Declan Creadon homers, drives in tying runs, but Cogs fall to North Boone in extras

GENOA – Ater striking out in his first two at-bats, Genoa-Kingston designated hitter Declan Creadon got some advice from coach Roger Butler – be a hitter. And the junior obliged.

Creadon sparked a late G-K rally, homering for the team’s first run in the sixth inning and doubling home the tying run in the bottom of the seventh. But North Boone scored three in the top of the eighth to escape with the 8-5 win.

“After his first at-bats I had a chat with him and told him he’s a hitter,” Butler said. “Go out there and stop thinking and be a hitter. And he took that advice ’cause his next at-bat was a no-doubter. The kid can hit, and he needs to remember to be a hitter.”

The Vikings opened a 4-0 lead after five and a half innings during which both teams struggled to put the ball in play. G-K starter Connor Schwichtenberg struck out nine Vikings in his four innings of work, while the Cogs (2-2 overall, 1-2 Big Northern Conference) struck nine times in five innings against North Boone starter Chandler Alderman.

But Creadon cut the deficit to 4-1 in the bottom of the sixth with his blast to left-center off reliever James Linn.

The Vikings tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh against Genoa-Kingston reliever Brycen Lavender.

In the bottom of the seventh, however, the G-K bats came to life. After three hits through the first six innings, the Cogs managed four hits in tying the game at 5.

Nolan Perry started with a single then reached third on a fielding error. Rhett Kline single him home before Tanner Grimm singled and Kine scored on a wild pitch. After a Ben Franson walk, Creadon came up with runners at second and third after another wild pitch and scored both with a hit to the gap in right-center field.

“It’s easy to give up and they did not do that,” Butler said. “We’ve got a young club and they’re willing to fight. I’m happy to see that.”

But the Vikings got three singles and three walks off Lavender to start the seventh. Creadon came on in relief with one out and the bases loaded, striking out both batters he faced – the 14th and 15th Vikings to strike out in the game.

“It’s real easy for young kids to put their heads down after leading the entire game, giving it up there in the last inning,” North Boone coach Drew Baden said. “I’m really proud of the way they battled back and responded to some adversity there.”

The Vikings put on a defensive clinic for the last two outs of the game behind Braun, who ended up with the win. With one out, ben Younker ripped a shot to left, but Isaac Urtiz leaped and backhanded the ball for the out.

Then Perry hitter a towering fly ball behind first base in foul territory, which Alderman tracked down and made a backwards basket catch end to end the game in which G-K batters struck out 11 times.

“We didn’t see anything like that the first seven innings,” Baden said. “That was pretty cool.”

The Cogs had six hits, although only one came off Alderman as he carried a no-hitter into the fourth.

“It helped when the big lefty came out of the game,” Butler said of Alderman. “He had our number. That helped. But I think the guys were comfortable with the change of the pitching velocity, sitting on their pitch and taking advantage of it.”