The Fort Calhoun High School baseball team beat Lincoln Lutheran in extra innings Friday, securing its first state tournament qualification in program history.
Senior Kenny Wellwood produced the walk-off winning contact at the plate, scoring Eli Tinkham for the 6-5 Class C District 3 Tournament finals win.
“Our kids’ focus level throughout the whole game never changed,” FCHS coach Roy Prauner said. “No one was nervous. No one thought we were going to lose and that’s how they’ve been all year. They just keep finding a way.”
The Pioneers (17-6 overall) next play May 17 during the NSAA Class C State Baseball Championships at Fricke Field in Papillion. First-round matchups and start times were not officially released by the NSAA as of 9 p.m. Friday.
Fort Calhoun trailed 5-4 going into the decisive bottom of the eighth inning, but also trailed 4-1 through 5.5 innings. Eric Koterba tied the game for the first time by hitting into a throwing error during the bottom of the sixth frame.
The 4-4 score stuck through the seventh inning and into the extra eighth when Lincoln Lutheran took a one-run lead on an RBI double.
The Pioneers got out of the inning, however, with three-straight outs. They then had Charlie Boumstein and Eli Tinkham reach base, allowing Presley Olberding to push across Boumstein with a ground ball to the Warriors’ third baseman, who was off-target with his throw to the catcher at home plate.
Tied at 5-all, FCHS’ Eric Koterba loaded the bases for Wellwood to produce the game-winning and state-clinching RBI.
Other district news
Both Blair and Arlington, meanwhile, fell short in first-round district games Thursday afternoon. The losses ended their spring seasons.
The Bears fell to Platte Valley 3-1 at Omaha Skutt, while Arlington dropped a 10-3 game to St. Paul/Palmer in Hastings.
Full coverage of all three teams will appear in Tuesday’s Washington County Pilot-Tribune edition. Stories and photos will appear online here at enterprisepub.com/sports that same day.
