Fort Madison boys suffer split on game-ending error

Ninth-inning error yields to Hounds first loss of the year

BY PCC SPORTS

MT. PLEASANT - Fort Madison just missed sweeping Mt. Pleasant in the Southeast Conference opener for both teams Tuesday night at Mapleleaf Sports Complex.

Fort Madison committed an infield error in the ninth inning of the night cap to allow the winning run to come to the plate in a 2-1 loss. The Hounds took the first game of the doubleheader 4-1.

Fort Madison senior Matt Hopper enticed a foul ball to open the bottom of the ninth inning with the Hounds and Panthers tied at 1-1. A walk to Colton Hutson after starting down 0-2 led its way to a stolen second base.

With Hutson at 2nd, Zerek Venghaus hit a hard grounder to second that got past Fort Madison's Kane Williams allowing Venghaus to come around to score the game-winner.

Mt. Pleasant opened the scoring when Aidan Pennock gave up a single and a walk to start the bottom half of the first inning. Jake Ensminger advanced to third on a passed ball and then Carter Amos hit a sacrifice fly to left scoring Ensminger for a 1-0 Mt. Pleasant lead.

Pennock would strike out the next two hitters, ending the inning, and Fort Madison would tie things up in the top of the second.

Pennock started the inning with 0-1 single to third. Jordan Simpson reached on an error and pinch runner Brennan Ulik moved all the way to third. Hopper would then lay down the squeeze, but Ulik would get put out at home with Simpson and Hopper at first and second.

Simpson would end up moving to third on a fielder's choice and then scoring on a wild pitch to tie things up.

Neither team would score again until the ninth inning. Pennock struck out the side in the bottom of the third in just 11 pitches.

Fort Madison had two on with one out in the top of the fourth when Simpson and Hopper both singled, but Henry Wiseman would hit into another fielder's choice wiping off Simpson, but leaving Wiseman and Hopper at 2nd and 3rd. A ground out would end the inning.

Fort Madison put a runner in scoring position again in the top of the ninth when Hopper's single moved Simpson to 2nd with two outs, but a ground out again would end the inning, setting up the ninth inning dramatics.

Pennock went seven innings, striking out 12, and allowing just one run earned on two hits. Williams went 1 1/3 and Hopper came on in the ninth. Hopper also led at the plate going 2 for 4. Tate Johnson, Tanner Settles, Aidan Pennock, and Simpson all had hits.

Sophomore Ben Newton went all nine innings for Mt. Pleasant, striking out four, giving up six hits and a run unearned.

In the opener, Fort Madison kicked off the scoring in the third with an RBI single by Settles to left scoring Landes Williams. The Hounds would give the run back in the bottom half on a passed ball before Williams got things under control.

Johnson reached on a fielder's choice in the top of the 5th and, with two outs, would come around to score on Settles' single to center for a 2-1 lead. Fort Madison would increase the lead to 3-1 when Matt Hopper scored on Simpson's grounder to second. Johnson would score on a wild pitch in the top of the 7th to set the final 4-1.