Eagles Take Series Behind Offensive Surge and Strong Bounce-Back
ESTHERVILLE, IA- The #3 Kirkwood Eagles Baseball team battled through adversity this weekend in Estherville, earning a series victory over Iowa Lakes by taking two of three games. After suffering a tough walk-off loss in the opener, the Eagles responded emphatically—outscoring the Lakers 19-4 across the final two contests to secure the series.
Game 1: Iowa Lakes 6, Kirkwood 5 (9 innings)
Kirkwood came out swinging in the series opener, racking up 12 hits, but couldn't hold off a late push as Iowa Lakes walked it off in the bottom of the ninth.
Landon Frost led the offensive charge, going 3-for-4 with 2 RBIs, while Ty Andrews added two hits and drove in a run. Cam Templeton also chipped in with a multi-hit performance and scored once.
The Eagles showed resilience late, plating two runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game at five, but Iowa Lakes answered in the bottom half to hand Kirkwood a narrow defeat.
On the mound, Reece Wrage allowed just two earned runs over five innings, and Collin Homan struck out five in relief, but the Lakers capitalized in the final frame.
Game 2: Kirkwood 8, Iowa Lakes 3 (7 innings)
The Eagles bounced back quickly in game two, using a balanced offensive attack and strong pitching to even the series.
Jax Theeler powered the lineup, going 3-for-4 with a home run and 2 RBIs. Brady Blake reached base three times and scored three runs, setting the tone at the top of the order.
Kirkwood displayed patience at the plate, drawing seven walks and consistently applying pressure. Cam Templeton drove in two runs, while Alex Altmann and Nathan Motl each contributed RBIs.
On the mound, Kye Smith delivered a solid outing, allowing just two earned runs over 5.2 innings to earn the win, while Ayden Schrunk closed the door with 1.1 scoreless innings.
Game 3: Kirkwood 11, Iowa Lakes 1 (7 innings)
Kirkwood left no doubt in the rubber match, exploding offensively and dominating from start to finish.
The Eagles tallied 11 runs on 11 hits, highlighted by a five-run third inning that broke the game open early.
Blake Lundholm drove in three runs, while CJ Davis added two RBIs on a multi-hit performance. Landon Frost continued his strong weekend, scoring three times, and Jax Theeler added two hits and an RBI.
On the mound, Oliver Lindstrom set the tone with four strong innings, allowing just one run while striking out three. The bullpen trio of Jordan Woodhouse, Cael Ortmann, and Rafe McConnell combined to allow just one hit over the final three innings, sealing the decisive win.
Next Up
The Eagles will now take on ICCAC newcomer, the Northeast Iowa Cougars in a game that has been moved to tomorrow (Tuesday, March 31st) due to impending weather on Wednesday.
