Both the Sigourney Savages and Keota Eagles started the baseball season by using late offense to earn comeback victories on the road. Sigourney knocked off Pella Christian 11-7 Thursday, while Keota climbed back to beat Twin Cedars 7-4 Friday night.
The Savages found themselves down three runs after one inning Thursday against a Class 2A state qualifier from last season and were trailing 7-3 heading into the fifth.
But Sigourney had a response ready, scoring three times in the top of the fifth to make it a one-run game, then exploding for another five runs in the seventh and final inning to take a lead they would not relinquish.
Chase Clarahan came up big for the Savages, hitting a pair of doubles and finishing with two runs scored and three runs batted in. Fellow freshman Lincoln Power also had two base hits and scored three times.
Brady Clark delivered two RBI for Sigourney, while fellow juniors Issac Bruns and Cole McKay joined Clark in each having one hit and one run scored. Sophomore Solon Yates was the winning pitcher, throwing three-and-a-third innings out of the bullpen and allowing no earned runs.
Keota had to wait until the very end of the night for their offense to get going Friday, but the Eagles erased a 3-1 deficit in the sixth by coming up with six runs. Senior Aiden McGuire and junior Ashton Galindo led Keota with two hits and one run driven in each, while eighth-grader Blake Baker had a pair of RBI.
Senior Tanner Waterhouse got the start and the win on the mound for the Eagles and allowed two earned runs in five-and-two-thirds innings pitched, yielding four hits and five walks but picking up six strikeouts.
While Keota will wait to return to the diamond Wednesday in a matchup with Sigourney, the Savages are right back in action agains this evening against conference rival Belle Plaine.