HTC knocks off Columbus Junction on Senior Night

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BY CHUCK VANDENBERG

PCC EDITOR

WEST POINT - Incoming freshman Vasin Thurman stepped up on a night reserved for seniors and drove what turned out to be the game-winning run Monday night in Southeast Iowa Superconference baseball.

The Holy Trinity Crusaders broke a 10-game losing streak by downing Columbus Junction 4-3 on Senior Night at South Park in West Point.

Another incoming freshman, Cole Thornton, picked up the win for the Crusaders going six innings, giving up five hits, while walking two and striking out six. Freshman Reed Fehseke came in in the seventh to pick up the save giving up no runs on one hit.

"Cole did a very good job today. An excellent job of throwing strikes," said HTC Head Coach Albert Schinstock. "And right now we're gonna keep using Reed for one or two innings to close games out. He did a nice job this evening."

Columbus Junction got on the board with only one out in the top of the first when Caleb McCollough came around to score on a double from Eric Reese. Thornton was able to strand Reese at second after getting the next two hitters to pop out to third and center respectively.

The Crusaders answered in the bottom half when Fehseke reached on a fielding error by third baseman Marshall Meade. Fehseke swiped second base before Senior Ben Tinguely struck out. Junior Collin Thornton then singled up the middle with Fehseke on the run scoring him from second to tie the game. Kyle Bredemeyer and senior Cameron Bahl both popped out to end the inning.

Both teams went scoreless in the second inning. The Crusaders turned a nifty Cole Thornton - to Collin Thornton - to Vasin Thurman double play to end the top half of that inning.

Columbus Junction put up another run in the top of the third. Thornton got the Wildcats' Ryan Orr to strike out to start the inning. Tommy Pretz then walked and stole second and McCollough grounded out to Fehseke at third. Pretz stole second and then Reese hit another grounder to Fehseke. Pretz sprinted in front of Fehseke on the play and Fehseke's throw shorthopped first and got by Thurman to allow Pretz to score. Tucker Morrison then singled to left but Thornton coaxed the next Wildcat into a flyout to center that freshman Quentin Schneider caught sliding to end the inning.

The Crusaders went scoreless in the bottom of the third and held Columbus to a walk and three outs in the top half of the fourth. Trailing 2-1 going into the bottom of the fourth, senior Cameron Bahl reached on an error at third and stole second. Thurman then lined an RBI single to left scoring Bahl to tie the game at 2s. Senior Nathan Bredemeyer hit a dribbler the catcher fielded and threw to get him at first advancing Thurman to second. Kaiden Medland then hit a single to left moving Thurman to third.

Reese tried to pick off Medland at first but was called for a balk by the base umpire scoring Thurman and moving Medland to second base. Schneider then hit a grounder to short, but Medland ran through the play and was called out on interference, leaving only Schnieder on the base paths when Fehseke popped out to third to end the inning with HTC up 3-2.

Thornton gave up a double to start the top of the fifth, but got the next three hitters out and stranded the runner at third.

In the bottom half, the Crusaders put an insurance run on with two outs. Kyle Bredemeyer drew a bases empty walk and Bahl and Thurman each added singles with Thurman's scoring Bredemeyer before Medland hit a smash back to Reese who gloved it in the air.

The Wildcats would get within one in the top of the sixth with a triple out of the gate. Thornton struck out the next hitter, his sixth of the game. But a deep fly to Tinguely in right scored the runner from third to make it 4-3. A ground out to Collin Thornton at short ended the threat.

HTC went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the sixth and Schinstock brought in Fehseke to close it out. Orr jumped on Fehseke with a single to left, but a pop out followed by a grounder to short on a fielder's choice and a ground out to Bahl at second closed the book on the game.

Schinstock said after the game he's pleased with the production of his team late in the inning. "Everybody's doing better staying in the game at this point."

He also had praise for Thurman and Medland.

"Those are young kids that are coming up with some pretty big hits."

The Crusaders are now 3-14 on the year with three regular season games left starting with Fort Madison Wednesday with a junior varsity/varsity set starting at 5:30 in Fort Madison.

Senior Ben Tinguely gets a bead on a fly to right field before throwing home too late to catch a runner tagging from third. The Crusaders won for the first time since June 5 with a score of 4-3. Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC.

HTC Senior Nathan Bredemeyer sprints to first while Columbus Junction catcher Evan Rees throws down to first on the play. Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC.

 

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baseball, Columbus Junction, crusaders, Holy Trinity Catholic, htc, Senior Night, South Park

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