The Aplington-Parkersburg baseball team took advantage of mistakes by the opponent to survive 5-2 over Jesup in a 2A District 12 first round game Monday, as aired on 104.9 KLMJ.
The J-Hawks took a 1-0 lead in the second inning for their only lead. In the third, Luke Jacobson reached on an error, and two runs scored for a 2-1 lead. Later in the inning, Jacobson scored on a passed ball, and it was 3-1 AP. In the sixth, Jesup scored after a dropped third strike and an errant infield throw by AP to get within one run. But with Jacobson batting in the sixth, Jesup couldn’t handle an infield roller, and two runs scored.
Preston Janssen pitched six innings with five strikeouts and two walks. He also led offensively with two hits.
“We knew we had a lot of young guys starting, it’s their first big game for a lot of them,” Janssen says. “Young catcher, so there were a few hiccups there, the defense held strong at the end. And we were able to squeeze a couple runs across and come out here with a win.”
“Survive in advance, that’s the thing,” Kleespies says. “It was a little stressful there, just too many mistakes defensively. Some dropped third strikes that they scored on and some passed balls and a couple of errors in the field that kind of bit us in the butt. But guys responded there and put up a couple innings of assurance for us. And then we brought Sully Janssen in for, I think he threw 12 pitches. So yeah, a little more stressful than I wanted to be. Jesup is a good young team. They got some eighth graders that are playing well, only going to get better.”
The win has advanced AP to Tuesday’s district semifinal against Dike-New Hartford, which will be played at Anamosa. The Wolverines won all three regular season meetings. Coverage on 99 The Wave will start at 4:40 p.m., followed by the first pitch at 5:00. The winner will advance to Saturday’s district final against either Anamosa or Monticello, who will play in the second game of the doubleheader.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uf19y1VnQJY?si=HST4LXJd2LXoAF2Y&w=560&h=315]
Brett Kleespies interview:
