GRANGER — The Woodward-Granger offense has been receiving the bulk of the attention for a quick 6-0 start to the season, while almost unnoticed has been a pitching staff that has yielded only 10 runs (seven earned) in 39 innings for an ERA of 1.26.
Hawk hurlers are allowing opposing batters to hit just .115 and have issued only 14 walks against 49 strikeouts.
W-G scored at a steady rate Wednesday against visiting non-conference foe Iowa Christian Academy, eventually compiling nine runs for a 9-1 victory, as the Hawks ran their runs-scored total to 59.
Brady Aunspach, Matt Buch and Reese Jamison teamed to limit ICA to one run on two hits and three walks while striking out six in the win. Aunspach collected the victory after the senior threw the first three frame, yielding a hit and two walks while fanning three. Buch struck out one in two quick innings of middle relief, with Jamison allowing a run on a hit and a walk. He tallied two strikeouts.
The Hawks plated single tallies in the second and third innings and added two more in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead.
That chased soft-tossing Blazer starter Zach Dueker, who had the Hawk bats off-tempo most of the time. He finished with two strikeouts while issuing three walks, hitting one batter and allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits.
The Hawks broke through in the fifth with five runs to all but put the game away.
ICA scraped a run onto the board in their final at-bat with Alex Carosone providing a RBI ground-out that scored Justin Jacobs. Jayce Goergen and Eric Bravo-Cordona each had singles for the Blazers.
Josh Dueker allowed two runs (one earned) on two walks while striking out two in two-thirds of an inning on the hill for ICA, with Bravo-Cordona yielding three runs (all unearned) on one hit in 1-1/3 innings of relief.
Aunspach had two doubles, scored twice and drove in a run for W-G, with Matt Rhodes, Spencer Hanson, Cole Theisen, Nick Brummond and Jamison all hitting singles. Rhodes had three RBIs, Hanson two, and Jamison and Brummond one each, with Bryce Achenbach, Marcus McConahay, Hanson, Rhodes, Jamison, Theisen and Brummond all scoring a run apiece.
W-G is at Clarke tonight before hosting the annual Hawk Tournament Saturday. Madrid plays Davenport West at 10:30 a.m. with West facing W-G at 1 p.m. The 3:30 p.m. game pits Madrid against Saydel, with Saydel facing Newton at 6 p.m. The late game — slated for an 8:30 p.m. first pitch — will have W-G facing Newton.
