Sports : Viking hurlers struggle in loss to Oelwein

Teammates watch from the dugout as catcher Daniel Ervin pursues a high foul ball.

Freshman Tyler Rippel pitched 2 2/3 innings vs. Oelwein; he earned his first varsity win earlier.

After a week of strong pitching performances against Marion, Center Point-Urbana and Anamosa, Viking hurlers struggled during Monday’s home contest vs. Oelwein. V-S allowed 14 walks in seven innings as the Huskies won, 14-5.

Freshman pitchers Tyler Rippel and Austin Bohnsack saw action against the Huskies. Rippel allowed one earned run in 2 1/3 innings while Bohnsack entered the game in the seventh, giving up no earned runs. It was Bohnsack’s first pitching appearance in varsity action.

Last week’s action

Grant Sagan, who was the losing pitcher Monday, had a great evening a week earlier, holding CPU to one run in the Vikings’ 2-1, 8-inning win. Sagan struck out five in that game.

At Marion on July 3, junior Luke Moen pitched all nine innings in the Vikings’ 3-2 loss. Moen only gave up one earned run.

Then during Friday’s sweep at Anamosa, junior Chase Overton earned his first varsity win, striking out eight and giving up just two earned runs in a 5-3 win.

Schedule

The Vikings (13-22) travel to Waverly-Shell Rock tonight and then to Maquoketa on Thursday before hosting Union in the regular season finale next Monday. District action begins on Friday, July 19, when the Vikings play Grinnell in Van Horne at 7 p.m.