FM boys knock off Burlington, then fall to Keokuk

FORT MADISON – The Fort Madison Bloodhounds snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 7-5 win over Burlington Thursday night.
The Hounds put up six runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to give Fort Madison a 7-2 lead, but the Grayhounds rallied in the fifth and sixth innings with three runs. Stefan Berlett would come in and get the save, shutting Burlington down in the top of the seventh for the win.
Tateum Schelich got the win going six innings surrendering five runs, three earned on nine hits. He struck out six and walked one in getting his second win of the year against no losses.
Caden Barnes went 1-3 with a double and an RBI. Reece Huey was 2-4 with an RBI. Brody Cashman and Nolan Lamb had the other two hits for Fort Madison.
The Bloodhounds opened the bottom of the first with an unearned run when Luke Hellige’s grounder to third was misplayed allowing Cashman to score from third.
Burlington would tie things up when Fort Madison returned the favor muffing a grounder at short that allowed a run to come in for a 1-1 score. With two outs and two on, a passed ball allowed Josh Zahner to score for a 2-1 lead before a flyout ending the inning.
The big fourth inning started with a walk and a hit batsman. Schelich would hit into a fielder’s choice at third forcing Hunter Cresswell at the bag. With two on and one out, Aiden Mitchell walked to load the bases. Berlett would follow with a walk scoring a run and then Nolan Lamb singled to short. Schelich and Mitchell would both score on the hit and a throwing error on the play for a 4-2 lead.
Barnes then slapped a flyball double to center scoring Berlett and moving Lamb to third. Owen Huffman would return to the lineup for the first time in about three weeks and came in to courtesy run for Barnes.  Lamb would score on a wild pitch for a 6-2 lead before Cashman worked another walk. Huey would single scoring Huffman for Fort Madison’s 7th run.
Burlington would get two runs in the top of the fifth and one in the sixth, but then Berlett came on and gave up a single to Christos Kantzavelos to start the inning. He got a lineout for the first out and then gave up a double moving  Kantzavelos to third and putting the tying run on first.
But a popout to Barnes behind the plate and swinging strikeout ended the game.
Burlington's Ian Mason took the loss going 3 1/3 allowing seven runs, six earned on just four hits, while walking four and striking out two. Kantzavelos and Zahner led the Grayhounds  (8-13).
On Friday, the Hounds traveled to Keokuk in another Southeast Conference matchup and lost to the Chiefs 5-1 in a makeup game from a June 13 rainout.
Fort Madison jumped on the board first with a run in the top of the second inning, but starter Luke Hellige got tagged for four runs in the bottom of the second highlighted by a Brenton Hoard two-run double.
Keokuk would add an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth off reliever Cresswell.
Fort Madison (8-14, 4-6 Southeast Conference play) will travel to Mt. Pleasant for a varsity doubleheader starting at 5:30 p.m. The Panthers lead the conference at 8-3 and are 15-5 overall on the season.