The Fulton Hornets used a pitching combo to subdue the state-ranked Fatima Comets' lineup.
Three Fulton pitchers joined forces to limit Fatima to one run on just five hits and the Hornets picked up their fourth straight victory by taking down the Comets 4-1 on Monday night at the high school athletic complex.
Acquiring a quality win in the first of five games scheduled in five days, Fulton raised its season record to 9-5. Fatima is ranked seventh in Class 3.
"It's always nice to beat a good team like that," Hornets head coach John Brinkmann said. "(The Comets) are well-coached, they play hard and they're a good team year after year.
"They got us twice last year, so it felt good to get one back."
Senior Alec Fleetwood - working 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of senior starter Taylor Nelson - earned the win for Fulton. Fleetwood (2-1) scattered two hits and struck out two.
Senior Luke Gray, pitching to two batters in the seventh, allowed one hit to record his first save of the season.
Nelson gave up one earned run on two hits in four innings, striking out three and issuing three walks.
"They didn't back down," Brinkmann said of his pitching trio. "They weren't always ahead (in the count), but they weren't giving in and giving them easy pitches.
"They made (Fatima) work for their hits - you can't afford to give them free bases."
The Hornets' offense needed a little time to find its rhythm after the Comets took a 1-0 lead in the second. Fulton tied the game on senior right fielder Devan Hudson's RBI single in the fourth and went in front 2-1 on senior catcher Isaiah Pani's RBI double in the fifth.
The Hornets tacked on a pair of critical runs in the sixth when senior shortstop Devin Masek singled home a run with one out and eventually scored on senior first baseman Jared Peery's sacrifice fly.
Pani finished 2-for-3 with an RBI as Fulton collected eight hits. Masek was 1-for-3 with an RBI and scored twice, while Hudson went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Fleetwood - who started in center field - finished 1-for-2 and scored a run.
"We kind of changed our approach as the game went on," Brinkmann said. "I've been talking all year about how our 0-2 approach (in the count) has won and lost us games.
"The umpire had a bigger (strike) zone, and it was consistent, but we had to make adjustments. We made their pitcher work and then we started drawing walks and getting base hits."
The Hornets remain at home for a North Central Missouri Conference game against Moberly at 5 p.m. today. Fulton manhandled the Spartans 15-5 on April 13 in Moberly.