Carroll Heitshusen and Kaleb Kahue combined their efforts on the mound to lead the Nishnabotna baseball program to its first ever win in a 9-5 decision at Avoca-AHST on Monday.
Heitshusen worked the first three frames before being relieved by Kahue.
Coach Luke Stockstell said Heitshusen pitched well in his first three innings and was removed from the game based on a pregame decision to limit his pitch count.
Nishnabotna was down 1-0 when Heitshusen left the contest.
Kahue also threw well during his time on the mound.
Three of Avoca’s runs scored on past balls.
Nishnabotna took control of the action in the fourth inning when a past ball tied the score at 1-1 and Blain Lang’s single drove in two runs to put the Blue Devils up 3-1.
Nishnabotna ended up with eight hits for the game. Lang, Kahue and Andrew Thompson had two each. Heitshusen and Riley Scroggie each had one hit.
Hamburg was scheduled to return to action on Tuesday at Riverside.
2010 team
Nishnabotna has a total of 24 athletes out for its first year.
Coach Stockstell said that number is a bit up from last year’s Hamburg only squad, which had a roster of 18 players.
The team had just one practice prior to the opening game against Avoca and Coach Stockstell said the first game bore all the usual marks of a first-time effort, but the coach also noted the hit total as evidence his team should do well offensively this year.
Nishnabotna’s pitching also drew praise and Stockstell said he saw promise at a number of positions in the line up.
As for overall team chemistry in the first-year shared program, Stockstell said the athletes are meshing well.
“I don’t see Farragut and Hamburg kids because the kids get along so well,” Coach Stockstell said. “We were pretty well rounded and we looked pretty good.”
