The Grundy Center summer sports teams split home games with South Hardin Thursday. In a game that aired on 99 The Wave, the Spartan baseball team won 8-1. The Tiger softball team prevented a seventh-inning comeback with a 9-7 win.
In the first inning of the baseball game, Brody Zinkula doubled to drive Tanner Laube home for a 1-0 lead. The Tigers got on the board in the fourth when Garrett Anderson drove in Casey Williamson on a single, but they were held scoreless the rest of the way. The Spartans raced out in front in the bottom of the fourth, jump started by a 3-RBI double by Ethan Meester that scored three runs.
Meester RBI Highlight, as aired on 99 The Wave:
Three batters later, Tate Jirovsky doubled to drive in two runs, and Zinkula doubled again to send home another. The Spartans added one more in the fifth when Meester doubled to send Judd Jirovsky home. Zinkula says the team is heating up offensively; the Spartans had a season-high 10 hits.
“It’s all about confidence,” Zinkula says. “We came into batting practice at the beginning of the year a little rough, started off rough, but recently we’ve been getting hot. And that’s all because, just like Brown said earlier, we’re more dedicated and we’re staying at practice longer, hitting longer, focusing more on teamwork, and watching it all the way in. And we’re all about the team in front of yourself, even if it takes up a bunt or anything. Like we had a couple of bunts in the fourth inning that ended up moving runners over, and that’s all what we’re about is team first.”
Judd Jirovsky had three hits, and Zinkula and Meester each had two. Meester drove in four runs, and Zinkula and Tate Jirovsky each drove in two. Tate Jirovsky pitched 5.1 innings with 10 strikeouts, one walk and four hits. South Hardin’s Peyton Welch pitched the first four innings with three strikeouts, two walks and seven hits. South Hardin (8-6, 6-2 NICL-W) will play a doubleheader at Gladbrook-Reinbeck Monday. Grundy Center (8-6, 5-3 NICL-W) will host a doubleheader with AGWSR Monday.
Brody Zinkula interview:
Pat Brown interview:
In the softball game, the Tigers held off a tenacious comeback effort in the bottom of the seventh inning. Charlee Rosonke, Hailey Rosonke and Grace Eller each drove in two runs during a steady offensive output. The Tigers scored three in the third, four in the fifth, and once each in the sixth and seventh innings for a comfortable seventh inning lead. In the bottom of the seventh, Maddy Hendershot and Lucy Lebo each drove in two runs. The Spartans also had RBIs by Lauren Zajac and Ava Mundt, but the Tigers recorded the final out after the seventh run was scored. Hailey Rosonke pitched the complete game with five strikeouts and no walks. Grundy Center’s Ava Mundt pitched six innings with four strikeouts, seven walks and two hit batters.
Grundy Center (7-11, 1-6 NICL-W) will host a doubleheader with AGWSR Monday, which will air on 99 The Wave. South Hardin (11-9, 6-2 NICL-W) will be at BCLUW Monday.
