Even after Omaha Central scored a run apiece during the third and fourth innings Monday, the Fort Calhoun Senior Legion baseball team led 3-2 going into the fifth.
Circumstances at home changed quickly, though.
“Had an inning with a few errors and a few singles, and before we knew it we handed them six runs,” Zig Drywall Post 348 coach Brandon Wynn said.
Central took an 8-3 lead with their top of the fifth inning output, putting the Pioneers away after seven complete, 15-4. Wynn's squad fell to 6-11 in defeat, while his friend, coach Joe Genoways, picked up a road victory in his old stomping grounds. The Central coach is a former Fort Calhoun and Morningside University baseball standout.
Early on, Fort Calhoun appeared in position to earn its own victory. Justin Myer notched a first-inning RBI before the Pioneers added two more runs in the second for a 3-0 lead. Ty Hallberg plated Harrison Schmitt first when he hit into an Omaha error before Jordan Back scored on a throwing error.
“I thought we did a good job battling late into counts and making the pitcher throw fastballs in the zone,” Wynn said of Post 348's fast start.
Central scored the next eight runs, though, taking a five-run advantage. Sam Genoways, Joe's brother, added an RBI single for the home team during the bottom half of the fifth inning, but it wasn't enough.
“If we square up a few baseballs and take advantage of runners in scoring position, it's a tighter game,” Wynn said. “But (we) have to back up good pitching with defense and we didn't do much of either tonight.”
Omaha Central scored seven seventh-inning runs to cap its road win.
Fort Calhoun was scheduled to play again Wednesday and Thursday, but next competes 7 p.m. Monday at Tekamah.
