Superior 4, Proctor 3
Duluth News Tribune, April 26, 2000

Senior shortstop Ben Fenhouse went 2-for-3, including a three-run homer in the fourth inning, leading Superior past visiting Proctor.
Fenhouse knocked in all of Superior's runs.
Brett Jahnke got the win with a complete-game, five-hit effort and eight strikeouts for the Spartans (4-2).
Erik Esala had a two-run homer for the Rails (1-3).

 

Spartans boot the Rails
Superior Daily Telegram, April 26, 2000
by Ken Olson

Move over "Air Jordan," there's a new hot shoe on the market.

As of Tuesday night for the Superior Senior High School baseball team and Ben Fenhouse, that item is Keith Johnson's spikes.

Johnson, who was named last week a Daily Telegram Prep Athlete of the Week after hitting his first two career home runs, loaned his spikes to Fenhouse, who then went out and frove in all four runs, including a game-winning three-run home run, in the Spartans' 4-3 win over the Proctor Rails at Superior's Morrie Arnovich Field.

"I knew that he was going to try hard for the first pitch to be a strike, and I was just looking for a strike down the middle and he gave it to me," said Fenhouse. "This is the first game this season that we came together as a team. We've been playing well lately, but this game really showed it. Brett Jahnke pitched a great game and we only had one error, and errors have been one of the things that have been hurting us."

Fenhouse, who also hit a two-out RBI single in the second, was also flawless in the field at shortstop with four assists and two putouts.

Jahnke improved to 1-0 in his second start of the season. The senior righty pitched a complete game, giving up five hits with eight strikeouts and five walks.

"This outing was a lot better than my first one," said Jahnke. "We definitely had our best defensive game of the year. Hopefully we can continue it."

The only blemish in Jahnke's performance was the sixth inning when Proctor scored three runs. After a one-out double by Ryon Morgando, Erik Esala belted a two-run homer to left. Proctor added one more run via an error on a pickoff play.

"I threw a fastball and he (Esala) hit a good pitch," said Jahnke."He got a good swith on it and just roped it. He hit it well."

The Rails threatened in the seventh when they put two runners on with a leadoff walk and infield single. But Jahnke caught fire and fanned the Rails' No. 2, 3, and 4 hitters to end the game.

"I beared down in the seventh and just tried to throw as hard as I could," said Jahnke.

"Brett really deserves credit for buckling down the way he did in the seventh against the heart of their order," said SSHS Coach Don Dembroski. "We played our finest game of the season defensively today, committing just one error. Our defense helped make up for what we were lacking offensively."

The Spartans, now 4-2  overall and 2-1 in the Lake Superior Conference and got seven hits from five different players, are at Hermantown on Thursday at 4:30 p.m., where Marc Rothschadl will make his second start of the season.

Then on Friday the Spartans will do battle with the Duluth East Greyhounds at Ordean Field, where Chris Abrahamson (2-0) will take the mound for the 4 p.m. start.

"We have some stiff competition coming up, but we're ready for anything," said Fenhouse.

Fenhouse just better be ready to fight the rest of the Spartans for Johnson's spikes.