The high school baseball team began its season with a home double-header against Jackson Heights on Monday night and after a dominant first game, pulled off a second win in dramatic fashion.
In the first game, senior Jackson Kolterman was dominant on the hill. The starting pitcher rang up 11 strikeouts in Onaga's 11-1 victory, despite only pitching 3.2 innings in the game due to KSHSAA's pitch count rule. Matching his prowess on the mound was the Buffalo offense which scored multiple runs in all four innings they batted.
The Buffaloes got on the board in the first inning after sophomore Xavier Berges singled, scoring Kolterman and Casen Hutfles. Onaga added to their early lead in the bottom of the second inning when Kolterman singled, scoring sophomore Maddex Honas, and Hutfles doubled, scoring freshman Cameron Kramer and Kolterman.
Up 5-0, the Buffaloes added another three runs in the bottom of the third inning when senior Jacob Ronnebaum laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Honas, and an error would later score two more runs.
With an 8-0 lead in the fourth, Ronnebaum would hit into a fielder's choice to make it 9-0, and a double by senior L.J. Koelzer would get Kramer and Kolterman across the plate to put the final nail in the coffin. The Buffaloes would allow a run in the top of the 5th, but the game ended in an 11-1 run rule.
Drake Mellies led things off on the bump for Jackson Heights. The starter surrendered two hits and four runs (two earned) over one inning, striking out one and walking two. Teagen Bowhay took the loss for Jackson Heights. The reliever went three innings, surrendering seven runs (five earned) on six hits, striking out four and walking five.
Kolterman notched the win for Onaga, the 11th of his career, and gave up two hits and zero runs over three and two-thirds innings. All 11 of the outs he recorded were strikeouts, tied for the second most in a game in school history while only pitching half the game. He also walked none in the game. Honas and Ronnebaum each appeared in relief for the Buffaloes.
Kolterman led the Buffaloes with two hits in four at bats from the leadoff position. Berges, Koelzer, Hutfles, and Ronnebaum each drove in two runs. Patience at the plate was key in the game, as Onaga tallied seven walks for the game. Aggressiveness on the base paths was another strong point for the Buffaloes as they stole 14 bases in the game on as many attempts with Kramer, Honas, Hutfles, and Kolterman each stealing multiple bases. The Buffaloes were also crisp defensively, committing zero errors.
For as good as Onaga was out of the gates in the first game, the second game was just the opposite and would come down to some fireworks in the final inning and a half, including a walk-off to end the game.
With the game still scoreless after two innings, Jackson Heights jumped out to the lead in the top of the third inning after Kade Holliday singled, scoring one run, and J.W. Moore homered to left field, scoring three to give the Cobras a 4-0 lead.
The Buffaloes would cut into the lead in the bottom of the inning, as Koelzer reached on an error and Hutfles was hit by a pitch to put two runners on. Then senior cleanup hitter Dylan Magnett one-hopped a line drive off the fence in left-center field to get him a double and score two, making it 4-2.
Mellies would push the lead to 5-2 when he hit a solo home run to left field in the top of the fifth for Jackson Heights. With the Buffaloes coming up empty in the bottom half of the inning, they had just six outs left and trailed by three. That hill got taller when Jackson Heights led off the top of the sixth with their first five batters reaching on four singles and a walk. Though it could have certainly been worse, the Cobras were able to extend the lead to 7-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
That's when the Buffalo offense finally took flight, as a pair of walks by Honas and Kramer put two on for Kolterman who would hit a school record 14th homerun of his career to cut the lead to 7-5.
Despite two runners getting on in the top of the 7th, the sophomore Berges was able to keep Jackson Heights from scoring in his first ever time on the bump for Onaga. Then in the bottom of the 7th, trailing by two, the Buffaloes came up with some early season heroics.
Junior Keagan Venneberg singled on a line drive to left to start the inning, then two batters later Kramer walked to put the tying run at the plate. Ronnebaum would ground out to the pitcher for the second out of the inning, but that scored Venneberg and advanced Kramer to scoring position.
With the freshman 180 feet from tying the game, the Cobras intentionally walked Onaga's All-State shortstop Kolterman to put the go-ahead run at first. Koelzer would make Jackson Heights pay when he doubled on a line drive to left that scored Kramer and sent Kolterman to third. Then, with the game tied 7-7 and two outs, Hutfles didn't wait to decide the game as he hit a bomb to left-center field on the first pitch he saw, blasting the first homerun of the sophomore's career and winning the game 10-7 with in walk-off fashion.
Koelzer and Hutfles led the Buffaloes at the plate, each going 2-for-3 inf the game. Hutfles and Kolterman each drove in three runs as well, while patience at the plate played a big role again with the team piling up seven walks for the game. Honas and Venneberg each stole multiple bases for Onaga as well, with the speedy Honas racking up six total steals in the double-header. The Buffaloes were solid defensively again as well, committing zero errors in game two as well.
Jackson Heights piled up nine hits in the game. J.W. Moore drove the middle of the lineup, leading Jackson Heights with three runs batted in. The 3-hole hitter went 1-for-4 on the day. Kolby Bowhay led Jackson Heights with three hits in four at bats.
Casen Hutfles led things off on the bump for Onaga. The starter allowed three hits and four runs over two and two-thirds innings, striking out six and walking three. Berges earned the win for the Buffaloes, the first of his career. The right-handed pitcher gave up one hit and zero runs over one and one-third innings, striking out one and walking one. L.J. Koelzer and Jacob Ronnebaum each appeared in relief as well.
Hayden Schultejans started on the bump for Jackson Heights. The righty allowed three hits and four runs (three earned) over five innings, striking out eight and walking five. Kade Holliday took the loss for Jackson Heights. The hurler went one and two-thirds innings, allowing six runs on four hits, striking out two and walking two.
Now 2-0 on the season, the Buffaloes have a quick turnaround as they get set to host Frankfort in their league opener on Thursday in Onaga. The Wildcats enter 1-1 on the season after splitting with Doniphan West on Monday night. First pitch on Thursday from Grover Eddy Field is set for 4:30pm.