The Kennedy High School baseball team began the season with few players with any varsity experience. As June ends, it is clear they could be building for a strong finish.

Hosting Ottumwa for a non-conference battle Thursday night, the Cougars banged out 10 hits for a 6-5 victory.

Jared Staton drove in Zach Daniels in the bottom of the sixth to break a 5-5 ballgame and David King pitched the seventh inning to save the victory for Sammy Lizarraga.

“We are just starting to come together,” said Staton. “We are putting things together as a team and making it count.”

Derek Jacobus, Daniels and Staton had two hits apiece and Joel Smetzer contributed a two-run hit.

“The game plan was to lay off the off-speed pitches and look for fastballs,” said Staton. “We just make better contact on fastballs.”

Kennedy raised its record to 11-9 with the tight victory.

“It’s a matter of putting the ball in play and making them execute,” said Daniels. “Scoring the winning run in a game late like that gives us more confidence the next game we play.”

Lizarraga went six innings, striking out seven while walking only one to get the victory. King retired three batters on five pitches for the save.

“I started off slow,” said Lizarraga. “I was a little wild in the first inning but I settled down. That three-run fifth could have been a lot worse, but that big double play really helped us get the win.”

Ottumwa (12-12) had runners on first and third with nobody out in the fifth inning. A fly ball to left got the first out and the runner on third left before the ball was caught and was doubled up.

Lizarraga got a pop-up to first to end the inning. Ottumwa scored three runs that inning, but never got another baserunner.

“Our execution was less than we would have liked tonight, but the good news is that we found a way to win,” said Kennedy Coach Bret Hoyer. “Earlier this year we might not have had the confidence to win that game.

“We have won nine of our last 11 games,” said Hoyer. “They know what needs to be done to win a game and they are playing much better as a team than they were earlier in the season.

“June is a great teacher,” he said. “Our kids are becoming a team. My assistants and the senior leadership have helped us become competitive. It’s a true team effort.”

OTTUMWA (5): Griffiths, cf, 4 2 1 0, Schulz, ss, 4 0 2 1, Keck, p, 4 0 1 0, Schneckloth, cr, 0 0 0 0, Fuller, rf, 3 0 0 0, Miller, 3b, 2 0 1 0, Peden, 1b, 3 1 1 1, Stuchel, lf, 3 0 0 0, Johns, 2b, 3 1 1 0, Staton, c, 3 0 1 1, Nelson, cr, 0 1 0 0. Totals 29 5 8 4.

KENNEDY (6): Jacobus, cf, 4 0 2 0, Daniels, ss, 4 1 2 1, Johnson, lf, 2 0 0 0, Staton, 1b, 4 1 2 1, Stevens, rf, 3 1 1 0, Maiers, c, 3 0 1 0, Moa, cr, 0 1 0 0, Smetzer, 2b, 3 0 1 2, Lizarraga, p, 3 0 1 0, Pauls, cr, 0 1 0 0, King, p, 0 0 0 0, Skow, dh, 2 1 0 1, Sass, 3b, 0 0 0 0. Totals 28 6 10 5.

Ottumwa    110 030 0 - 5 8 3
Kennedy    020 301 x - 6 10 1

Keck and Staton. Lizarraga, King (7) and Maiers. W - Lizarraga. L - Keck. S - King. 2B - Johns, Maiers.  HR - Peden. SB - Griffiths, Schulz, Daniels.