High School Baseball: Humboldt 4, Leon-Bluestem 2; Humboldt 19, Leon-Bluestem 0
The defending 2A State baseball champs were no match for Humboldt on Monday as the Cubs fought their way to a 4-2 win in game one before blowing Leon-Bluestem out of the ballpark in a 19-1 game two.
Bluestem lost a lot from last year but they still return three or four starters, head coach Mike Miller said. They have some young guys at some key spots but they were a really good team last year. These were some huge wins. We had some guys who stepped up who dont really play as much and I was really proud of that.
With the wins, Humboldt moves to 6-0 on the season.
In game one it was pretty slow going.
Humboldt was able to squeak a runner home in the bottom of the second to take a 1-0 lead and pushed that to two in the bottom of the fourth.
Meanwhile, senior starter Josh Vanatta grinded out a six-inning win, allowing just two runs on seven hits with a walk. Vanatta struck out three.
I thought he did a heck of a job, Miller said. He pitched for us in some big games last year and he made some good pitches to get us out of some tough jams. They had runners on third with less than two outs several times and we were able to keep them from scoring and that was big.
Vanatta left seven Blue-stem runners on base and only slipped up on a chance for a shutout in that sixth inning when the cold and the light drizzle started to affect his pitching.
After the Cubs stretched their lead to 4-0, Bluestem cut Humboldts lead to two with a two-run sixth inning but, just like in previous innings, Vanatta prevented future damage from being done.
With a two-run lead, pitcher Jackson Aikins came out for a save opportunity in the bottom of the seventh. Aikins hit a batter but that was all, allowing no hits or walks in the final three outs to secure the win.
Cooper Jaro drove in two of the Cubs four runs in the game on a hit and both Vanatta and Dagen Goodner led the way with two hits.
In the six games that Humboldt has played this season, Monday nights first game was the first of the season to be decided by single digits.
Its always good to get those games, Miller said. The first four games we played we really havent been in a baseball game where every pitch mattered. We still need to work on some situational stuff but that was a tough game against a good team and Im proud of the way we stepped up and responded.
Game two was the exact opposite.
The Cubs drove home 10 in the first and nine in the second while recording 12 hits and seven walks in those two innings. It was never close.
