Iron gal Gove throws WRHS girls to 3-1 trip
Hannah Gove's bulletproof pitching streak came to an end Saturday in Pocatello, but the Wood River High School senior was still a terrific iron woman as the Wolverines (5-5) rose to the .500 level on the season.
Gove (4-3) won three of four games for the road weary Wolverines during an overnight trip to Rupert and Pocatello last weekend. Coach Dale Martin praised her tenacity and also his team's progress.
Wood River run-ruled Preston 15-0 and 17-1 Friday at Rupert, then turned around Saturday in Pocatello and split a doubleheader with the Century Diamondbacks—losing the opener 18-14 and winning the nightcap 14-10 in nine innings.
Martin said, "I am very pleased with how we played. I feel we are making progress. We hit the ball really well and committed only eight errors in four games—five of them coming in one of the games."
Gove pitched 23 innings over the two days, allowing 27 hits while striking out 25 batters and walking only seven. Prior to Saturday's Century twinbill, she hadn't allowed an earned run in 20 innings with 25 strikeouts and only two walks.
Martin said, "Hannah only gave up two hits in the two games against Preston and struck out 10. She got a break when we run-ruled Preston."
Gove had no relief because Wood River's other pitcher, junior Samantha Engel, was still sidelined with a knee injury. Martin expected Engel to return sometime this week to provide depth in the circle.
But Gove was happy to pitch in and give the Wolverines what they needed last weekend.
Wood River's offense gave Gove breathing room and a short game when Hailey erupted for 12 runs in the first inning of Friday's 15-0 three-inning opener against Preston.
Leading the 10-hit attack were Alex Lindbloom (2 hits, 3 runs, 2 RBI), Angela Coleman (2 RBI, 2 runs), Hannah Gove (2 hits, triple, 2 runs, 2 RBI), Tasha Karst (3 hits, 2 runs, 3 RBI), Taylor Gove (2 RBI), Dani Stone and Lacie Anderson.
In the 17-1 nightcap, Wood River's bats (10 hits) stayed hot and big innings came twice. The Hailey girls pushed nine runs across the dish in the third and five in the fifth. Coleman (4 hits, triple, 4 RBI) and Stone (2 hits, 3 runs) led the way. Taylor Gove (3 RBI), Madison Gove (2 RBI) and Karst (2 RBI) chipped in.
Three days after host Burley swept Century 11-9 and 12-3, Wood River was happy to gain a split at Century Saturday.
"Century is a very good hitting team," said Martin, whose team squandered a 9-3 lead in the nightcap before salvaging the doubleheader split 14-10 in the ninth inning.
Wood River fell behind 11-6 after four innings of the first Century game but surged ahead 12-11 with a six-run fifth. The Wolverines (5 errors) had some leaky defense and Century sent seven runs across in the sixth for an 18-14 win.
Top Hailey hitters were Lindbloom (3 hits, 3 RBI), Coleman (3 hits, 3 RBI) and Lacie Anderson (double, 3 RBI, 2 runs). Hannah Gove (2 hits) helped her cause. Her catcher was senior KD Pruett.
Wood River (20 hits) enjoyed its best hitting game in the extra-inning nightcap. Lindbloom (4 hits) and Pruett (4 hits, 2 RBI) had big games at the plate. Hannah Gove (3 hits), Coleman (2 hits, 2 runs, 3 RBI), Anderson (2 hits, 3 RBI) and Taylor Gove (2 hits, 2 runs, 2 RBI) helped.
Hot bats for the four-game trip were Lindbloom (9-for-11, 6 RBI), Coleman (10-for-16, 12 RBI), Hannah Gove (7for-13, 5 RBI) and Pruett (5-for-8, 3 RBI).
Wood River (5-5, 0-2 league) visited the 3A Buhl Tribe (9-5) for a non-conference doubleheader Tuesday and returns to Pocatello Friday, April 11 for a twinbill against the Indians.
First home game is Tuesday, April 14 against Great Basin Conference West rival Minico (3-5, 2-0).
Baseball team rallies past Broncos 9-8
Wood River High School baseball coach Matt Nelson is certain about two things when it comes to his 2008 Wolverines—they'll have to firm up their defense and cut down on strikeouts to win consistently.
Saturday's trip to Blackfoot for a non-conference doubleheader against the Broncos was a good example. Errors and unearned runs were common. Nelson said, "Sometimes it's an adventure watching the guys."
