The Arlington baseball team improved to 2-0 against Fort Calhoun this season Tuesday, scoring all eight runs of its 8-3 win during the third, fourth and fifth innings.
The Eagles (7-9 overall) fell behind early, but responded to a 2-0 road deficit with consistent offensive success during the middle frames.
“Kind of had to sit back and drive the ball,” AHS coach Tyler Stender said.
The Pioneers, meanwhile, dropped to 3-11 with their second loss to the Eagles. Coach Roy Prauner's team fell behind 6-0 during the first, 10-5 defeat, but led Tuesday's home game after two first-inning runs. Fast starts have become a more common occurrence as of late with FCHS winning two of its last four games.
“We have been coming prepared,” Prauner said, noting that, “Now, it's about sustaining that. Not having that drop-off.”
Sam Halford and Austin Welchert plated the first two runs of the game before Arlington's Braden Monke hit an infield RBI single during the top of the third inning.
The Eagles then scored three runs in the fourth, taking a 4-2 advantage. Dalton Newcomer hit an RBI single to right centerfield, Jack Bang hit a shallow single to right and Monke made contact into an error to build the lead. All three batters swung early in the count against FCHS pitcher Alex Christensen.
“As we saw him the first time through the lineup, we just got a little more confident,” Stender said.
AHS' successful at-bats continued into the four-run fifth inning. Blaine Vogt, Newcomer, Isaac Foust and Monke again made run-scoring contact for an 8-2 advantage before the Pioneers' Zach Faucher turned a double play to end the frame.
After a scoreless bottom of the fifth, the home team scored its third run in the sixth with Chase Premer, Avery Quinlan and Ty Hallberg loading the bases ahead of Tristan Fuhrman's sacrifice fly. The offensive work wasn't enough to threaten Arlington's road win, but another bright spot emerged for the Pioneers across the final two innings.
Pitching for the first time in about two weeks due to injury concerns, FCHS' Levi Lasher stepped in and struck out three Eagles.
“If I would have known he was going to throw that well, I would have put him in there a little sooner,” Prauner said.
Arlington hurler Tyler Ott, meanwhile, earned the pitching win, combining with reliever Trevor Denker for five strikeouts.
The Pioneers didn't win Tuesday, but their coach did appreciate his team's strong play in the beginning and end of the game with their Washington County rival.
“Today, we got a little happy with where we were at with those two runs and we lost our way for a little bit,” Prauner said.
Stender, meanwhile, saw the five-run victory as another step forward for his Arlington Eagles.
“We have progress,” he said. “The things we're getting on them about after the game are kind of more nit-picky.”
AHS is building with about two weeks left in the regular season.
“Big picture things, we're figuring out,” Stender said. “We're just fine-tuning some stuff. That's where we should be in the season.”
