Jeffs Finding Their Groove….One Step At A time

To say the least, it’s been a learning season thus far for the young Fairbury Jeffs baseball team this year. After starting the season off on a four game skid and only managing 14 runs among that month of March, it was an uphill battle to get momentum.Fairbury would find that momentum in the month of April with a resounding 23-6 victory against Centennial on April 2. From that game, sweet victory was finally achieved after a total of 16 hits, 18 RBI, and eight steals and only one error recorded. A complete game on all aspects, Fairbury was finally able to take the sigh of relief in jumping over the hill of getting a win.From that game Blayne Schelbitzki, Christian Goeking, Dom Joe, Brodie Prellwitz and Jakolbe Atkins each managed multiple hits. Schelbitzki and Goeking each came away with three hits, and multiple RBI with Schelbitzki having four and Goeking getting two. Brodie Prellwitz was able to bring in three RBI and came away with one stolen base. As Atkins would have two hits as well, he led the team with three stolen bases.Looking to carry that momentum into the next game was a success as Fairbury would win two straight with a 7-4 victory on the road against Falls City on April 4. From that game Blayne Schelbitzki and Jamison Runge led the way with two hits. Runge would go two-for-three, one hit being a double, with two walks drawn, two RBI, and two stolen bases. Schelbitzki led the team with three RBI going two-for-four and his two hits were doubles. Konrad Kuzelka at (DH) contributed one hit, along with Grady Chappell, Miles Tatro, Brodie Prellwitz, and Aldo Ramos. Ramos one hit being a double as well.Though on the rise of building momentum the Jeffs would then run into offensive struggles to the second week of April as they were shut out 0-15 against Central City on Monday, April 8 as a rough start to hosting a triangular. Fairbury would bounce back with a solid 10-1 victory against Aurora. Then on Tuesday, April 9 Fairbury would host Louisville holding on to a tough win of a final score 4-2.Grabbing that win and finishing 1-1 from the Monday was a good step in the direction for the rest of the season, but Fairbury would take a step back in the loss at home on Thursday, April 11 with a final score 1-11 against Twin River.Against Aurora only four hits managed by Fairbury with those coming by Brodie Prellwitz, Miles Tatro, Lucas Livingston, and Jakolbe Atkins. For Atkins one hit, a double and Atkins was able to lead the team with the only two RBI of the night. Fairbury grabbed that win was by way of stealing as they racked a total of eight stolen bases as a team. Jakolbe Atkins led that effort with three stolen bases, while Brodie Prellwitz and Blayne Schelbitzki each had two stolen bases and Grady Chappell was able to have one stolen base as well.Against Louisville, a notable performance from Blayne Schelbitzki getting the win on the mound going the full seven innings on a 105 pitches allowing only one walk, two hits, and two runs meanwhile striking out 10 batters on the way to victory. Schelbitzki and Miles Tatro each led the team with two hits that game with Schelbitzki going two for three with one RBI and Tatro a perfect two-for-two with one RBI as well.Suffering a tough loss 1-11 against Twin River, a silver lining was the Jeffs going the entire game with no errors for the first time in the season.Effort is still being shown as the one run scored by Fairbury against Twin Rivers came by Brodie Prellwitz hitting a ground ball and reaching on an error by the shortstop and advanced to second on the error. Prellwitz would advance to third by another error from the shortstop and would then dash his way to sliding on back home to score the only run in the bottom of the third.Fairbury looks to bounce back again and hits the road on Friday, April 12 as they’ll be headed to Crete with coverage from that game in the Wednesday print edition.

Janile Roesler

Gage County Newsletter

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