When the target is on your back, you get the best effort from every team you face. For the Malcolm baseball team – though it went 3-0 last week – they are becoming increasingly aware nothing will be given to them this year.
“We’ve been telling the boys we are the hunted,” Malcolm coach Zach Wehner said. “More than likely, we are going to see everyone’s best arm. The boys have taken on this challenge and are excited to see what teams bring.”
After starting the week with a pair of hard-fought road wins, the Clippers finished their week at home, escaping with a 4-0 win on March 30 against previously unbeaten North Platte. Jackson Polk – the ace of the first-year Bulldogs – held Malcolm’s usually prolific lineup to just four hits, allowing only one earned run.
“We weren’t able to record the number of hits and runs we would like,” Wehner said. “We were getting the bat on the ball, but we weren’t finding the gaps. That’s baseball some days.”
Maddox Meyer had the Clippers’ only extra base hit and only RBI of the game when the UNO commit doubled during a three-run bottom of the sixth.
Mason Wisnieski earned his second win of the week as the junior fanned 10 Bulldogs’ batters in six-and-a-third innings. Meyer struck out the final two batters of the game to earn his first save of the season.
“Mason’s first six innings were without any wiggle room,” Wehner said. “He stayed strong throughout and kept his composure. If he hadn’t hit his pitch count limit, we would’ve let him finish.”
Malcolm opened the week with a March 25 conference battle at Ralston. Playing in bitterly cold and windy conditions, the Clippers survived a late Rams’ rally to hold on for a 7-6 win.
Meyer was 3-for-4 with an RBI while also earning the win as he struck out eight through five innings, allowing just one unearned run.
Malcolm traveled to Nebraska City for a March 28 conference clash. In a game with five lead changes, the Clippers prevailed with a 6-4 win in eight innings.
Luke Schmidt had a career night as the senior went 4-for-4 with a double and a home run. After doubling earlier in the game, Garrett England drove in the game’s winning run with a triple in the top of the eighth.
Wisnieski earned the win as he struck out four of the six batters he faced in the final two innings.
Keston Holman struck out 10 Malcolm batters through six-and-a third innings.
“Holman did a great job,” Wehner said. “That strikeout number was unusual for us. He is probably one of the better pitchers we’ll face.”
The top-ranked Clippers (7-0) welcome No. 2 Lincoln Christian (6-0) on April 2 before heading to DC West (1-3) on Friday, April 5.
“Christian is capable of putting up a lot of runs," Wehner said. ”Our boys need to limit errors and mental mistakes.”
The Clippers were able to do that in a 13-2 win over the Crusaders in five innings on a windy afternoon. Luke Schmidt was 3-3 with a home run and drove in two, and Mason Wisnieski and Chase Smith had two hits each. Wisnieski also had two RBIs. Six Clippers drove in one run each.
Maddox Meyer got the win on the mound, pitching all five innings and striking out seven.
