Fatima beats Hallsville on the road, goes 1-2 on the week

Fatima played three road games last week, defeating Hallsville on Thursday but falling to Southern Boone on Wednesday and Eldon on Friday.

“Hallsville was a tough game because of the wind, but we were able to take care of business in the end,” said Coach  Tyler VanGerpen as the Comets handled the Indians, 4-0.

The Comets didn’t hit an offensive groove until the fifth, with a run in that inning giving way to two more in the sixth and an insurance run in the seventh.

In the fifth, Matthew “Munch” Robertson (2-2, RBI) opened with a double and moved to third on a groundout by Max Stuecken (1-2, RBI). Robertson scored when Trevor Schulte delivered a groundout.

Logan Kliethermes (1-3) followed with a single, and Colten Scheulen walked, but both were stranded.

Moving to the sixth, the Comets scored with two outs after Cody Schwartze (1-3, RBI) hit into a fielder’s choice that cut down Bryce Wieberg (walk), and Robertson smashed his second double. Stuecken pushed Robertson home on a hard-hit ball to right field.

In the seventh, L. Kliethermes walked and moved to third on the throw on Scheulen’s single. Two batters later, Glenn Berhorst (1-3, RBI) hit a sac fly to plate Kliethermes.

Sam Struemph pitched a beautiful six innings of two-hit ball with two strikeouts. Hank Stuckenschneider closed the game with a strikeout and no hits.

Fatima’s JV squad won handily, 11-0.

Tanner Huhn led with a 3-3 day at the plate with two RBI, as Ean Smith (3 RBI), Tommy Heisler (RBI), and Mason Bax (RBI) each had two hits. Stuckenschneider, Tyler Bexten, Michael Sesti, Tony Heckman, and Blake Kliethermes (RBI) each had a hit.

Coach VanGerpen said the other two games were very similar.

“We had a chance in both games, but couldn’t get the big hit,” he said.

In Wednesday’s 5-4 loss to Southern Boone, the Comets had an 8-7 hitting advantage but, after scoring two in the first, added one in the fourth and fifth innings.

Scheulen smashed a two-run HR with Schulte aboard for his lone hit of the day.

Schulte added two hits, and Brody Kleffner (RBI), Wieberg, Berhorst, and B. Kliethermes each had a single.

In a four-inning start, Kleffner allowed five earned runs on six hits, with five strikeouts and four walks. L. Kliethermes closed out the game, allowing one hit with one strikeout.

The JV team claimed an 8-0 win.

Jace Crede (RBI) and Huhn (double) each had two hits, while Bax (3 RBI), Heckman (2 RBI), Bexten, Heisler, Smith,  Evan Koenigsfeld, Sam Haller, and Eli Libbert each added one.

In Huhn’s three innings at the start of the game, he allowed no runs on two hits, with six strikeouts and four walks. Heisler closed the game with five strikeouts, and one hit over two innings.

Fatima lost to Eldon 5-1. “We had a couple of errors that made the game not as close as it should’ve been,” said VanGerpen.

Wieberg’s two hits led the team as L. Kliethermes (RBI), Scheulen (double), Robertson, Schwartze, and Kleffner posted a single each.

B. Kliethermes opened the game and went five innings, allowing four earned on six hits, with three strikeouts and three walks. Wieberg’s inning of relief ended with one hit and a strikeout.

Fatima won the JV game 7-3.

Bexten’s lone hit was a three-RBI triple. Huhn added two hits, including a double, and Stuckenschneider, Heckman, Heisler, Smith, Bax, and Haller each had a single.

Bexten started on the mound and, over four innings, allowed three earned runs on three hits, with six strikeouts and one walk. Stuckenschneider struck out two and walked one in one inning.