The Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Cowboys baseball team returned to action on Monday night, as they made the trip to Hardin County to take on the Iowa Falls-Alden Cadets in a North Central Conference doubleheader at Cadet Field. CGD entered Monday with a record of 7-13, while IF-A entered at 8-8.
Iowa Falls would come out of the gates hot in Game 1, putting up 3 runs in the frame to take a 3-0 lead. The Cadets then put up a run in the 4th, followed by 2 runs in the 5th to go ahead 6-0, before CGD answered with 2 runs in the 6th off a Kolton Hefti RBI single and a Chaz Lane RBI fielder’s choice to bring the score to 6-2. IF-A added an insurance run in the 7th to clinch a 7-2 victory.
Kolton Hefti would go 1-for-3 with an RBI single, while Ethan Hasty and Tristan Kakacek would record the only other Cowboy hits. Owen Sweeney was charged with the loss, allowing 6 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits and struck out 1 in 5 innings.
Game 2 would start off scoreless through the first 2.5 innings, as CGD scratched across a run in the bottom of the 3rd off an RBI bunt single by Brandon Stein to put the Cowboys ahead 1-0. Iowa Falls responded in the top of the 4th with a pair of runs to take a 2-1 lead, as CGD responded with Paxton Lingenfelter scoring on a passed ball to tie the game at 2-2. Iowa Falls took the lead back in the 5th with 2 runs, only to be rebutted in the bottom of the 5th with 2 runs scoring on a Cadet error to tie the game at 4-4. IF-A took the lead in the top of the 7th with a run, as CGD could not muster a rally in a 5-4 loss.
Paxton Lingenfelter would go 2-for-3 with and RBI, while Brandon Stein went 1-for-2 with an RBI. Drew Smith was the losing pitcher, allowing 1 run (0 earned) on 1 hit in an inning of relief work.
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows baseball returns to action on Thursday, when they travel to Britt to take on West Hancock in non-conference action with first pitch at 7:30 PM on 95.7 KQWC or streaming online at kqradio.com.