After its opener was postponed by weather, the Fort Calhoun baseball team actually started its season against a pair of ranked Class C opponents Saturday in Omaha.
Coach Roy Prauner's Pioneers lost to the third-ranked Roncalli Crimson Pride, 9-1, but came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat No. 9 Twin River 7-3 during the triangular.
“Overall, I'm pretty happy with the day,” senior infielder Carter Christensen said. “We could have just given up in that Twin River game, but we came back.”
After FCHS took a 1-0, first-inning lead when Alex Christensen was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, the Titans took a 3-1 advantage with a two-run top of the fifth-inning. They didn't hold the lead for long, though, as Carter Christensen first plated both Kenny Wellwood and Sam Genoways with a two-run double to left-centerfield during the bottom half.
“The pitcher was kind of off, and my coaches were telling me there was no way he wasn't throwing me a fastball down the middle,” Christensen said. “I just trusted it and cranked it when I got it.”
Calhoun base runner Eli Tinkham later broke the 3-3 tie on a passed ball before the Pioneers' fifth run scored on a Twin River balk.
Still in the bottom of the fifth inning, Pioneer Eric Koterba loaded the bases when he hit into an error. Senior AJ Duros came up next after a pair of bunt singles to start the game.
“It's definitely something that my coaches trust me to do,” he said. “They call it a lot when I get up and I know I can execute.”
Ahead 5-3, though, Duros swung his bat for two more runs when his single landed in shallow centerfield. He said afterward that all he wanted was to keep what turned into a six-run inning going.
“There's no reason to just let it end, so the approach is just go up there and keep everybody hitting,” the senior said.
Wellwood then stepped onto the mound for the sixth frame after Genoways and Chase Bierman split duties during the first five innings. He struck out the last batter he faced, closing out the FCHS victory.
Against Roncalli, though, the Pioneers lost. Chase Premer plated Calhoun's only run during the third inning.
At 1-1, Coach Prauner's team plays next 4:30 p.m. today at Wayne. It's fourth game of the season is 4 p.m. Thursday at Plattsmouth, too.
FCHS BASEBALL LINE SCORES
Saturday
Fort Calhoun 7, No. 9 Twin River 3, 6 inn.
TR (0-2) 0 0 1 0 2 0 — 3
FCHS (1-1) 1 0 0 0 6 X — 7
No. 3 Omaha Roncalli 9, Fort Calhoun 1, 6 inn.
FCHS (0-1) 0 0 1 0 0 0 — 1
RON (1-1) 0 2 4 1 2 X — 9
