Hounds offense rolling as Southeast play picks up

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BY CHUCK VANDENBERG
PCC EDITOR

MEDIAPOLIS - The Fort Madison Bloodhounds baseball team has won five of their last six and have put up 47 runs in the last three games including 16 in a 16-2 win over Mediapolis Wednesday night in a non-conference matchup.

The Hounds pick up Southeast Conference action Thursday night with a double header at Fairfield.

The Hounds started with a four-spot in the top of the first.

Landes Williams and Jason Thurman got on with walks. a pop foul fly out set up a one-out fielder's choice by Reiburn Turnbull that moved Williams to third and cleared Thurman off at 2nd. Junior Tate Johnson then singled to left scoring Williams for the first run of the game.

A double steal would leave Turnbull and Johnson at 2nd and 3rd. Garrett Hannum beat out a grounder to 2nd to score Turnbull and move Johnson to third. Colton Engeman then laced a two-run single to center to make it 4-0 before a ground out ended the inning.

Mediapolis would get a run back in the bottom of the second, but Fort Madison would answer with a run in the third. Turnbull would get on with another fielder's choice, swipe second and take third on an error on the throw down. Johnson would then sacrifice Turnbull on a fly to center for a 5-1 lead.

Mepo would score again in the bottom half after Hannum issued a walk and an error moved Ryan Ensminger to 2nd. Regan Thornburg would ground out to second, but Ensminger would come in to score to make it 5-2.

The bats would come alive again in the fourth with four runs for Fort Madison. Hannum would settle in and and hold the Bulldogs scoreless in the fourth and fifth.

The Hounds would put the game away in the top of the 5th with seven runs.

Hannum opened with a single, Engeman and Matt Hopper both walked. Adam Sobczak courtesy running for Hannum got thrown out trying to take third and Brennan Ulik moved up to 2nd. He would come around to score on Aiden Pennock's single to right. Hopper would move to third.

Williams then walked again to load the bases and Jason Thurman would single to left scoring a run. Thurman would walk to force in Pennock, and then Turnbull singled to right scoring Williams and Jason Thurman.

Tate Johnson then laced a double to left scoring Vasin Thurman and Turnbull to set the final at 16-2. With the Hounds up by more than 10 and Hannum sitting down the Bulldogs in the bottom half, the game ended after five moving Fort Madison to 7-2 (3-1).

Jason Thurman, Johnson and Hannum all had two hit games. Williams and Turnbull each scored three runs on the night. Johnson led the Hounds with 4 RBI.

Hannum scattered just three hits and gave up the two runs, with one earned while striking out two on just 66 total pitches.

The Hounds lead the Southeast Conference with a .317 team batting average, RBI with 69, ERA at 2.55 as a team and hold opponents to just .200 at the plate. The Hounds have scored 80 runs on the year a full 23 ahead of Burlington and have 72 hits on the year.

Turnbull and Jason Thurman are both hitting over .400 on the season through nine games. Mt. Pleasant's Will Edeker is top in the loop with a .529 clip. Johnson and Turnbull lead the conference in RBI with 14 each. Colton Engeman leads the Southeast in stolen bases with 8, and Hannum leads the conference with three wins so far this year.

Six of the Bloodhounds next eight game are against conference opponents.

baseball, bloodhounds, fort madison, Mediapolis, Pen City Current, sports

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