The Gehlen Catholic baseball team did something they had not done for six years on Tuesday night. The Jays beat top-ranked Remsen St. Mary’s in Le Mars by a final score of 5-3.
Gehlen Catholic got things rolling right away on the offensive end. The Jays scored a run thanks to taking advantage of some Hawk defensive miscues and a base hit by Keaton Logan. Then, the Jays exploded for four runs in the bottom of the third which would be enough for the win. Gehlen Catholic head coach Loi Kraft says their approach has been to put the ball in play and put pressure on teams, and it has worked.
Remsen St. Mary’s got a rough start on the mound for the second time in the last three games having to go away from Cael Ortmann after just three innings. Remsen St. Mary’s head coach Dean Harpenau says guys need to step up and take control of these big game starts.
The Jays were able to play great defense all night not letting the Hawks get into too many good scoring opportunities. Coach Kraft says his team is versatile in the field, and they play off their strengths well on defense.
Jaxten Kramer turned in a wonderful start for the Jays in his first outing of the season. He went 4.1 innings allowing just one run and a handful of hits while shutting down the top-ranked team in the state. Coach Kraft says Kramer’s game on the mound is built on trust in everyone around him.
Remsen St. Mary’s dropped to 6-2 overall and 1-1 in the War Eagle Conference with the loss. The Hawks were granted one loss while retaining their top ranking in the state, but it does not look like they will get a second to keep their top spot. Coach Harpenau says that is ok because, as long as things stay the same, the Hawks do not look like the top team in the state.
Meanwhile, Gehlen Catholic improved to 3-1 and 1-0 in War Eagle Conference action beating the Hawks for the first time since June 7, 2017. Coach Kraft hopes the guys come out with this same intensity for everything from games to practice for the rest of the season.
These two will face off again late in the year on June 26 in Remsen.
