Despite not giving up a run, Valley lefthander Dane Gosselink needed 87 pitches to get through five innings in Monday’s baseball game against visiting Ankeny.
Due to the pitch count limit, the junior likely would have only been able to throw one more inning at that pace.
Ankeny coach Joe Balvanz was hoping that his team could get into the Tigers’ bullpen in the final two innings, but the Hawks never got that opportunity.
An approaching storm forced both teams off the field at the end of the fifth inning. The game was eventually ruled final, allowing Valley to earn a rain-shortened 2-0 victory.
“I thought our guys showed maturity at the plate,” said Balvanz. “They weren’t overmatched, and they got (Gosselink’s) pitch count up where we might have a chance to get into the bullpen if that storm doesn’t roll in. I wish we could’ve finished it and gotten him off the mound, but Mother Nature had other plans for us.”
Gosselink finished with a two-hitter. He walked two and had nine strikeouts.
Kobe Behrens and Easton Lowe each had a single for the Hawks, who were held scoreless for the fourth time this season.
“We had opportunities and had some guys in scoring position, but we just didn’t get any hits to drive them in,” Balvanz said.
Travis Gerstel (0-2) took the loss. He allowed two earned runs on five hits, walked four and had one strikeout.
“He had trouble locating his pitches early,” Balvanz said of Gerstel. “He kind of battled without his best stuff and kept us in it.”
Valley took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning. Trent Grevengoed walked on four pitches to open the inning, then raced home when Ryan Stedman ripped the next pitch into the gap in left-center field for a double.
The Hawks avoided a big inning by throwing a runner out at the plate for the second out, then immediately got another runner trying to swipe home to end the inning. Valley also had a runner thrown out at home in the third inning.
“That Valley lineup has some good athletes and good hitters in there,” Balvanz said. “But I thought we handled ourselves pretty well defensively.”
Valley, which added another run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Colton Roemmich, moved into a tie for first place in the CIML Conference. The 10th-ranked Tigers improved to 8-4 in the league and 13-7 overall, while Ankeny’s records dropped to 3-9 and 6-16.
The Hawks will play a conference doubleheader at No. 5 Johnston on Wednesday. The Dragons (8-4, 14-6) have won eight straight games.
Johnston posted a 3-1 win at Ankeny on May 28.
“I see this group maturing if we can just get a little healthier,” Balvanz said. “And we have to get our offense going.”
