The Fort Calhoun Senior Legion baseball team's 1-3 run through a Springfield tournament concluded Monday with its third-straight loss.
The hosts, Post 143, overcame a 1-0 deficit and won the game 6-1 on their home diamond. The Zig Drywall Pioneers, meanwhile, dropped to 17-23 overall before they open postseason play 7 p.m. today at home.
As noted, Calhoun scored first in Springfield on Monday. Kenny Wellwood led off the top of the first inning with a walk before JT Mlnarik singled, setting up Josh Miranda. Post 348's No. 3 hitter delivered, sending an RBI single into left field for the 1-0 advantage.
From there, though, with runners on second and third base and just one out, the Pioneers struck out and flew out to end the top half of the frame.
Calhoun held the lead until the bottom of the third inning when Springfield scored four runs. The home team scored runs during the fifth and sixth frames, too, besting its visitor by five altogether.
Post 348 drops 2 Sunday
Fort Calhoun also dropped two Springfield tournament games Sunday at Buffalo Park. It lost the first matchup against the ETC Knights Black, 2-1, and the second against Plattsmouth — 8-5.
The Knights bested Post 348 by walk-off, scoring the winning run after the Pioneers evened the score at 1-1 during the top of the seventh frame. Miranda was 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Mlnarik (two), Wellwood and Colin Bolay collected hits in defeat.
Mlnarik also pitched against the Elkhorn Mount Michael squad, striking out three batters across five innings. Wellwood threw the last 1 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit before taking the loss on the mound.
Calhoun, however, trailed Plattsmouth from the start of the second Sunday game. Post 56 scored three first-inning runs and led 7-1 through four innings.
Zig Drywall made a late push with four runs across the last three frames, but it wasn't enough.
Miranda again led Post 348, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and three RBIs. Charlie Boumstein and Sam Genoways plated runs, too, while Wellwood, Mlnarik (two), AJ Duros and Landon Bernasek scored. Catcher Chase Premer was 2-for-4 with a bat in his hands, too.
Fort Calhoun's Declyn Otte suffered the pitching loss despite three strikeouts.
POST 348 SENIOR LINE SCORES
Monday
Springfield 6, Fort Calhoun 1
FC (17-23) 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0
SPRING 0 0 4 0 1 1 X — 6
Sunday
Plattsmouth 8, Fort Calhoun 5
PLATT 3 0 4 0 0 1 0 — 8
FC (17-22) 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 — 5
ETC Knights Black 2, Fort Calhoun 1
FC (17-21) 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 — 1
ETC 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 — 2
