Cresswell shines in split with Keokuk

FORT MADISON – Bloodhound senior Hunter Cresswell probably had the best night of his baseball career in the Crimson and Black Fort Madison uniform.
Cresswell pitched a four-hit 3-2 win in the nightcap to give Fort Madison a split with Keokuk Monday night in a doubleheader at Fort Madison High School.
Cresswell struck out 11 Chiefs and threw 68% of his pitches for strikes enroute to his fifth win against no losses to lead Fort Madison. The senior had held Keokuk to a two-hit shutout in the nightcap through five innings, but gave up a one-out walk in the top of the sixth that was followed by Blake Chase’s two-run homerun to center to make it a 3-2 game.
The Hounds got three runs in the third inning loading the bases with no outs on a Brody Cashman double, a Reece Huey single, and an error by incoming Keokuk freshman pitcher Jackson Morgan.
Cashman would come in to score on a wild pitch and then the Hounds would score two more when Tateum Schelich hit into a fielder’s choice at short. Schelich would beat out the throw at first allowing Creswell and Huey to score. Schelich was injured stumbling over the bag at first, but after a short evaluation, was able to return to the game.
Back-to-back ground outs would end the threat and neither team would get on the board again until the sixth inning.  Nolan Lamb would single in the sixth to put a runner on with two outs, but the Hounds couldn’t get him home, stranding him on flyout to center.
Cresswell would then strikeout two of the Chiefs' hitters in the seventh around a flyout and a hit batsman, to get the complete game win.
The Chiefs took the opener 11-5 but Fort Madison showed a little gumption with the bats with both Cresswell and Cashman connecting on homeruns for the Hounds. Cresswell’s two-run homer came in the sixth inning to help close the gap to 7-5, but the Chiefs would respond with four more runs in the top of the 7th for a little cushion.
Keokuk’s Brenton Hoard got the complete game win. He gave up a single to Huey in the bottom of the 7th, but got the next three hitters in order to get the win.
Luke Hellige took the loss with a line of five runs, four earned on eight hits, while fanning five and walking four.
Caden Barnes came on in relief and threw two innings giving up six runs, three earned on one hit, and six walks. Cashman was 2-3 with a double and the homer and scored two runs in the loss. Huey and Stephan Berlett had the other hits for Fort Madison in the opener.
In the nightcap, Cashman, Huey, Schelich, Ames Schinstock, and Nolan Lamb all had hits for the Bloodhounds (8-8, 4-3 in Southeast Conference).
Keokuk was led at that plate in the nightcap by Chase who had two RBIs and a hit in three at bats.  Jacob Lantz, Brendan Worster, and Drake Anderson all had hits for the Chiefs. In the opener, Chase and Lantz each had two hits. Chase scored three runs and an RBI. Anthony Stice went 2-4 with 3 RBIs. Lincoln Wray, Worster, and Hoard also had hits for Keokuk.
The Hounds take on Keokuk again in a single contest Thursday at Joyce Park in Keokuk and then travel to Davenport for a non-conference doubleheader with Davenport North on Friday.