Hartington Pony team gets a fast start out of the gate

HARTINGTON — The Quad County Hartington Ponies opened up the season 2-0 with wins over Wynot (14-0) and Crofton (5-4).

“I was impressed with the way we played and pulled together as a team,” head coach Don Whitmire said. “This team is coachable and has a desire to improve. Pitching and defense is a little ahead of our offense, however, this is to be expected early in the season.

“The pitching did very well, throwing strikes and not giving too many free passes. We have to work on getting a little more competitive with our at bats by putting the ball in play and putting the pressure on the defense.”

Breiton Whitmire threw a complete game one-hitter, with eight strikeouts against Wynot, while the team recorded five extra-base hits, four of them being doubles.

Maverick Heine had a team-best two RBI.

“When we find our way onto the bases, we excel in our base running which leads to runs,” Coach Whitmire said.

In beating Crofton, the Ponies scored three times in the bottom of the fifth frame to rally for the victory.

Brady Hochstein, Cole Rosener and Breiton Whitmire all recorded a hit with the latter driving in two RBI to top the team’s efforts. The team also benefitted from six walks.

Jamison Cattau threw two innings of no-hit ball with two punchouts to record the win in relief, with Breiton Whitmire earning the save.

“I want to see the kids expand upon what we have been practicing, specifically the mental part of the game,” their coach said about the upcoming slate of games. “I want them knowing where we are going with the ball when it comes to us, making sure to pick up signs when on bases or at bat. We have to get better on the small things as they are the difference between a win and a loss.”

Stay in the know!

To get news alerts on your cell phone, get the Cedar County News app in the ITunes store or  in the Google Play Store.