Staff Writer Cade Harris
The Richland baseball team defeated Rock Valley College 11-10 in a high scoring squeaker March 7 in a non-conference game at home. With the win, the T-Ducks improved to 17-5 on the season and are on a 15-game winning streak.
The game was the conclusion of a three- game series between the two teams. Richland won both games on March 6 and completed the sweep in game three.
The game was full of offense with both teams getting double digit hits and runs. It didn’t start out like that, though. Each team went scoreless the first three innings.
Both teams tallied a run in the fourth before Rock Valley put up a run in the fifth and Richland put up eight runs in the fifth.
Rock Valley responded in the sixth inning scoring four runs, but Richland responded back with a run of their own in the sixth. Rock Valley added two more runs in the eight, but Richland responded again scoring a run in the eight.
Rock Valley scored two more runs in the ninth but came up just short of tying the game. Ben Van Mannen led the T-Ducks offensively going 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.
Casey Fowler went 2-for-4 on the day with two RBIs and a run scored. Russell Etheridge went 1-for-2 on the day with three walks, four RBIs and three runs scored.
Ryan Taylor got the start on the mound for the T-Ducks throwing five innings, earning the win, and allowing no earned runs on five hits and two walks, striking out three. Daniel Smith pitched two-thirds of on an inning in relief giving up four runs, none earned, on two hits and one walk, striking out one.
Christian Keller threw two and one-third innings in relief giving up three earned runs on four hits, striking out three. Reid Carrick threw one inning in relief, giving up one earned run on two hits and a walk, striking out one. Tyler Horton led the Golden Eagles offensively, going 2-for-3 with a walk and scoring three runs.
Seth Greve went 2-for-4 on the day with a walk, an RBI and two runs scored. Payton Matthews went 2-for-4 with a walk and three RBIs.
Steven Kleyheeg got the start for Rock Valley, throwing four and one-third innings, earning the loss and giving up eight runs on six hits and four walks, striking out three.
Kody Kleve threw three and two-third innings in relief, giving up two earned runs on four hits and two walks, striking out five.
Rock Valley got the scoring started when Greve doubled in a run in the top of the fourth inning. Richland responded with a home run from Kyle Reece to even the game in the bottom of the fourth. Rock Valley regained the lead in the top of the fifth on a Lucas Rick RBI single.
Richland responded in a big way in the bottom of the fifth with an Etheridge grand slam. Van Mannen scored later in the inning on a passed ball. Fowkler singled in the inning to knock in two more runs before another came in on an error by the centerfielder. Rich- land led 9-2 after the fifth inning. Rock Valley struck back in the top of the sixth on a two- RBI double off the bat of David Galassi, who came in to score after a single from Matthews.
Horton scored later in the inning on a wild pitch to decrease the deficit to 9-6. Van Mannen hit an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth to get a run back for the T-Ducks.
Mathews hit a two-RBI triple to center field to decrease the deficit to 10-8 in the top of the eighth.
Van Mannen got another RBI in the bottom of the eight on a single to center field.
The Golden Eagles got a home run off the bat of Brett Freiberg and an RBI double from Galassi in the top of the ninth before Carrick closed out the win.
