Blue Devils blown away

Published 12:00 am Saturday, March 30, 2002

A leadoff home run by Waldorf’s Dave Truchinski was not the way the Riverland Community College baseball team needed to start off the season in what was eventually a two-game sweep for the visiting Warriors Friday afternoon in Austin.

Saturday, March 30, 2002

A leadoff home run by Waldorf’s Dave Truchinski was not the way the Riverland Community College baseball team needed to start off the season in what was eventually a two-game sweep for the visiting Warriors Friday afternoon in Austin.

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Riverland’s left-handed starting pitcher John Roesler settled down to scatter three runs over 4 1/3 innings, but Waldorf, already with 12 games under their belt, broke out the big bats and welcomed the Devils into the new year with a 14-3, six-inning run-rule shortened game in the first of two non-conference contests.

The host Blue Devils, who never led in the game, scored once in each of three innings before Waldorf went crazy. Severe wind gusts out of the west pushed pop flies to right field over the fence 320 feet away, and Riverland reliever Clint Ripley suffered the consequences. Ripley surrendered 11 of Waldorf’s 13 runs in relief of Roesler, who was slated with the loss in the season- and home-opener for the Blue Devils.

Ripley, an Austin High School graduate, gave up two of Waldorf’s five home runs in the game, one of which was an inside-the-park round-tripper. Jeff Jerome had two home runs for the Warriors, and Chad Houston added a three-run shot in Waldorf’s five-run sixth inning. Jake Lund finished the first game going 3-for-4 with a home run.

Riverland represented with a closer contest in the nightcap, but Waldorf freshman Dustin Schmelzie scattered four hits and two hit batsmen over seven innings en route to a complete-game shutout in a 4-0 Warrior win.

Sean Breslin was slated with the loss in game two, throwing six strong innings with eight strikeouts, one walk and one hit batsman. Luke Larson threw a scoreless inning in relief, but the Devil bats were not up to the task against Schmelzie.

Roesler and Ripley looked strong in the first game of the season despite the final outcome. First-year head coach Dave Meyer was not overly concerned with his pitchers’ misses up high in the strike zone, which on a windy day paved the way for Waldorf to do its damage. Meyer, a 1996 Austin grad and minor leaguer of three years for the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system, was encouraged with his teamís first outing.

"The guys left the ball up and (Waldorf) hit it up into this jet stream," Meyer said. "Pop flies were going out of here today. They hit the ball and took advantage of the situation.

"I’m not down on my guys at all. They really played well for being outside for such a short time. I thought we hit the ball real well, but we hit it right at them and they made the plays."

Riverland sophomore third baseman Josh Kunze went 2-3 in the opener and 2-2 in the nightcap, but reached base in every plate appearance. Kunze had a pair of run-scoring singles in the first game, compiling Riverland’s only runs batted in to begin the season with a strong step in the right direction.

"We just have to work on a few things, a few small things, and we’ll be alright," Coach Meyer said.

The Devils’ minor mistakes loomed large in the second game because of the closeness of the score. Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the third inning, Riverland’s freshman catcher Griffin Hebel was plunked to lead off. He moved to second base on a wild pitch before being replaced by courtesy runner Jeff Giesler. Austin grad Jeff Kvam, starting in left field for the Devils, blooped a single to right to put runners on the corners.

With two on, no outs and the top of the batting order at the plate, Riverland came up empty. Jacob Rowe’s slow roller to third was fielded by Nick Rohne – also an Austin grad – who fired home in time to get Giesler at the plate. Josh Ramaker grounded into a fielder’s choice and Larson grounded out to short to end Riverland’s lone threat. The Devils did not move another runner to second base the rest of the game.

Kunze had two of Riverland’s four hits in the nightcap, with Frey and Kvam chalking up the other singles. Kunze led off the seventh with a single, but was forced out at second on Matt Nalan’s infield fly that fell in front of the plate. Hebel’s line-drive out to left was caught, and Nalan was nailed straying from first base for Waldorf’s only double play to end the doubleheader.

"We’ve got to work on the little things that matter, and for the first day to play this is a tough situation to play in," Meyer said. "These guys are quick learners, they’ll catch on fast."

Riverland’s next non-conference action is Monday when the Blue Devils travel south to Mason City for a 2 p.m. doubleheader with North Iowa Area Community College.

Call Ross Thede at 434-2234 or e-mail him at sports@austindailyherald.com.