Diamond Eagles survive late-inning rallies at Owensville, New Haven

By Will Johnson, Sports Editor
Posted 5/10/23

NEW HAVEN — Sometimes you have an ugly win every now and then.

One could easily say that Cory Nicholson’s Vienna Eagle baseball team had two of them last week on the road.

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Diamond Eagles survive late-inning rallies at Owensville, New Haven

Posted

NEW HAVEN — Sometimes you have an ugly win every now and then.

One could easily say that Cory Nicholson’s Vienna Eagle baseball team had two of them last week on the road.

Last Tuesday at OHS Field, Vienna led the host Dutchmen 13-5 entering the bottom of the seventh inning.

Owensville made the game interesting pushing across five runs before Landon Kloeppel stopped the bleeding helping the visiting Eagles escape Gasconade County with a 13-10 victory.

As the visiting team, Vienna got the first chance to put runs on the board.

Thanks to seven hits, they did exactly that.

Duncan Wilkinson led the game off with a single before scoring on a Troy Wulff RBI single breaking the scoreless tie.

Kloeppel singled and scored on a Tanner Nichols RBI single before he was driven in on a Sam Rowden RBI single.

A Tanner Bock single led to Gavin Schwartze doubling home two runs capping Vienna’s six-run top of the first inning.

Owensville got one back in the bottom of the first inning when Landon Ely singled and scored on a Wyatt Kramme RBI single.

Putting single runs on the board in the second and third innings, Vienna put another crooked number on the board in the top of the fourth.

Nursing an 8-5 lead, the Eagles looked to stretch their lead at least to the point where one swing of the bat would not hurt them.

In relief of starting pitcher Will Veasman, Kloeppel helped his own cause by doubling and scoring on a Veasman RBI single.

Veasman and Nichols capped the 3-run fourth inning when they were doubled home by Bock.

Now up 11-5 after five innings, Vienna tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the top of the sixth inning.

Rowden walked and scored on a Zach Via RBI sacrifice fly while Bock also singled and scored giving the Eagles a 13-5 lead.

Bock led the Eagles with four hits against the Dutchmen followed with three hits each from Kloeppel, Veasman and Schwartze.

Nichols, Rowden and Wulff also each had a multi-hit game for the Eagles against Owensville with two apiece.

The next night at New Haven, Vienna had a chance to end the game in five innings before New Haven plated seven runs between the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings.

Nichols pitched an inning and two-thirds of shutout relief helping the Eagles hold on for their second road win over a Four Rivers Conference (FRC) opponent in as many days by a score of 13-7.

In spite of only recording five hits, Vienna benefited from six New Haven errors helping them put a baker’s dozen on the scoreboard along Highway 100.

Wulff led the Eagle offense with three hits in three at bats, three runs scored, four runs batted in and a walk.

Veasman also drove in two runs on one hit while Schwartze scored twice on a hit to go with a run batted in.

Patient at the plate, the Eagles drew 13 walks against New Haven led by three from Kloeppel.

Nichols, Bock and Schwartze also each drew two walks against the Shamrocks.

Vienna will open district play Friday at New Bloomfield against Linn with a 5:30 p.m., first pitch.