Season's Second Full Week Starts With Exciting Games

March 30, 2009

Season's Second Full Week Starts with Exciting Games

March 30, 2009

Sandwiched between last weekend's weather-related cancellations and Tuesday's forecast for more cold weather, Monday's contests glittered with promise of what baseball fans hope to see more of once the weather conditions improve.   The gem that shone most brightly on Monday was a pitchers' duel at Westside where two of the state's top senior righthanders, the Warriors' Chris Williams and Millard South's Dylan Vogt, went head-to-head.  Although Vogt threw a one-hit beauty against #1 Westside, allowing only a leadoff line drive base hit to Jory Goldstrom, a second-inning wild pitch resulted in his first loss of the season, as Kyle Hartman's scamper to the plate stood up as the difference-maker in the ballgame to give the Warrior's a 1-0 win.  Hartman drew a walk to reach base and advanced to third on a hit batsman and a sacrifice bunt.  Vogt struck out six in six innings for the third-ranked Patriots.  His counterpart, Williams, allowed only three hits to the aggressive Millard South lineup -- holding big boppers Colton Thomas and Andy Peacock hitless on the day and allowing tablesetter Ty Kildow to reach only once -- while striking out seven in a complete game shutout for his third win of the young season.   The game ended with two on and two out when Williams struck out the Patriots' #9 hitter on a 3-2 pitch with Kildow waiting on deck.  In the three wins the Warriors' ace has allowed five hits in 16 innings and is yet to give up a run.  Westside improves to 5-1 while the Patriots drop to 2-2.

In another contest between Top Ten Class A teams, #5 Millard North pulled away from #7 Papillion LaVista with a late inning rally, scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth and four more in the bottom of the sixth against another top senior righthander, the Monarchs' Nick Yost, to claim a 7-1 victory.  Outfielder Ryan Scheetz powered the Mustangs' late-inning surge by driving in five runs with a fifth-inning double and a base-clearing three-run double in the sixth.  After allowing a run on three hits in the first inning, Millard North's Luke Abkes kept the Monarchs' lineup in check the rest of the way, scattering only three more hits over the final six innings in a solid complete game performance for the double duty pitcher / catcher. 

| Game Photos |

At Ryder Park in Grand Island, a doubleheader between the host Islanders and the visiting Columbus Discovers resulted in two one-run wins for the home team, 9-8 and 7-6.  In the opener, Columbus battled back from a 8-5 deficit after three innings with two runs in the top of the fifth and then tied it up with Kurt Farmer's solo home run in the sixth.  After earning a base on balls in the bottom of the inning, GI's Brandon Tjaden advanced to third on an error and scored the go ahead run on another error.     Reliever Derek Papstein made that stand up for the win.  Farmer took the loss despite not allowing any hits in 3 2/3 innings and striking out four.  The Discovers committed five errors in the game, their first contest in nine days.

In the nightcap, the Islanders outhit Columbus 16-6 but stranded eleven baserunners.  Columbus rallied from an 5-4 deficit with two runs in sixth, including Farmer's exciting two-out, two-strike straight steal of home for the lead.  The defending state champs tied it back up in the bottom of the inning on Max Ayoub's two-out RBI single, and reliever Nathan Zook recorded a goose egg in the top of the seventh to give his team a chance for the sweep.  Freshman Ryker Fyfe led off the home half of the 7th with a base hit, scooted to third on an error and scored the winning run when Dylan Meier drove a pitch over the centerfielder's head.  Winning coach Rich Kissack credited Farmer with three "outstanding defensive plays" on the night, the home run and the heads up steal of home.  "This kid lived up to his 'All-American' status," observed the Islander's head coach.  "He's the real deal."

In a Class B surprise, previously winless Blair handed #3 Roncalli a 5-4 loss on the Pride's home field.  Roncalli scored three runs in the first to give starter Alex Terry a nice cushion to work with, and led 4-2 when Terry came out after four innings.  But the Pride offense dried up and failed to give reliever Mike Herman any help the rest of the way as the Roncalli lineup went hitless the rest of the night.  Herman kept the Bears off the bases in the fifth, but three Blair runs in the top of the sixth stood up for the win.  The Bears were led offensively by Joey Gentzler (RBI triple), Tom Hodgson (2 run HR) and Jake Peterson (2 RBI's).  Jake Speicher earned the win with a six inning effort for Blair, which improves to 1-2.  Roncalli falls to 2-2. 

In an inter-class game, Class B #6 Ralston (2-2) pulled out a 3-2 win at home over unranked Class A Bellevue West (2-2) as Anthony Gibilisco scored the winning run in the bottom of the 7th.  Tyler Grashorn earned his second win with 1 2/3 perfect innings of relief, striking out two.  Austin Lyman and Colin Corliss drove in runs for the Rams, and Des Roberts and Zach Weeks drove in the Thunderbirds' two runs.

Today's schedule is rapidly falling victim to cancellations and postponements in the face of cold weather, sharp winds and forecasts of snow.   Hopefully, we'll get back on track as we turn the calendar to April tomorrow.