Hounds shake off miscues to down Mustangs

Fighting through

“We gave up four in one inning but we only gave up a couple runs. It’s from people that you don’t expect to make those, so you just keep playing, I guess.””

Albert Schinstock, FMHS Baseball coach

FORT MADISON – Sometimes you just keep pushing through.
Despite committing nine errors on the night, the Fort Madison Bloodhounds held on for a 10-8 win over Davis County on a smoggy night at FMHS.
The Hounds battled back two times from deficits before scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth and held the Mustangs scoreless in the 7th to get their second win in a row after losing five straight.
Fort Madison has committed 17 errors in three games over the past two days but has won two of the three games.
A subdued head coach Albert Schinstock paused when asked about how the Hounds are finding ways to win despite the miscues.
“Yeah, I don’t know what my thoughts are on that,” he said, “We gave up four in one inning but we only gave up a couple runs. It’s from people that you don’t expect to make those, so you just keep playing, I guess.”
Kane Williams, who had started the game in left field and made a terrific catch on the run into the corner of the park, moved into the infield and played with his outfield glove. The move paid off as Williams had two spicy plays moving left from third to throw a runner out in front of shortstop Hunter Cresswell.
Cresswell committed a couple blunders back-to-back in the fourth inning and Schinstock flipped the two. In the next inning, Williams jumped up and snagged a big hopping grounder that caught the fringe of the infield, and threw out another runner with a nice assist from Caden Barnes at first digging the throw up.
A one-out fielder’s choice on an infield hit by Aidan Pennock scored Hunter Cresswell tying the game at 8 with two outs in the bottom of the sixth.
Pennock would come around to score on a wild pitch for what would be the game winner. But Brennan Ulik, who was injured in Monday’s doubleheader with Mt. Pleasant, beat out an infield single that scored Aiden Mitchell to set the final score.
Head Coach Albert Schinstock said Ulik probably injured himself worse beating out the infielder, but the run was a big one.
Tateum Schelich got the win for Fort Madison, pitching the final 3 2/3, striking out one and giving up three runs, none earned, on two hits.
“We don’t like to leave him out there that long, but tonight we didn’t have much of a choice because we have to save pitching for Thursday night,” Schinstock said.
Barnes, Cresswell, and Luke Hellige all had two hits in the game for Fort Madison. Hellige had two RBIs, one in the sixth inning on a check-swing single that found its way to some grass behind second base.
Cresswell, Pennock, Ulik, and Cashman also had RBIs for the Hounds, who improve to 7-8 in the Southeast Conference and 10-16 overall. Fort Madison split two with Mt. Pleasant on Senior Night, Monday in Fort Madison. The Hounds lost the opener 19-11, but came back and won the nightcap 8-5.
The Hounds scored seven runs in the bottom of the fifth to erase a 2-1 deficit. Kane Williams got the win going 6 2/3, striking out eight and walking seven. He gave up five runs, three earned, on five hits. Schelich came in and got the final out in the win. He also had two hits and two RBIs in the win.
Aiden Mitchell also had two hits and two RBIs in the win.
Cresswell suffered the loss in game one going 4 2/3 surrendering 10 runs, six earned, on 10 hits and fanning seven. Barnes went 2-3 with 3 RBIs to lead Fort Madison at the plate.
The Hounds tangle with Mt. Pleasant again Thursday in a JV/V set, and then wrap up the week with Davenport Assumption on the road Friday.