Josh Strauss, Connor Van Scoyoc toss gems as Linn-Mar, Jefferson split

MARION - Cedar Rapids Jefferson's Connor Van Scoyoc and Linn-Mar's Josh Strauss are vastly different athletes.

Van Scoyoc is a tall and lean 6-foot-5 hard-throwing baseball player, who has committed to play at college power Arizona State. Strauss is a 5-11 multi-sport athlete, going to play football for University of Dubuque.

Both were equally effective Friday night, pitching gems on opposite sides of a Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Division doubleheader split at Oak Ridge's Lowe Park.

Strauss tossed a four-hitter for the Lions' 4-2 victory in the opener. Van Scoyoc threw six innings of two-hit ball in a 6-1 J-Hawk triumph.

Strauss more than doubled his innings pitched this season, throwing a rare complete game for the Lions and improving to 2-1 this season. He retired the first eight batters, getting 10 groundouts and striking out four.

'My teammates behind me made some really big plays to help me out,” Strauss said. 'I thought I did a decent job locating my pitches, keeping them low.”

Strauss has made strides from a year ago when he didn't earn a win in six total appearances and had ERA near 8.00.

'He's really come out with a lot more confidence,” Linn-Mar Coach Chad Lechner said. 'He looks like a top-level guy. He is consistently throwing strikes and commanding the zone with a couple different pitches.”

The biggest improvement for Strauss is his control, averaging almost one walk an inning and tallying twice as many walks than strikeouts last year. Strauss caused more whiffs than free passes against the J-Hawks.

'I feel like I can locate my pitches pretty well,” Strauss said. 'I still need to work on my curveball a lot and my off-speed.”

Van Scoyoc was even more dominant in the nightcap. He moved to 2-0 this season and only allowed one runner to reach second base before a one-out walk and a couple wild pitches led to an unearned run, keeping his earned-run average at 0.00.

'I'll take it,” Van Scoyoc said. 'We got the win. I felt decent and kept hitters off balance.”

When Van Scoyoc, a returning all-stater and one of the country's top talents with a fastball that can reach the low 90s, takes the mound, Cedar Rapids Jefferson Coach Kyle Rodenkirk sits back and tries to enjoy the J-Hawk's work.

'He lives and breathes baseball,” Rodenkirk said. 'It's pretty fun to watch him go out there and compete.”

Rodenkirk said Van Scoyoc has become a leader for the J-Hawks, playing first or third when not on the mound. He has the mental approach to accompany the physical skills.

'He's been pitching for a long time now,” Rodenkirk said. 'He's already game-planning before the game even starts. He has a good baseball IQ.

'He still has that pit bull mentality that I'm going to throw this by you,”

Both winning pitchers contributed at the plate as well. He had a sacrifice fly in the two-run fourth, scoring Reese Phillips, who had an RBI triple to drive in Kirby Kerr. A fielding error allowed Alex Streicher to come home with the game-winning run in the fifth. Aaron Nibaur capped the scoring with an RBI single in the sixth.

The biggest mistake Strauss made in the opener was a two-run home run to Van Scoyoc. Brothers Brayden and Drake Frazier provided run support for the J-Hawks' junior right-hander.

Brayden Frazier had an RBI single in the third and run-scoring triple in the fifth. He finished 3-for-4 in the nightcap.

Drake Frazier added a two-run single in the four-run sixth, stealing two bases and then scoring on an errant throw to third.

The Lions, who won the Bob Vrbicek Metro baseball tournament, improved to 5-3 overall and are 2-2 in a wide open MVC Mississippi. Strauss is among the players stepping in to answer the question that surrounded the pitching staff. Josh Gassmann threw well, striking out seven in a loss.

'We have a little more depth than we thought we might,” Lechner said. 'It's encouraging.

'The kids are responding. They are playing pretty well.”

Jefferson is 4-4 overall and 3-1 in conference. The J-Hawks committed three errors, which did not set well with Rodenkirk, noting he takes pride in strong fundamental defense.

'I thought we hit it hard at times at people,” Rodenkirk said. 'We just couldn't get it through and booted the ball. I got on them a little bit after the first game. They responded.

'They have a good ballclub,” Rodenkirk said of Linn-Mar. 'They have a lot of talent. They're going to be tough in the postseason.”

l Comments: (319) 368-8679; kj.pilcher@thegazette.com