The Fort Calhoun Senior Legion baseball team's postseason run ended in two games.
After a loss to Omaha Roncalli on Friday, Blair — the Class B Area 3 Tournament host — eliminated Zig Drywall from contention, 7-6.
“It's tough,” coach Jerry Wellwood said after breaking the postgame huddle down the third base line at Vets Field. “This is the last game I'm ever going to coach — 25 years and I'm done. My son's done.”
The loss ended time in the dugout between Jerry and Kenny Wellwood, but also time between the coach and the rest of his players.
“It's hard because these guys worked really hard,” he said.
Post 348 put together an early 5-1 lead, but didn't hold it for long when Post 154 manufactured six runs during the third inning.
“It was a typical Calhoun-Blair game,” Wellwood said. “It was back-and-forth.”
The teams played five times this summer with Post 154 earning four wins.
“We jumped on them,” Zig Drywall's coach said of the most recent meeting. “They answered, of course.”
Kenny Wellwood, Chase Premer and Charlie Boumstein finished the loss with an RBI apiece, while their team's four hits belonged to JT Mlnarik, Premer, Alex Christensen and Boumstein. Declyn Otte pitched all seven innings, striking out four batters in defeat, according to Post 154 stat-keeping.
Fort Calhoun was able to earn base runners during the seventh inning, but couldn't plate them to extend or win the game — the last of the season.
“All year, we got the guys on and in position,” Coach Wellwood said. “We just didn't always get the hit to get them in.”
Roncalli tops Post 348
The Zig Drywall Seniors struggled at the start of the Area 3 Tourney, dropping their first-round game to Omaha Roncalli, 7-1.
“They were ready,” Coach Wellwood said. “We weren't.”
The Pride scored their first six runs before Post 348 got its one and only during the bottom of the third inning. Jordan Back, Logan Schwab and Mlnarik loaded the bases for Kenny Wellwood, who drove in Back by sacrifice.
The Calhoun run cut its deficit to five runs, but didn't light the spark Coach Wellwood's team needed. It, ultimately, couldn't overcome its early mistakes.
“We just weren't catching the ball,” Wellwood said of early defensive play. “We had a lot of guys where the ball was hitting their gloves and popping out.”
All of the small miscues led to the big disadvantage on the scoreboard.
“Every time it'd happen, they'd get a base runner out of it,” Wellwood explained. “And then they'd hit their little single with two guys on and there you go. That kind of adds up on itself.”
Zig Drywall made comebacks this season, but its seventh inning lasted just three batters as Roncalli advanced in Blair.
AREA 3 TOURNAMENT LINE SCORES
Saturday
Blair 7, Fort Calhoun 6
BLAIR (18-16) 1 0 6 0 0 0 0 — 7 9 4
FC (21-17) 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 — 6 4 2
Friday
Omaha Roncalli 7, Fort Calhoun 1
RON 2 1 3 0 0 0 1 — 1
FC (21-16) 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 — 7
