Fort Calhoun hasn't had much luck against Central City/Centura recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Pioneers will face off against the Kernels at 2:30 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Fort Calhoun 4, Central City/Centura 2.2) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Fort Calhoun proved they can win big on Friday (they won by eight) and on Monday they proved they can win the close ones too. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-3 win over Douglas County West. While the Pioneers didn't have the best season last year (they finished 9-12), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Kenny Wellwood made a big impact no matter where he played. He struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Chase Premer
| 04/07/25 vs Douglas County West | 2 |
| 03/27/25 vs Plattsmouth | 1 |
| 03/25/25 vs Wayne | 1 |
| 03/21/24 @ Plattsmouth | 1 |
| 03/19/24 @ Wayne | 1 |
Wellwood wasn't the only one making solid contact as two players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Chase Premer, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Those two RBI gave Premer a new career-high.
Fort Calhoun hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in seven consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Central City/Centura strolled into their game on Tuesday with a perfect record and they left with the same. Everything went their way against Raymond Central as they made off with a 16-5 victory. That looming 16-5 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Kernels yet this season.
Like Fort Calhoun, Central City/Centura also got a great game from a two-way player: Hayden Murphy. On the mound, he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Murphy was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with three RBI.
In other batting news, Conner Erickson was a standout: he scored three runs and stole a base while going 4-for-5. He also put up a double, which was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Mason Gorecki, who scored four runs and stole a base while going 4-for-5.
Fort Calhoun's record now sits at 7-1. As for Central City/Centura, their record is now 5-0.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Fort Calhoun has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 5.5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Central City/Centura struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.8 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
