Mike Szalat was left searching for answers to questions he didn’t really know here Friday night.

After jumping out to a 6-0 lead early, the St. Edmond baseball team was unable to hold off a rally by Clarion-Goldfield/Dows, falling at Rogers Park, 9-8 in eight innings.

Brier Boyd, the senior ace of the Cowboy (2-9 overall, 1-4 in North Central Conference) pitching staff, pitched six-plus innings in relief, striking out six and allowing just three hits to earn his second win of the season.

Junior Caleb Krueger worked around an extended eighth to earn a save. He also reached base five times on walks, scoring a run, driving in another and stealing two bases.

The Gaels (4-5, 1-4) cut the deficit to 9-8 with two runs in the eighth, but Krueger got the third out with a pair of runners on base.

“I just don’t know right now,” Szalat said. “I’m going to have to connect with some of my coaching friends and see if they’ve went through something like this to try and get us on track.

“We’ve got the potential, but we just aren’t putting it together consistently on the field.”

Clarion-Goldfield/Dows tied it with five runs in the sixth, forcing SEHS starter Peyton Scott out of the game. Scott had recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts on the mound before departing.

For the Cowboys, Tyler Stein scored three runs on three hits, Cael Chase drove in two with a single in the sixth and Reed Abbas reached four times with a run.

No. 9 hitter Mateo Martinez connected on a two-RBI in the sixth before stealing second and scoring on an error.

The Gaels batted around in the second inning, plating five runs. Connor Bocken had an RBI double, finishing with three walks and two runs scored, Nick Bennett drew two walks and scored a run, and Elijah Litwiller drove in four runs and reached base three times.

“I know it’s frustrating for the kids because it’s frustrating for the coaches,” Szalat said. “We’ve been getting really good performances on the mound, but we aren’t giving our pitchers the support they need or deserve.”

Cael Kolacia and Jackson Kochendorfer both had an RBI, with Kochendorfer getting on three times. Noah Carlson also scored three times, reaching base four times on the night with two walks.

The win snapped a three-game losing skid for Clarion-Goldfield/Dows (2-9), which hosts Algona on Monday. St. Edmond visits Humboldt Monday night before returning home to welcome Pocahontas Area Tuesday.

CLARION-GOLDFIELD/DOWS 9, ST. EDMOND 8 (8 inn.)

C-G/Dows 001 005 03 — 9 6 1

St. Edmond 150 000 02 — 8 5 4

WP–Brier Boyd (2-2, 6ª IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 6 K, 3 BB). LP–Emanuel Perry (0-1, 3 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 5 K, 4 BB). S–Caleb Kruger (1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 K, 1 BB).

2B–SE: Connor Bocken. RBI–CG-D: Nate Rapp, Caleb Kruger, Cael Chase (2), Mateo Martinez (2); SE: Connor Bocken, Elijah Litwiller (4), Cael Kolacia, Jackson Kochendorfer.