Fatima battled Jefferson City through five innings Friday, but a pair of late runs allowed the Jays to pull away for a 4-1 victory in a contest at Westphalia.

Jefferson City broke a scoreless tie in the third inning on a solo home run, then added another solo shot in the fifth to take a 2-0 lead.

Fatima responded in the bottom of the sixth when Bryce Wieberg delivered a solo home run to center field, cutting the deficit to 2-1 and briefly shifting momentum.

Wieberg accounted for both the Comets’ only run and their most consistent offensive production, finishing 2-for-3 with an RBI. Blake Kliethermes and Tanner Huhn each added a single.

Fatima generated five hits on the night but was unable to string together sustained offense against Jefferson City starter Ethan Leonard, who allowed one run while striking out three and walking two in a complete game.

Wieberg also handled the bulk of the work on the mound, throwing five innings and allowing two runs on six hits with one strikeout and no walks. Both runs came on solo home runs.

“Bryce pitched a good game,” Fatima coach Tyler VanGerpen said. “He made two mistakes that ended up being two solo home runs, but other than that, he did his job.”

Fatima remained within striking distance entering the late innings, but Jefferson City capitalized on defensive miscues to extend the lead.

“The bad ones gave them two more runs late in the game,” VanGerpen said.

Tommy Heisler provided two innings of relief, allowing two runs (one earned) while striking out one and walking one.

Despite the loss, VanGerpen pointed to the team’s competitiveness against a larger program.

“This was a spirited game,” he said. “The players’ emotions were pushed to heights they haven’t been to yet this year. It was good to see them compete in that environment.”

Fatima pitchers combined to throw strikes at a 64% rate and stranded five runners, limiting additional damage against a Jefferson City lineup that produced eight hits.

VanGerpen said last week reflected continued growth.

“Overall, we played a solid week of baseball against some bigger schools,” he said. “We are showing improvement each game, but have more to learn. The biggest improvement is seeing our confidence increase this week.”

In the JV game, Fatima played to a 1-1 tie against the Jays.

Jack Wieberg had the Comets’ lone hit while Nico Bax drove in the run after Will Borgmeyer drew a lead-off walk and advanced on a wild pitch and passed ball.

On the mound, three pitchers combined for a no-hitter. Henry Robertson got the start and, over two innings, allowed no hits and struck out six. Trent Stuckenschneider struck out three in his two innings of work, and Jackson Crede struck out one and walked four to allow one earned run.

FATIMA RIDES EARLY SURGE, KLIETHERMES

HOMER TO 8-5 WIN OVER ROLLA

Fatima set the tone early and built a multi-run cushion Tuesday, holding off Rolla for an 8-5 victory.

Kliethermes gave the Comets immediate momentum in the first inning, launching a three-run home run to left field to put Fatima in front 3-0.

The Comets added to the lead in the third when Huhn delivered a sacrifice fly, extending the advantage to 4-0.

Fatima continued to apply pressure throughout the game, finishing with nine hits and consistently putting the ball in play against Rolla. Tyler Bexten (2-3, double) led Fatima, while Kliethermes (1-3) drove in three runs from the middle of the lineup.

Kliethermes also handled starting duties on the mound, working five innings while allowing two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and five walks.

“Blake threw a good game,” Fatima coach Tyler VanGerpen said, the senior exiting the game with a commanding 8-2 lead.

Fatima extended its lead with a multi-run sixth inning, capitalizing on situational execution to create separation.

“Our hitters did a good job of putting the ball in play and forcing the defense to make plays,” VanGerpen said. “We had some really good situational bunting in an inning to extend the lead.”

Jackson Crede (double, RBI), Wieberg (RBI), Heisler, and Colten Scheulen (RBI) each had a single for the Comets.

Tony Heckman provided relief work late as Rolla attempted to rally, finishing out the final two innings.

Rolla responded with five runs on eight hits, including a stretch in the middle innings that trimmed the deficit, but Fatima’s early offensive surge proved decisive.

Fatima pitchers combined to throw first-pitch strikes to 24 of 32 batters, helping control at-bats and limit extended innings.

Fatima’s junior varsity squad regained control early and held steady late Tuesday, earning a 5-2 win over Rolla.

Fatima opened the scoring in the first inning when Robertson delivered an RBI single to put the Comets in front.

Rolla answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning, taking advantage of a Fatima error to briefly claim a 2-1 lead.

Fatima responded in the third, capitalizing on patience at the plate to retake the advantage. Nico Bax walked to lead off the frame, and two batters later, Liam Morfeld joined him on a free pass. During Robertson’s at-bat (walk), Bax scored on a wild pitch for a 2-2 score. J. Wieberg claimed the fourth walk of the inning to load the bases, and Morfeld scrambled home on another wild pitch to give Fatima a 3-2 lead.

Fatima’s plate awareness continued to plague Rolla, as Will Borgmeyer had a lead-off walk, and Blake Schwartze reached first on a base-on-balls to put runners at the corners. Though Borgmeyer scored on a wild pitch, Morfeld was called out for batter interference to end the frame with a 4-2 advantage.

Fatima continued to pressure Rolla, pitching throughout the game, finishing with 10 walks and consistently creating traffic on the bases. The Comets added their fifth run in the top of the fifth.

Robertson (1-2, RBI) led the offensive effort, while Jack Wieberg (1-1), Eli Libbert (1-2), and Robertson each collected hits for the Comets. Luke Jaegers (RBI) also contributed to the scoring.

Robertson added two stolen bases, while the Comets finished with five steals overall.

Tristan Peters earned the win on the mound, working five innings and allowing two runs (none earned) on two hits while striking out four and walking three.

Fatima’s defense settled in after the opening inning, limiting Rolla to just two hits and preventing further scoring opportunities.