(Columbus, Neb.) - Despite a shaky start, Abe Christensen made a solid contribution to the Columbus baseball team on Monday, earning the starting nod and pitching for four innings.
Although the team allowed three runs in the first inning against the Fremont Tigers, Christensen helped limit the damage by only allowing one earned run during his time on the mound. Despite his efforts, Columbus fell to a 7-1 loss, marking their third consecutive defeat. Christensen faced a total of five runs during his appearance, but he also recorded four strikeouts and only allowed four hits and four walks.
Coach Jimmy Johnson praised Christensen's efforts, stating that he did an excellent job of overcoming the challenges of the first inning and providing the team with a chance to compete.
Columbus went up against Fremont's Clay Hedges, a formidable pitcher who gave an impressive performance during the game. Hedges pitched for six innings, allowing only one run on three hits and four walks. He also achieved 11 strikeouts, playing a significant role in Fremont's victory over Columbus.
According to Coach Johnson, Hedges had a strong presence on the field, keeping Columbus off-balance with his pitching speed and velocity. He worked the team backwards on several occasions, catching them off guard with off-speed pitches.
In the first four innings, Hedges held the Discoverers scoreless as Fremont took a 3-0 lead. Columbus tried to stage a comeback in the fifth inning, loading up the bases with three singles and scoring one run with a walk, but Fremont had already recorded two outs, and Columbus ended up stranding three runners after a line out.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Discoverers committed their second error of the day on the first Tiger batter. The Tigers then earned a walk and advanced the runner who reached on the error to third base.
At this point, Sawyer Kimberling was called in to take over on the mound. However, a wild pitch by Kimberling allowed the Tiger to score, and Fremont would go on to load the bases and score two more runs on walks. Kimberling was replaced by Bohden Jedlicka after allowing one run. The Tigers scored their fourth run of the inning on a sacrifice fly to take a 7-1 lead heading into the sixth inning.
Neither team scored in the final two innings, and Fremont won the game 7-1. Before this game, Columbus lost both games in a doubleheader against Lincoln Northeast on Saturday.
Despite the loss, one positive for Columbus was Connor Rausch's return behind the plate after being injured. Rausch recorded two hits in the game, and the Discoverers finished with a total of five hits. On the mound, Columbus allowed 10 walks and four hits while striking out seven Tigers. Columbus's next game is against Elkhorn South on Thursday, and they faced Lincoln Southeast on Tuesday after the print deadline.
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