The start of the Fort Calhoun High School baseball season was delayed by last week's weather, but the Class C No. 10 Pioneers were good to go when they finally hit the field Tuesday against No. 6 Wayne.
After getting through a tough top half of the first inning, coach Roy Prauner's team controlled the home game, picking up an 8-3 victory.
“Everything seemed to be working,” starting pitcher Sam Genoways said. “Pitching was pretty good. Fielding was pretty good.”
The senior felt FCHS was even better than “pretty good” in at least one area.
“Our hitting was lights out,” he said. “So, yeah, no complaints.”
Both Genoways and outfielder Eric Koterba felt confidence played a big part in the season-opening win.
“I think everybody was just relaxed at the plate and in the field as well,” Koterba explained. “We were just having a good time.”
The best times started after the Pioneers avoided surrendering more than one run to the Blue Devils during the top half of the first frame. Genoways and company made sure Wayne stranded a few runners and later scored their own equalizer during the bottom half.
“They're going to do what they do,” Prauner said, noting how his players weren't shook when their opposition threatened multiple first-inning runs. “They're going to battle.”
Calhoun combated Wayne defensively, but also at the plate. After Travis Skelton scored the home squad's first run of the season on a balk, seniors Alex Christensen and Kenny Wellwood pushed across the go-ahead runs on doubles during the third frame.
Ahead 3-1, Genoways' fourth-inning two-RBI single gave the Pioneers a four-run advantage.
“We just had a lot of confidence up there,” he said.
Three more FCHS runs later, the senior finished 2-for-3 for the game with a double and three RBIs. Wellwood added a 2-2 overall showing with a double and two RBIs, while Chase Premer also plated a run.
Chase Bierman and Koterba added to Calhoun's hit total, too, while the latter scored three runs.
“I was just going up there not overthinking too much and just staying relaxed at the plate,” Koterba said. “That's a big thing for me.”
On the mound, Genoways threw three innings, striking out six Wayne batters. Wellwood took the starter's place in the fourth, completing the game with seven strikeouts and just three hits allowed.
Now that the season is started, though, the 1-0 Pioneers intend to keep going.
“We do have a couple more hard ones this week, so, hopefully, we get those in and get rolling into a decent place going into next week,” Coach Prauner said.
Fort Calhoun was scheduled to play Class B Plattsmouth on Thursday and next competes 4:30 p.m. today at Louisville. The Pioneers are then back home 1 p.m. Saturday for a matchup with No. 1 Malcolm.
FCHS BASEBALL LINE SCORE
Tuesday
No. 10 Fort Calhoun 8, No. 6 Wayne 3
WHS (2-1) 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 — 3
FCHS (1-0) 1 0 2 2 1 2 X — 8
