The Western Valley Conference has released its 1st and 2nd team honorees for baseball and softball. In baseball, 1st team honors went to OABCIG junior Myles Beck, Ridge View seniors Cael Myrtue and Caden Biede, and Ridge View freshmen Blake Myrtue and Kinnick Jensen. Named to the 2nd team were Falcons senior Treyten Kolar, sophomore Brysen Kolar, and eighth-grader Jaxx DeJean. Raptors senior Tracin Price and freshman Owen Worthan also earned 2nd team honors.
In a highly anticipated Class 2A opening-round playoff matchup in Holstein, the OABCIG and Ridge View baseball clubs squared off for the third time this season. The squads had split their two regular season contests, with Ridge View winning 2-1 in Ida Grove and OABCIG triumphing 15-4 in the conference tournament. The Raptors were hitting on all cylinders in the rubber match, jumping out to a 2-0 lead after an inning. The Falcons closed the gap to 2-1 in the second inning, but Ridge View responded with four runs in the bottom of the second to build a 6-1 advantage.
In a Class 2A opening round playoff matchup, the Ridge View softball squad saw their season come to a close, against a talented MVAO-COU team on Wednesday night in Mapleton. The Raptors drew first blood, jumping out to a 1-0 lead after an inning. The Rams responded with four runs in the second inning to claim a 4-1 advantage. Following a scoreless third inning, MVAO-COU tacked on another score in the fourth to push the margin to 5-1. Ridge View kept battling, plating a run in the fifth inning to pull within 5-2.
The Ridge View baseball squad traveled to Sac City on Thursday, to take on East Sac County. The Raptors jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead, but the Raiders answered with a run of their own to tie the game at 1-1 after an inning. Things slowed down after that, as the two clubs played three innings of scoreless ball. Ridge View got rolling again in the fifth inning, plating two runs for a 3-1 lead. The Raptors scored twice more in the sixth inning to increase the margin to 5-1. East Sac responded, however, with a pair of runs to draw within 5-3.
Victory appeared to be in hand for the Raptor softball squad on Tuesday in Galva, as they led Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley 6-3 heading into the seventh inning. The Nighthawks had other ideas, however, scoring three runs to tie the game at 6-6 and send it to extra innings, where they would eventually escape with a 10-9 win.
The Raptor softball squad came up short in a frustrating matchup with Unity Christian, last Monday in Galva. The Ridge View gals hit the ball well, but seemingly always directly to a Knight fielder. Unity Christian, on the other hand, struggled to put the ball in play, striking out 14 times and coming up with a mere two hits. The Knights did, however, manage to plate a run in the second inning for a 1-0 lead, which would end up being the final score. A big moment in the game came in the fourth inning, when Ridge View had runners on first and second with nobody out.
How time flies! It may seem hard to believe, but the high school softball and baseball regular seasons are almost over, and playoff action is ready to begin.
In Class 2A Region 2, the Ridge View softball squad will take on MVAO-COU, on Wednesday, July 5 at 7 p.m. in Mapleton. Ridge View sports a 13-10 record, while MVAO-COU boasts a record of 17-9. The Rams won the previous two meetings this year, 9-4 in conference play and 9-1 in the conference tournament. The Raptors are hoping the third time’s a charm.
After falling behind early against Westwood, the Ridge View softball squad battled back, and eventually took control of their Western Valley Conference tournament game in Mapleton. The Rebels drew first blood, scoring twice in the first inning and once in the second for a 3-0 lead. The Raptors answered with four runs in their half of the second inning for a 4-3 advantage. Ridge View increased the margin to 5-3 in the third inning, but Westwood cut the lead to 5-4 in the fourth.
The Ridge View baseball squad overcame a slow start to defeat Lawton-Bronson 5-3 in conference tournament action at Lawton on Thursday night. It was the Eagles who struck first, taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning. The Raptors were held scoreless until the fourth inning, when they came alive for three runs to build a 3-1 advantage. Ridge View tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the sixth inning to increase the margin to 5-1. As it turned out, they needed those runs, because Lawton-Bronson wouldn’t go down without a fight, scoring twice in the seventh to cut the lead to 5-3.
This one was never really in doubt, as the Raptor softball squad traveled to Cherokee on Friday and hammered the Braves 11-0. Ridge View jumped out to a 4-0 lead after one inning, then doubled their run total in the second, scoring four times for an 8-0 advantage. That score would hold steady until the fifth inning, when the Raptors closed the deal by plating three runs for an 11-0 victory.
