By: Nathan Bloechl — [email protected]
Humboldt, Iowa — I said it on the broadcast yesterday and I’ll say it again here: it seems like every season Jason Thurm’s teams have a big win and take off.
Last year the Cats got hot and won eight of their last eleven games.
Two years ago they rode an 18-2 stretch all the way to state.
Notoriously slow out of the gates each of the past two seasons, Thurm and company are wondering if this week is the start of something special.
Coming off a 16-4 win over C-G-D, Humboldt was saddled with a date with elite LHP and Upper Iowa University commit Max Hackbarth, who entered last night’s game 3-0 with a 0.84 ERA.
Humboldt however, wasn’t phased.
The Wildcats rallied back in the 7th inning to capture a thrilling, walk-off victory on a soggy Tuesday night in Humboldt.
Hackbarth, who has been virtually unhittable this season, was roughed up to the tune of six earned runs and eight hits before being pulled after not recording an out in the 7th inning.
Jacob Thurm had one of the big hits in the 3rd driving in two with a two-out double to give Humboldt a 3-1 lead they’d carry to the 6th inning.
In the 6th, Sawyer Savery singled, stole second, then was punched home by an Isaac Thurm two-out single to grow Humboldt’s lead to 4-1, which proved to be very important.
As you would expect, Webster City, winners of nine straight, did not go gently into the good night.
The Lynx stormed all the way back, scoring five runs in the 7th aided by four Wildcat errors to take a 6-4 lead into the bottom of the 7th.
That’s when the magic happened.
Clean-up man Hudson Gargano led the inning off with a bang-bang infield single that could’ve probably gone either way. With Gargano aboard Jacob Thurm walked which prompted Lynx head coach Addison Kehoe to make a move for his closer Caleb Olson who was in left field.
Olson’s first batter was Reese DeWinter.
DeWinter slapped a looping line drive to left field, where Hackbarth had taken over, that fell for a two-run double. Hackbarth lost the ball in the lights and fielded it after it rolled to the wall. DeWinter advanced to third on an errant throw back in.
Kehoe then made the determination to walk Michael Brightly and Sawyer Savery intentionally to load the bases for Cade Witzke.
Witzke promptly smacked a single up the box scoring DeWinter and walked off the Lynx.
Witzke was also the night’s starting pitcher — the freshman continued his dazzling season as he went 6 1/3 innings allowing nine hits and three runs.
Jacob Thurm earned the win out of the bullpen working the final 2/3 innings.
Humboldt improved to 8-8 on the year, Webster City fell to 9-2.
The Wildcats are back in action this evening as they will travel to Spirit Lake, first pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.