Fort Calhoun High School’s record-breaking season ended Tuesday during an NSAA Class C State Championships elimination game in Papillion.
The Pioneers fell to Lincoln Christian, 11-1 in five innings, ending the season 18-8 overall — their school’s best-ever record. Coach Roy Prauner’s program went 1-2 during its state debut, besting the Crusaders 7-5 on Saturday before back-to-back losses Monday and Tuesday ended its run.
Trailing the Crusaders 3-0 on Tuesday, FCHS plated its lone run during the fourth inning when senior Kenny Wellwood hit a single to score Presley Olberding. Eric Koterba had singled to put the runner into scoring position.
Errors stacked up defensively, though, and the Pioneers surrendered eight more runs across the next two frames to lose by run-rule.
“It seemed like it was not our day,” Coach Prauner said after his team’s elimination. “But I don’t think that score or that game diminishes anything that we did the entire season.”
Fort Calhoun’s only winning spring campaign in school history ended in state competition against one of Class C’s best teams. The Pioneers, notably, were one of only eight to make the NSAA field in the first place.
For the full story and additional photos, check out Friday’s edition of the Washington County Enterprise. Coverage will appear online at enterprisepub.com/sports that same day.
