The Fremont First State Bank Senior Legion baseball team put together another solid outing Wednesday night at Moller Field by beating Anderson Ford (Lincoln North Star) 6-4 to win its second straight and third out of its last five.
Like it did in a 19-8 win over JC Brager (Lincoln Southeast) on Tuesday night, FSB (17-11) had its pitchers on a pitch count due to the upcoming Mike Peterson Tournament in Lincoln Friday through Sunday.
The tournament features a minimum of five games and the potential for more so FSB head coach Tim Champ wanted to have as many fresh arms as possible.
Quinton Krumwiede pitched the first three innings Wednesday night allowing seven hits and three earned runs with two strikeouts. He gave way to Jason Ahrens in the fourth and Kyle Watson got two outs in the sixth before Justin Beranek picked up the save with a scoreless seventh.
“We had Quinton on a 60-pitch count and we could’ve left him in there because he was throwing so great, but we decided to stick with the plan,” Champ said. “He got ahead in the count all game long and didn’t walk a batter and threw strikes and that’s all we can ask for.”
Krumwiede also helped his own cause driving in three runs with a triple down the right-field line in the first inning.
Josh Ostrom drew a one-out double and Beranek was hit by a pitch. Taylor Patrick then lobbed a single to short left field before Krumwiede cleared the bases.
FSB added two more runs in the second inning. Warren Drucker chopped a high grounder to short and then beat out a long throw for a one-out infield single. Derek Ruiz then ripped a single to right which rolled under the right fielder’s glove and allowed Drucker to score from first. Josh Ostrom moved Ruiz to second on a fielder’s choice and Beranek drew a walk before Patrick laced a single to center to score Ruiz and give FSB a 5-1 lead.
Another LNS error in the third let Kasey Gaughen slip home after the throw to first on a a double play attempt was off target.
Fremont pounded out 11 hits -- three of them for extra bases in the win.
FSB worked out of jams on two occasions in the game.
Lincoln North Star scored one run in the fifth after Joe Hartley led off with a single and then scored on a Preston Racicky double to deep center. LNS kept the threat on after a walk and a single loaded the bases.
North Star, though, hit a low line drive that was caught by Michael Hahn who then stepped on second for the unassisted double play.
In the sixth, Ahrens walked two batters with one out before Kyle Watson entered and coaxed two fly-ball outs.
FSB also flashed the gloves on defense in the win.
Ostrom had a nice stop at third throwing to first from his knees for an out in the fourth and Ruiz made a fine diving play at second base for an out in first inning. Hahn turned another unassisted double play in the third after scooping up a ground ball near second base, stepping on the bag and firing to first to beat the runner by two strides.
“We’ve improved every single game,” Champ said. “Today what I loved is that we had no errors and made them have to come up with the big plays and they weren’t able to do that.”
Fremont begins play in the American League East pool with Omaha Burke at noon Friday followed by Kearney at 2:30. Saturday the team meets LSW at 9:30 followed by Wichita at noon. Friday’s games will be played at Sherman Field and Saturday’s games will be played at Densmore Field 1.
The Juniors dropped a close 8-7 decision to Stonebrook Roofing (Lincoln North Star) in Wednesday’s early game.
Jacob Herink led FSB at the plate with a double and a single. He drove in one and scored a run.
Kyle Coleman got the loss on the hill for Fremont. He pitched two innings allowing four earned runs with one strikeout.
First State Bank (16-14) will play in the Platte River Slugfest Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Grand Island and Hastings.
Lincoln North Star 100 210 0 -- 4 10 2
First State Bank 321 000 x -- 6 11 0
LNS Juniors 8 7 6
FSB Juniors 7 6 2
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