Girls cruise in first two rounds then are halted by 6th-ranked Van Meter

Ogden started on its road to state this past week, opening up with a game against Belmond-Klemme Tuesday, July 5. The Bulldogs put their opponent away after five innings, winning 12-1. After that they erupted for 26 hits against Eagle Grove, winning 19-5. Their season then came to a close after losing to Van Meter Friday. It put them at 16-14 on the season. 

Ogden 12 - Bel.-Klemme 1

Ogden advanced to the regional quarterfinals after soundly beating Belmond-Klemme 12-1 after five innings. 

This game shouted what head coach Mike Moses has been looking for all season: consistency. He thinks the team finally has achieved that the past few weeks and this game proved how he felt. 

“We have been doing what we have been preaching. We were consistent. We swung at the throws we wanted, and we didn’t make too many errors. It was a clean and consistent game,” Moses said. “We have finally been hitting our groove and I feel we are finally consistent.”

Moses was extremely pleased with how far his team has come. He felt that the team made too many errors that came back to haunt them in those games, but he feels like they have cut down on them. 

“Way back at the start of the season, we had tons of errors, most of them mental errors. But we have cut way down on them. Practice has helped with that. We now have had time to really work on what we needed.”

Pitching also helped as it seemed like Belmond-Klemme was searching for their first hit all game when it in fact came in the fourth inning. Starting pitcher Kennedy Kruse had a heck of a game, only allowing three hits and one earned run in her four innings on the mound. Eighth grader Denali Loecker came in and finished the game, walking one batter but striking out the other three batters in her one inning. 

Ogden was extremely efficient hitting the ball, getting a hit on exactly half of their times at bat. Loecker led the way with four hits in her four at bats, two runs, one double, four RBI’s, and two stolen bases. It was a consistent game all around as every batter got on base for Ogden either from a hit or a walk.