Cresswell comes up big in Hounds upset of MP

FORT MADISON – The Fort Madison Bloodhounds took advantage of the annual senior baseball night to create some energy around an upset of Southeast Conference’s second-place Mt. Pleasant Thursday night in Fort Madison.
Senior Hunter Cresswell singled in the bottom of the eighth inning to score Stefan Berlett with a walk-off RBI game winner.
The Hounds (9-15, 4-7 Southeast Conference) trailed 4-0 after three innings after the Panthers tagged Cresswell for three runs in the second. Mt. Pleasant loaded the bases with one out in the third with the game scoreless.
Brayton Hutson then grounded into a fielder’s choice at second scoring Zachary Newton with two outs. Then an error on an infield single plated another run before Payton Walker singled to short and an error there allowed another run to cross for a 3-0 lead. Cresswell got a fly ball to center to end the rally.
Payton Hagans' two-out double in the third added another run for a 4-0 lead. Cresswell would settle in for a few innings, getting the Panthers 1-2-3 in the fourth and fifth innings. The senior then helped the cause with a double to center on a 1-0 pitch that scored Reece Huey to get the Bloodhounds on the board. Owen Huffman would come around on a passed ball after getting to third on a balk call on Hagans to make it 4-2.
The Hounds would tie things up in the bottom of the seventh with two outs and two on. Cresswell was intentionally walked to load the bases creating forces everywhere.  But Luke Hellige would draw a walk scoring Tateum Schelich, and then Caden Barnes walked after getting to a full count to score the second run of the inning and tie things up at 4. A strikeout would end the inning stranding three runners.
Cresswell would get the first two outs and then gave way to Berlett on the mound. Berlett would give up a single to center before getting a ground out to short to end the inning.
Berlett then singled to open the bottom half of the eighth. Schelich would fly out to right and Nolan Lamb would reach on an error at third to put two on with one out. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners up, but Huey worked a walk to load the bases before Cresswell singled to left driving in the winning run.
Cresswell went 7 2/3 innings, scattering seven hits, while fanning four, and walking one. Three of the four runs allowed were earned. Berlett got the win with just 1/3 of an inning allowing one hit.  Cresswell was also 3-of-4 at the plate with two RBIs. Huey, Barnes, Berlett, and Lamb had the other hits for Fort Madison.
Mt. Pleasant swept a doubleheader Monday with the Hounds falling  10-0 and 11-3.
The Hounds are off until Tuesday when they travel to Davis County to finish a rain-delayed game and then play a full game following. They wrap the regular season July 3 at home vs. Ottumwa.
The Hounds open post season Class 3A Substate 5 play on July 12 at Mt. Pleasant. The winner will face the winner of Central DeWitt/Washington on July 15. The state tournament for 3A starts July 22 in Cedar Rapids.