The Albion Cornerstone Legion Seniors certainly aren’t shying from high caliber com-petition.
After opening the past week with a home victory over Schuyler, Cornerstone traveled to Bellevue over the weekend for tournament action against tough foes from the Omaha area. Although Albion dropped four straight games, Cornerstone Coach Lowell Imus said his squad was competitive and should benefit from the experience.
Albion Cornerstone used an early burst of runs and solid pitching to notch a 5-2 victory over Schuyler May 24 at Leon Nelson Memorial Field in Albion.
The visitors scored a run off Albion starter Scott Ketteler in the top of the first, but Cornerstone answered with four in the bottom of the frame. Noah Valasek led off the Albion half of the inning with a triple and tied the score on Derek Stuhr’s single. Stuhr, Kyle Kramer and Keaton Henry also scored, as Cornerstone was aided by two Schuyler errors.
Ketteler doubled and scored on Jessie Sullivan’s ground out in the third, which was all Albion would need. Ketteler and Cody Nelson scattered seven Schuyler hits and allowed the visitors just one additional run in the seventh.
Things got tougher at Bellevue, beginning with a 9-1 loss to Bellevue East by the tournament eight run rule Friday.
Bellevue East scored three runs in the first and three in the second to jump on top 6-0 early. Cornerstone tallied its only run in the fourth when Henry rapped a two out single, advanced on a passed ball and scored on Ketteler’s base hit.
Creighton Prep handed Cornerstone a 10-1 loss Friday, jumping on Albion starter Valasek in the opening innings.
Prep took a 2-0 lead in the first, then plated six additional runs in the second as Albion committed three errors. Nelson singled and scored on Valasek’s double for Cornerstone’s only run of the contest.
Saturday’s games were more closely contested. The day opened with Swain Construction (Roncalli) claiming a 7-3 win over Albion Cornerstone.
Swain methodically built a 7-0 lead against Ketteler in the mid innings – crossing the plate twice in the second, three times in the third and twice in the fourth.
Cornerstone got on the scoreboard in the sixth when Caden Ranslem doubled home Nelson. Albion scored its final two runs in the seventh, Dylan Gentrup and Valasek crossing the plate.
Albion Cornerstone finished the tourney with a 6-1 loss to Omaha Burke later Saturday.
Again, it was early damage that put Cornerstone in the hole, as Burke tallied four times in inning two. Stuhr allowed Burke just two additional runs, in the fifth, but Cornerstone was stymied by Burke’s Yakopek until the seventh. Valasek singled and scored the lone Albion run on Kramer’s two out single.
