The Gehlen Catholic baseball team opened their postseason path with a convincing 11-1 win in six innings over Westwood in Le Mars on Friday afternoon.
Gehlen’s runs did not come early and often as would be expected in a lopsided game like this. The Jays only had a 3-1 lead after four innings of play. Head coach TJ Britton says that was a bit concerning, but the guys pulled it out in the end and made it a great win.
The runs Gehlen scored late also came after a change in pitcher. The Jays scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth off of two pitchers and score four more in the sixth off the second pitcher. Coach Britton says he liked how the guys attacked the new pitcher right away once he took the mound.
Production came throughout the order, but one bat stood tall for the Jays in their pursuit of a win. Dane Lehmann went 3-3 with three RBIs, three runs scored, one hit by pitch, and he stole a base as well. Coach Britton says Lehmann is a catalyst on this team, and it was great to have him open his postseason on a strong note.
Gehlen improved to 22-7 with the win and will get set for a district semifinal matchup against Woodbury Central on Tuesday night. The Wildcats proved their ability to score runs putting up 11 against Lawton-Bronson in the ensuing district quarterfinal in Le Mars. Coach Britton knows that his guys will not be able to wait four innings to wake up the bats if they want to beat the Wildcats.
Gehlen Catholic and Woodbury Central’s district semifinal is set to begin on Tuesday, July 7 at 7:00 PM. KLEM Radio will carry live coverage of the game with a pregame show beginning at 6:45 PM.
