(Atlantic) The (4-0) Atlantic baseball team started fast and closed the game with crucial insurance runs on Thursday night to defeat Denison-Schleswig, 6-2, in a Hawkeye Ten Conference outing at Atlantic.
Jayden Proehl pitched three solid innings and picked up the win, and Carter Pellett threw a gem to close out the victory. Proehl retired the first six Monarch hitters before giving up two runs in the top of the third. The senior allowed two runs on four hits. Pellet took over in the fourth inning and closed out the game allowing no runs on one hit, striking out seven, and did not walk a batter.
Jake Fink took the loss for the Monarchs. The senior allowed three runs on three hits in the bottom of the first and settled in with an effective curveball holding the Trojans to no runs through the next four innings before Ryan Slechta pitched in relief in the sixth.
East O’Brien led the Trojans with two hits, including a double to lead off the bottom of the first inning. Pellett and Xavier Darrow each hit RBI singles and scored to jump-start the home team to 3-0 lead.
Lance Arkfeld drilled a double to start the third frame, Schlechta laced a single, and Jake Fink and Jaxon Wessel stroked RBI singles to account for the visitor’s two runs.
The separation for the Trojans came in the bottom of the sixth inning. Darrow, Tanner O’Brien, and Jackson McLaren each scored runs for the Trojans. McLaren scored on a squeeze play off the bat of Tristan Hayes to seal the deal.
Lance Arkfeld, Jake Fink, Jaxon Wessel, and Ryan Schlecta led the Monarchs at the plate.
Atlantic travels to Red Oak on Friday. Denison-Schleswig, now 2-4 on the season, plays Maquoketa on Friday and Alburnett on Saturday.
Atlantic Head Coach Gaylord Schelling’s post-game comments are below:
