BHS shuts out Bloodhounds 6-0

Postseason coming

"We have to make sure we’re learned from some of these small mistake. When the postseason comes around, everybody’s got a clean slate. Hopefully we’re learning, and not just rolling in there not being ready to play."”

Albert Schinstock, FMHS Baseball coach

BURLINGTON — One play at the plate seemed to give Fort Madison’s baseball team some momentum.
Another play a half-inning later turned the game the other way.
Burlington High School used a pair of three-run innings to defeat the Bloodhounds 6-0 on Thursday night and clinch the Southeast Conference title.
Alex Fawcett pitched a six-hit complete game, striking out six Bloodhounds.
But it was a pair of plays at home plate that made a difference in the game.
Fort Madison starting pitcher Caden Barnes let his defense work for him in two scoreless innings to start the game, then the Grayhounds’ hits started finding openings in the third.
Christos Kantzavelos started the outburst with a one-out single. Walks to Hunter Ford and Josh Zahner loaded the bases, then Noah Nixon dropped in a single to score Kantzavelos. A walk to Kyler Schwartz brought in a second run, then Moise Cordero’s single gave the Grayhounds a 3-0 lead. But the inning ended when Nixon was thrown out at the plate on Drake Timmerman’s flyout to right field.
“They had some walks mixed in with some bloop hits,” Fort Madison coach Albert Schinstock said. “They hit three balls to right field, not hard or anything, mixed those in around some walks, and that always comes back to get you.”
Fort Madison immediately tried to pounce on Fawcett in the top of the fourth. Barnes reached on an error and went to second on Hunter Cresswell’s single. Tateum Schelich then singled to right field, but Barnes was thrown out at the plate for the first out of the inning. Luke Hellige struck out and Aiden Mitchell popped out to end the inning.
“It’s a bang-bang play, probably shouldn’t have made the first out at home,” Schinstock said. “In that situation, I was pushing him. Should have held him.”
Fort Madison would only threaten one more time after that, when Barnes singled in the sixth and reached third on a wild pitch with two outs. But Hellige was called out on strikes to end the inning.
The Grayhounds (14-12 overall, 10-1 conference) added three runs in the fifth inning, but the Bloodhounds (8-14, 4-8) got out of further damage when catcher Kane Williams threw Kantzavelos out trying to steal third base with two outs.
The Bloodhounds have two weeks left before the postseason begins.
“We have to make sure we’re learned from some of these small mistakes,” Schinstock said. “When the postseason comes around, everybody’s got a clean slate. Hopefully we’re learning, and not just rolling in there not being ready to play.”