The Fort Calhoun baseball team played for a Nebraska Capitol Conference (NCC) Tournament title Saturday in Valparaiso.
The Pioneers (5-7 overall) came up short against their top-seeded hosts, the Branched Oak Bucks, but they earned the right with a memorable 3-2, extra-innings semifinals victory. Winning pitcher Tylan Conner closed out second-seeded Platte Valley during the bottom of the eighth frame with the tying run on third base.
“My team played great and they had my back,” he said.
Right fielder Austin Welchert clinched the game-ending flyout, but not until after 7 2/3 innings of clean baseball between two teams that combined for just one error.
Conner started off the semifinals game with a solo homer during the top of the first frame. It came with two outs and a strike already on the board.
“The first strike he threw me was really good,” the FCHS senior said. “I was hoping he'd throw me another one because it was literally right there, the perfect pitch to hit.”
The Patriots pitcher did and Conner gave his team an early 1-0 advantage with his first RBI of the day. His second, which scored leadoff batter Ty Hallberg, pushed the Pioneers' lead to 2-0 during the third inning.
Platte Valley immediately responded, though, with Hayden Lewis hammering a two-run homer over the right field fence.
From there, though, both NCC teams went scoreless until the top half of the eighth inning. With one out, Zach Faucher remained patient and drew a walk to give his Calhoun team a base runner to work with.
“I had to be smart for the team and he threw me a ball, so I had my chance,” the junior infielder said.
The walk forced Platte Valley to strategize and the Patriots opted to intentionally walk Conner before Justin Myer — who started on the mound and struck out four batters — was hit by a pitch to load the bags.
Then, with an out to work with, FCHS' Jake Seina made contact on a swing for an infield fly. The senior was called out, but the ball found the edge of the outfield grass and Faucher took off from third base toward home.
“All I was thinking was 'I've got to get there. I've got to get there,'” the base runner said. “Luckily, it wasn't the best throw and I got under there.”
Faucher slid under the Pats' catcher's legs, scoring what amounted to the game-winning run.
“That was very exciting for our team,” the junior said. “It gives a confidence boost for our future games.”
The immediate future game was against Branched Oak for the NCC tourney title. The Bucks seized control with three runs during the second inning and five during the fourth, pulling out a 9-2 win overall.
Conner had three more hits in defeat, while Seina notched two. Tristan Fuhrman and Hallberg knocked in the Pioneers' two runs.
“I thought, overall, we played well in both games,” FCHS coach Roy Prauner said.
Calhoun next plays 4:30 p.m. today at another NCC foe's home diamond. The Pioneers look to move to 2-0 this season against Arlington after the Eagles finished fourth at the teams' shared conference tournament Saturday afternoon.
