Keota stays unbeaten

KEOTA - Dakota McCombs took over the Keota baseball coaching reins this season and has yet to lose a game after the Eagles came from behind to down South Iowa Cedar League foe Montezuma, 5-2, Monday.

'It is great to win my first five games as head coach,” McCombs said. 'I certainly have no complaints. Yet.”

It helps to have a veteran like senior Austin Waterhouse on the team.

Waterhouse hit a single to right that gave the Eagles the go-ahead third run of the game in the third inning, then came on to pitch in the seventh inning with two runners on and one out.

He fanned both batters to end the game.

'Getting down 2-0, I wish we would've come out swinging the bat a little earlier than we did,” McCombs said. 'It took us three innings to get going, but once we got going, it certainly looked a lot better. It's great to have Austin on the team. He comes through at the plate and on the mound. He came in and threw 15 mile-an-hour faster than the two guys before him. He is a great weapon to have.”

Waterhouse wouldn't brag on himself in striking out those two batters.

'They were the bottom of the lineup so I just figured I could throw some fastballs by them and get them out,” he said.

A fastball is what he put into right-center field to make the score 3-2.

'I just took it and drove it,” Waterhouse said. 'I couldn't tell you how I got it to right center, I just hit it.

A great start to the season is exciting for the Eagles.

'Being 5-0, I don't know when the last time was we did that,” Waterhouse said. 'I wasn't worried about having a new coach because we did not lose any pitching from last year. It is all falling into place for us.”

Brady Duwa got the Eagles on the board with a run-scoring single in the third inning, then Carson Sprouse came home on a wild pitch and Waterhouse scored Duwa.

The Eagles got insurance runs when Bryce Greiner's deep single scored a run in the fourth inning and Tyler Waterhouse plated a run with a double in the sixth inning.

Keota plays at Sigourney today.

Iowa Mennonite 3, Wapello 1

Noah Miller batted in two runs in the home SEISC North Division win.

Blake Borntrager struck out seven, walked four and gave up four hits in the complete-game victory. He was 2 for 2 at the plate.