE

Lynnville-Sully 313 61 14

Belle Plaine 000 30 3

BELLE PLAINE SOFTBALL

A few blocks down the road in Belle Plaine Friday night, the Belle Plaine softball team defeated Lynnville-Sully, 6-1.

“Coach Flack and I are beyond proud of the team tonight,” Belle Plaine head coach Morgan Goslin said.

“Our pitcher Isabelle (Sankot) threw a hell of a game throwing all seven innings with seven strikeouts.”

  Buy Photo

On the times Lynnville-Sully made contact, Belle Plaine’s defense stepped up and made plays.

Belle Plaine was outhit 9-5 but was able to string hits together and score three in the first and fourth innings.

Belle Plaine softball is now 3-4 on the season.

This comes after 17-5 and 5-4 losses to Vinton-Shellsburg and Springville Saturday.

A earlier season loss against Sigourney was also changed to a victory after Sigourney had to forfeit the game after the fact.

“They played a transfer as a pinch runner, and it resulted in a change to a loss,” Goslin added.

AT BELLE PLAINE

Lynnville-Sully 000 000 1 1

Belle Plaine 300 300 0 6