Ridge View rallies past OABCIG for 8-6 conference win

Ridge View answered OABCIG’s fifth-inning surge with five late runs and beat its Western Valley Conference rival 8-6 in Holstein. The Raptors turned a one-run deficit into an 8-4 cushion with timely hitting and relief pitching at Ridge View High School on Tuesday, June 2, a result that mattered in the standings and in a rivalry OABCIG still leads 18-17 in games tracked since 2010.

Ridge View struck first with three runs in the third inning to open a 3-1 lead, then had to absorb a brief push from the Falcons when OABCIG moved ahead 4-3 in the top of the fifth. The Raptors answered right away with two runs in the bottom half of the inning and added three more in the sixth to seize control for good. OABCIG still made the final inning of the game matter, but Ridge View’s late offense had already built enough separation to survive the closing stretch.

The box score showed a balanced attack. Ridge View finished with nine hits, including seven singles and two doubles, and stole four bases to keep pressure on the Falcons. Kinnick Jensen led the way with three singles and drove in two runs. Blake Myrtue and Aiden Myrtue each had a double and a single, while Owen Worthan and Jacob Cougill also reached with hits. Jensen, Blake Myrtue, Evan Kolpin and Kaleb Kolpin each stole a base, and the run column was spread across Blake Myrtue, Aiden Myrtue, Evan Kolpin, Kaleb Kolpin, Eli Franken and Ryan Barry.

On the mound, Eli Franken started and worked four innings, allowing four hits and three runs while walking two and striking out four. Aiden Myrtue earned the win in relief, giving up five hits and three runs over the final three innings, with two walks and four strikeouts. Ridge View also committed four errors, compared with three for OABCIG, but the Raptors still held up when the game tightened.

Coach Eric Myrtue said the Raptors did what they needed against a strong opponent, with the pitching staying solid and the offense breaking through when it mattered most. Bound’s pregame listing had Ridge View at 5-3 and OABCIG at 3-1, and the win gave the Raptors a clearer foothold in the conference while trimming more into a series that has stayed close for more than a decade. In a state where summer baseball belongs only to Iowa and the high school championship has been played every year since 1928, Ridge View’s finish was the kind of June win that can shape confidence as the season moves on.