WILLIAMSBURG - Austin Stroschein was lifting weights at Johnson County Community College in November of 2014 when his teammates noticed his right arm was swollen and discolored.

"I looked at it and my arms were completely different colors. It was blowing up," he said Sunday after starring for Walford in an Iowa Valley League doubleheader at Williamsburg.

"It looked like an elephant trunk. It was absolutely ridiculous."

It turned out that Stroschein, a Linn-Mar grad, had two blood clots in his right shoulder and it led to him having thoracic outlet surgery, where doctors removed his first rib to relieve pressure on the artery in his arm.

The surgery left a long scar at the bottom of his neck where the rib was removed, and it also left two scars on his back where surgeons placed a tube through his back during the operation.

Doctors cleared the blood clots with a stent and he was on blood thinners for several months.

"It was a tough process, but I'm feeling decent now," he said. "I'm throwing better, so I have to keep getting stronger."

Stroschein tossed a one-hitter as Walford defeated Williamsburg, 13-1, in five innings in the first game of the twin-bill.

Elijah Wood and Parker Bolt combined for another one-hitter for Walford in the nightcap as the Hogs blanked the hosts, 3-0. Bolt struck out eight batters in four innings and got the victory in relief.

Stroschein was an all-state selection at Linn-Mar in 2012 and 2013. He compiled an 8-4 record at DMACC in 2014 and went 9-2 at Johnson County in 2015, despite the delicate surgery just several months before the 2015 campaign began.

Stroschein pitched for Creighton this past season, compiling an 0-2 record and 6.75 ERA as a mid-week starter and relief pitcher. He got to pitch against Nebraska, Arkansas, Wichita State and BYU for Creighton, which finished 38-17 overall and 13-5 in the Big East.

"Those are some good-hitting ballclubs, so it was a good challenge, for sure," he remarked.

Stroschein is just happy to be pitching again after his big scare 19 months ago while at Johnson County. He'd been battling a sore arm near the end of fall ball in 2014, but was not overly concerned at first.

"I thought it was over-use, so I shut it down for the winter," he said. "Then we were lifting and in the middle of the lift everyone was like, 'What's wrong with your arm, Man?'"

Stroschein went to the trainer, who prescribed ice and rest. A week later, he lifted weights again and the same thing happened, so he went to the emergency room at a Kansas City hospital and was diagnosed with the two blood clots.

He's not exactly sure why the doctors had to remove a rib, but was assured it needed to be done.

"I guess it was poking the artery," he said. "It was damaging the artery and blood wasn't able to come back up through my arm. With excessive workouts, all the blood would stay down here (at the bottom of his right arm) and that's what created the blood clots."

Stroschein struck out four batters and allowed only a soft RBI single to right field in the first game Sunday. He pitched in the Northwoods League two years ago after his freshman campaign at DMACC, but is glad to be playing in the Iowa Valley League this summer with some of his former USSSA buddies while also working for Perfect Game USA.

Brennan Hammer, a Prairie grad who also plays at Creighton, went 2-for-4 and belted a two-run homer for Walford in the first game. Logan Holtz went 3-for-3 with three runs and two RBIs. Josh Crosby was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

Xavier grad Bryce Grimm, who is headed to Illinois State after two years at Kirkwood, had a two-run double.

Wood started the second game for Walford and tossed three shutout innings. Bolt relieved and struck out the first five batters he faced and pitched four strong innings.

Grimm went 3-for-4 in the second game and Crosby hit a two-run homer.

Williamsburg batters were a combined 2-for-39 in the doubleheader with 15 strikeouts.

GAME 1

WALFORD (13): Woods, 3b, 1 1 0 1, Grimm, cf, 3 1 1 2, Holtz, 2b, 3 3 3 2, Hammer, rf, 4 2 2 3, Crosby, dh, 4 0 2 2, Stenberg, c, 3 1 1 1, Butz, 1b, 2 2 1 0, Mougin, ss, 2 1 0 0, Mahoney, lf, 1 2 1 1. Totals 23 13 11 12.

WILLIAMSBURG (1): Saunders, ss, 1 1 0 0, N.Arp, 2b, 2 0 0 0, Knox, 1b, 2 0 0 0, Redman, 3b, 2 0 1 1, Delaney, cf, 2 0 0 0, Frazier, lf, 2 0 0 0, Parker, rf, 2 0 0 0, Berte, dh, 2 0 0 0, Holub, c, 1 0 0 0. Totals 16 1 1 1.

Walford       074 11 - 13 11 1
Williamsburg  000 10 - 1 1 1

Stroschein and Stenberg. Rasmussen, Harring (3), Crawford (5) and Holub. W - Stroschein. L - Rasmussen.

GAME 2

WALFORD (3): Woods, 3b, 1 1 0 0, Grimm, cf, 4 0 3 0, Holtz, rf, 3 0 0 0, Hammer, lf, 4 1 0 0, Crosby, dh, 4 1 1 2, Stenberg, c, 3 0 0 0, Butz, 1b, 2 0 0 0, Mougin, ss, 2 0 0 0, Mahoney, 2b, 4 0 0 0. Totals 27 3 4 2.

WILLIAMSBURG (0): Saunders, ss, 2 0 1 0, Delaney, cf, 3 0 0 0, N.Arp, c, 3 0 0 0, Redman, 3b, 3 0 0 0, Knox, 1b, 3 0 0 0, Parker, rf, 1 0 0 0, Ochenfels, ph/rf, 2 0 0 0, Frazier, lf, 2 0 0 0, Liddell, 2b, 2 0 0 0, Anton, dh, 2 0 0 0. Totals 23 0 1 0.

Walford        102 000 0 - 3 4 1
Williamsburg   000 000 0 - 0 1 3

Wood, Bolt (4) and Stenberg. Handke, Crawford (4), Bowman (7) and N.Arp. W - Bolt. L - Handke.