Fourth-ranked Remsen St. Mary’s defended their home field and kept their unbeaten start to the year rolling with a 10-2 win over Gehlen Catholic on Tuesday night.
The Jays were the first to get on the board with a run in the top half of the third inning. Connor Kraft gave Gehlen the early lead with a two-out single that scored Dylan Lehmann. Remsen St. Mary’s coach Dean Harpenau says that slow start was a bit worrisome considering all the factors.
The Hawks didn’t take that deficit lying down. They proceeded to score three runs in the third and two in the fourth. Those runs hit differently thanks to them coming with two outs in the inning. Coach Harpenau says picking up two out hits makes a big difference in the game.
The Hawks would score five more runs in the fifth inning and never look back on their way to a 10-2 win over Gehlen Catholic. Remsen St. Mary’s capitalized on every opportunity granted them in Tuesday’s contest. Gehlen Catholic head coach Kirk Kronaizl says that combined with his team’s inability to produce runs ultimately hurt Gehlen’s chances of winning.
Too many runners not crossing the plate is right. The Jays left 12 runners on base in the contest with the Hawks. For that to change, Coach Kronaizl says he needs to see anybody step up to bat with a lot of confidence in those run-scoring scenarios.
The Jays fall to 2-4 with the loss after a tricky start to their schedule. The schedule gets even trickier with a contest at Hinton that immediately follows the loss to St. Mary’s. Coach Kronaizl knows his pitching will be on against the Blackhawks. The key will be finding the runs to help support his pitching staff.
Dean Harpenau and Remsen St. Mary’s is now 10-0 to start the season. That does not mean Coach Harpenau is content with where his team is at. Due to the change in the practice and game schedules this year, the Hawks haven’t had a chance to really focus on small details in the game. Coach Harpenau wants his team to get better at the little things because they make a big difference late in the season.
Remsen St. Mary’s hosts West Sioux tonight at Marv Thelen Memorial Field.
