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A's close season with five home games in five days
(Clarinda) -- The Clarinda A's are down to their final six
(Clarinda) -- The Clarinda A's are down to their final six games of the summer season and five of them will be within the confines of Clarinda Municipal Stadium.
The A's, who are 24-21, host games tonight, Thursday, Friday and Sunday and will make a quick trip to Sedalia on Saturday. KMA Sports talked with A's manager Ryan Eberly on Wednesday's Sports Feature about the season as it winds down.
"It's been a roller coaster," he said. "Real inconsistent defensively, offensively and on the mound. Also, we're fighting through a lot of guys injured and mental fatigue."
Several A's competed in the return of the MINK League All-Star Game last week in St. Joseph, including Clarinda graduate Dakota Woods, who is hitting .311 with seven doubles and a home run this summer.
"(Dakota) had a fantastic season this spring at Highland," Eberly said. "He's been swinging the bat well for us."
Woods was joined in the All-Star Game by Clayton Daniel, Chase Hamilton, Zack Belanger and Justin Hoyt.
While the season has been a bit up and down, Eberly says there are plenty of positives to take from the summer. "We have a bunch of young kids, and I think they've grown throughout the season. We went through a long stretch where we had three doubleheaders in three days, and that's pretty taxing. But they got through it."
With the season down its final six games, Eberly hopes he will continue to see the effort he's seen throughout the season. "I hope they can carry it back to their schools and show improvement to their coaches," he said. "Just enjoy the summer and use it as a stepping stone for something bigger and better in the future."
Here's a look at the A's remaining schedule:
Wednesday, July 15th - vs. St. Joe Mustangs, 7:00 PM
Thursday, July 16th - DH vs. Joplin Outlaws, 6:00 & 8:00 PM
Friday, July 17th - vs. Joplin Outlaws, 7:00 PM
Saturday, July 18th - at Sedalia Bombers
Sunday, July 19th - vs. Carroll Merchants, 7:00 PM
You can hear the full interview with Eberly by clicking the embedded audio file below.
