By Fred Kroner
Prairieview Ogden’s baseball team suffered a hard-luck 1-0 loss to Gifford on Monday (Sept. 19) in the championship game of an IESA Class 1A regional tournament at Gifford.
The lone run was unearned and was scored in the third inning.
PVO’s Kaden Wedig pitched 5 2/3 inning and permitted only one hit. He walked four and struck out nine.
Jameson Ehler worked the final 1 1/3 innings and fanned four batters.
PVO outhit Gifford, 3-2.
The Mustangs hits were singles by Wedig and Aiden Hundley and a double by Jonathon Couture.
PVO also drew seven walks – three issued to leadoff batter Dalton York – and left 11 runners stranded on base.
“We never got the timely hit we needed,” PVO coach Greg Immke said. “We had the bases loaded in three innings and (runners on) first and second in two others, but couldn’t get a run in.
“Credit goes to Gifford for keeping us off-balance at the plate. Our pitching was strong tonight, just like it has been all year. It’s the deepest pitching staff I have ever had.”
For the season, the collective earned run average for PVO pitchers was 1.49.
“Just a great group of kids to coach who would do anything you asked them to do,” Immke added. “This group of eighth-graders will be missed at PVO.
“Their best days are definitely ahead of them. What a great season.”
Five Mustangs finished the season with batting averages over .300, led by York (.509). Other team hitting leaders were Hundley (.368), Wedig (.365), Lane McKinney (.351) and Ehler (.305).
York (16) and McKinney (10) were the leaders in stolen bases. McKinney was the leader in extra-base hits (five). York had the most multi-hit games (10).
Eight squad members had stints on the pitching mound.
Wedig had a miniscule earned run average of 0.43 and was the winningest pitcher, compiling a 6-1 record. He struck out 59 batters in 32 1/3 innings and allowed 13 hits.
Ehler recorded a 3-1 record to go with a 1.44 ERA. He fanned 38 batters in 24 1/3 innings. McKinney’s mark was 2-1 with a 1.55 ERA. He registered 31 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings.
York was 1-0 with an ERA of 1.86. In 11 1/3 innings, he fanned 18 hitters.
Couture, Casen Goff, Garrett Loschen and Royce Loschen also helped handle the pitching duties.
