Nebraska City Ace Ehlers Dominates #2 Skutt with Sixteen Strikeout Performance

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Nebraska City southpaw Logan Ehlers threw his third no-hitter of the season as the junior phenom dominated the lineup of Class B #2 Skutt in a 7-0 complete game shutout at Skutt Tuesday evening.  Ehlers struck out sixteen SkyHawks and allowed only two batters to reach base -- both on walks.  Ryan Leonardo drew a second-inning base on balls but was picked off on the next pitch with a quick sidearm throw by Ehlers that led to a 1-3-6 putout.  Jaime Johnson was stranded at first after drawing a one-out walk in the fifth when the next two batters were fanned.  Only three balls were put in play all night by the SkyHawks.  Corey Stringer and John Keck both grounded back to the mound, where Ehlers fielded the ball and threw to first for the out.  A third ball was put into play in the bottom of the seventh, and we are currently running down the name of that hitter.  The Nebraska City defense was perfect behind Ehlers Tuesday evening as the #4 ranked Pioneers improved to 7-1.

Ehler's performance overshadowed a very nice outing by his counterpart, Skutt starter John Keck, as was also the case in Ehler's season-opening 1-0 perfect game win over Pius on March 20th, in which the Thunderbolts' Alex Heideman threw a two-hitter with seven strikeouts.  Keck, a nice looking junior lefty in his own right who struck out ten in six innings, left the game  trailing 2-0 after allowing allowed only three hits.  The game was scoreless through four innings until Kevin Rademacher's soft liner off Keck in the top of the fifth dropped just inside the right field foul line to score Kendall Martin from third.  Martin had reached on a walk and then advanced to third on an errant pickoff throw.  Travis Peterson then doubled to score Rademacher, one of two hits on the night for the Pioneers' junior shortstop.   The scored remained 2-0 until the top of the seventh when Nebraska City got to 6'9" right-handed reliever James Hajek (Hy'-eck) for five insurance runs.  Ehlers helped himself  with a two-run double in the inning. 

In his five appearances this season, Ehlers has allowed only one hit -- a triple by Fremont Bergan's Nick Frey -- in the Pioneers' 4-3 win over the Class A Knights on March 26.  To date the lefty hurler has rung up sixty strikeouts -- six fewer than Prep ace Joe Holtmeyer had over the entire 2008 season to lead Class A in strikeouts.  Ehlers was a 2008 First  Team Lincoln Journal Star SuperState selection and a Second Team All-Nebraska honoree after striking out 112 hitters as a sophomore in 2008 to lead all classes.  The next highest strikeout total was Skutt's Austin Cole, now at Creighton, with 77.  Ehlers is widely regarded as a solid Division I prospect. 

Skutt Head Coach Keith Engelkamp, whose program has produced several Division I pitchers in recent years, including current University of Kansas sophomore standout T.J. Walz, was impressed with Ehlers.  "He worked quickly, stayed focused, threw hard, and mixed up his pitches. His curve and slider are hard to pick up.  His movement was great and he got stronger in the last two innings when he realized he could 'no hit' the SkyHawks,"  commented Engelkamp.  Skutt assistant coach Shawn Exner concurred.  "Logan hides the ball really well, and it is hard to pick up his release point. He has great action on the ball with a lot of extra life to his ball. He has a great 12-6 curve.  Mechanically he is really strong and doesn't give the curveball away with his release or mechanics."