Batting as the home team, Wood River players made up for their own errors in the field and rallied from a 7-3 deficit to win the opening game 9-8. But Blackfoot took advantage of a couple of unearned runs to win the nightcap by a 6-4 score.
Senior righthander Pat Patterson (2-3) drew the verdicts in both of the games, in relief. They were cliffhangers going down to the final pitch, but that's nothing new for Hailey.
The Wolverines (3-7) are getting used to playing tight games. Through 10, all on the road, they've played six games settled by two runs or fewer. Wood River is 2-4 in those.
"All in all, it was a good day," said Nelson. "We need to catch and throw better. Looking at our offense, the guys are starting to put the wood on the ball. They've cut down their strikeouts by half."
Seniors Trent Seamons and Patterson, junior Greg Wakefield and sophomore Keven Abbott all had productive days at the plate in Blackfoot.
Righthander Wakefield started the first game and yielded two unearned runs in the first three frames. Trailing 2-0, Wood River tied it 2-2 in the home third on walks to Sean Bunce and Abbott followed by run-scoring singles off the bats of Seamons and Wakefield.
The wheels came off with free passes and one error in Blackfoot's four-run fourth. Nelson summoned Patterson, who doused the fire with Blackfoot on top 6-2. The Broncos added a single run in the fifth and Wood River got one back in the home fifth, Abbott stroking a leadoff single and scoring on an RBI double by Seamons.
In the home sixth, Wood River (8 hits, 3 doubles) batted around for six runs and a 9-7 lead. Jim Hague drew a walk and Chris Coupe was plunked. Michale Brunker surprised Blackfoot's infield with a drag bunt scoring Hague from third.
Brunker stole second and Abbott brought home two runs with a single. Seamons (single) and Wakefield (double) came through again with run-scoring hits—and Wakefield scored from third on a heads-up base running play stemming from a pop-fly foul ball behind first.
Tough in the clutch, fireman Patterson surrendered an unearned run in the seventh and retired Blackfoot 1-2-3. He was pretty efficient, throwing only 40 pitches in three-plus innings, which allowed Nelson to pitch him in the second game.
Nelson said, "Keven Abbott had a couple of real tough at-bats, going to 12 pitches in one and 15 pitches in another. Trent had an outstanding game with three hits and Greg did a great job as well, he's really coming into his own for us."
Sophomore Shane Friesen started the second game. Nelson said Friesen did "a really good job," pitching into the third. He left the game trailing 3-2. Wood River scored twice in the fifth for a 4-3 lead, Brunker drilling an RBI triple and Seamons adding an RBI single.
But Blackfoot touched reliever Patterson for single runs in each of the final three innings, two of them unearned, to salvage the twinbill split 6-4.
Patterson went 3-for-3, Seamons had two more hits and Abbott (2 runs, 3 stolen bases) chipped in with a double.
The Wolverines visited defending league champion Minico on Tuesday, April 8 and head back to Rupert Thursday, April 10 for a 4:30 p.m. league game that had been originally scheduled in Hailey. Wood River will bat second in the order for the Thursday game.
Minico (9-1, 0-0 league), last year's State 4A runner-up with a 25-8 record, had won nine straight games since a season-opening loss to Madison. Last week the Spartans swept Pocatello back-to-back 1-0, 5-2.
Nelson is hopeful Wood River can stage its first home games Saturday, April 12 at noon against Preston. Then Filer arrives Tuesday for a 3:30 p.m. varsity contest.
Reynoso starts first game for Pelicans
Penciled in as the team's #4 starter, Ryne Reynoso, 23, Wood River High School's all-time pitching career leader, started his first game Monday night for the Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Pelicans in the Class A Advanced Carolina League.
Reynoso (6 K, 2 BB, 4 hits, 4 earned runs) got banged around by the host Wilmington (Del.) Blue Rocks for three runs in the second inning and left a 4-4 tie after three-and-a-third frames. Myrtle Beach (3-1) went on to win the road game 5-4.
Always a starter for Wood River en route to a 23-5 career record prior to his 2003 graduation, Reynoso pitched three years for Boston College and spent last summer throwing relief for the Rome (Ga.) Braves Class A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves major league franchise.
Now the hard throwing 6-2, 215-pounder is back starting for Myrtle Beach, also affiliated with the Braves. The Pelicans have 17 pitchers ages 21-26 on their roster. They have just started a five-month, 140-game season in the eight-team Carolina League, through Sept. 1.
He'll likely throw again when the Pelicans entertain Frederick Keys this weekend.
