Atlantic baseball team stuns HCHS

 HARLAN (June 24) -- The Harlan Community baseball team fell victim to a big upset Monday night at Jim Goeser Field, losing to Atlantic 3-2.
 The Trojans (3-12 overall, 2-12 Hawkeye Ten) scored the go-ahead run on Nile Petersen’s bases-loaded slow roller past the mound in the top of the seventh, then escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the inning to pick up just their third win of the season. HCHS, ranked fourth in Class 3A, dropped to 15-4 overall and 10-4 in the conference, tied with Glenwood for second place.
 Atlantic senior Chase McLaren (2-4) struck out nine batters in six and two-thirds innings (seven hits, two walks) before exiting the mound due to the pitch count rule with one on and two out in the seventh. Reliever Brody O’Brien walked the first two batters he faced to load the bases but was able to end the game with a strikeout.
 “We’ve had trouble all year with velocity guys,” said HCHS head coach Steve Daeges of McLaren, who throws close to 80 mph. “He throws with velocity and was able to throw the curveball for a strike and we didn’t put a lot of pressure on him tonight.
 “We were kind of putting it on coast, I think, and just thinking we were going to come back and win it and in the seventh inning we fell short.”
 First-year Atlantic head coach Joe Brummer, a 2012 HCHS graduate and former Cyclone baseball player, called the win a big one for his squad.
 “McLaren was outstanding on the hill, we had limited errors and finally got some timely hits,” Brummer told Atlantic’s KSOM radio. “The kids showed toughness and resilience, and they got the job done tonight.”
 HCHS left the bases loaded twice and stranded 11 total runners. Connor Bruck and Luke Schaben both went 2-for-4 to lead the offense.
 Riley Kohles started on the mound for HCHS, allowing five hits and two runs (one earned) in four innings.