Riding a stellar complete-game pitching performance by sophomore ace Eli Fest, the Heron Lake-Okabena / Fulda Coyotes improved to 3-1 on the young season with a 2-0 shutout over highly-regarded Mountain Lake Area / Comfrey in Red Rock Conference high school baseball action at Mountain Lake last Tuesday, April 16.
The left-handed throwing Fest was awesome on the mound for the Coyotes as he pitched the full seven innings and allowed the Wolverines just one hit (a one-out double by Abraham Stoesz in the bottom of the first) and kept them off the scoreboard the entire game.
“Eli pitched a gem,” summed up Coyotes’ head baseball coach Chad Knutson. “The first guy reached base on an error and, two batters later, Stoesz hits a double, giving them runners at second and third with one out. But we caught two infield pop ups to get out of the inning and Eli retired the Wolverines in order the rest of the way, never allowing another base runner.”
Fest finished the game with eight strikeouts and no walks, while yielding just that one hit. He struck out one batter in each of the first six innings and completed his shutout by fanning the final two Wolverines in the bottom of the seventh.
The victory by the Coyotes put HL-O / Fulda in first place in the Red Rock Conference standings with a 2-0 league record, having also earned a 3-2 victory over Red Rock Central / Westbrook-Walnut Grove (at Heron Lake on April 9) in their only other conference game.
While Fest and the Coyotes defense were holding the Wolverines, HL-O / Fulda was able to score twice as senior center fielder Andrew Madsen crossed the plate in each of the fourth and sixth innings.
