Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Peetz reliever Austin Crane delivers a sixth-inning pitch Tuesday afternoon, as Bulldogs third baseman John Ommen watches. Visiting Merino escaped two bases-loaded situations and emerged a 7-6 winner in 10 innings. Crane fanned eight hitters and received a no-decision. Peetz dropped to 2-1 with the loss, and will host Caliche next Wednesday at 1 p.m.
PEETZ, Colo. — Luck often occurs when opportunity meets preparation, but toss in a lack of aggressiveness, and it spelled extra-innings misfortune Tuesday for the Peetz High School baseball team.
“We had our chances to win, but we have to swing the bats better,” Bulldogs coach Darrin Fehringer said of his team’s 7-6 loss in 10 innings to visiting Merino on a cold, blustery afternoon. “We just weren’t aggressive when we needed to be.”
Peetz (2-1) managed plenty of base runners from the top of its lineup, but hitting with runners in scoring position was virtually non-existent; of the Bulldogs’ six runs, two scored on wild pitches and another was chased home on an error.
After PHS starting pitcher Brady Holtz was touched for a pair of first-inning runs, the Bulldogs promptly loaded the bases with nobody out in their half of the inning. Only Holtz was able to score, on a wild pitch.
Down 3-1 in the last of the third, Peetz tied the issue with some heads-up strategy when Austin Crane walked with one out and went to third base on a hit-and-run single by Josh Cavender.
Fehringer got the wheels going once more with John Ommen on the hit-and-run, his single to right field plating Crane and moving Cavender over to third. Cavender later scored on a wild pitch.
Peetz took a brief 5-4 lead in its fifth against Rams reliever Trey Nestor, with the top of the order once more doing the damage. Holtz walked and raced to third on Crane’s double to left-center, and both raced home on Cavender’s single.
That lead didn’t last long, as the Rams reached Crane, Peetz’s second pitcher, for a pair of unearned runs in the top of the sixth to grab a 6-5 lead. Merino had a chance to add more runs, but Crane struck out the final two batters to escape further damage.
Peetz parlayed a Merino error to tie the game in its sixth. Corbin Heller blooped a single into shallow right field, and rambled all the way home when Logan Vach’s ground ball was kicked into left field. Vach was eventually thrown out trying to reach third base on the miscue.
Peetz missed a golden chance to win the game in the last of the seventh when Holtz led off by singling up the middle, stealing second and then advancing to third on a wild pitch.
Merino then decided to intentionally walk Crane and Cavender to load the bases and set up a force play at the plate, but Peetz never put the ball in play.
Ommen struck out swinging and Troy Clevenger and Brian Roelle took third strikes to halt the threat.
“You just can’t strike out with the bat on your shoulders in those situations,” Fehringer said. “I didn’t think, with our top seven hitters coming up, that we needed to drop a squeeze bunt there.”
Merino eventually won the game in the 10th against Cavender, Peetz’s third pitcher.
Peetz was able to cut down a runenr at the plate trying to score on a wild pitch, but Jake Welmer singled and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
Peetz went in order in its final at-bat against Trevor Rinaldo (1-0).
Holtz, Heller and Cavender each had a pair of hits for the Bulldogs, who managed to strike out 16 times against three Rams hurlers.
“We made some mistakes we can correct,” Fehringer said. “We did struggle somewhat at the bottom of the order, though Heller did have a couple hits. On the other side, we had several wild pitches and passed balls that hurt us, and we are going to have to cut down on those.”
Crane struck out eight hitters in five innings of relief work, but picked up a no-decision.
Rinaldo earned the decision for Merino, following Conner Fiscus and Nestor to the hill.
Peetz hosts Caliche next Wednesday (March 27) at 1 p.m.
Merino 7, Peetz 6 (10 innings)
Merino 210 102 000 1—7
Peetz 102 021 000 0—6
Merino (1-0, ab r h bi): KConger cf 6 3 2 1, Rinaldo ss-p 3 0 0 0, Nester 1b-p 4 1 2 2, CFiscus p-c-ss 4 0 1 0, Shino c-ss 4 0 0 0, Marble 4 0 0 0, Baptista 2b 4 0 0 0, Welmer 3b 3 2 1 0, Hutchison rf 2 0 0 0, Volmer rf 3 1 1 0. Totals 37 7 7 3
Peetz (2-1, ab r h bi): Holtz p-ss 4 2 2 0, Crane c-p 3 2 1 0, Cavender c-ss 3 1 2 2, Omenn 3b 5 0 1 1, Clevenger 2b 5 0 0 0, Roelle 1b 5 0 0 0, JFiscus cf 5 0 0 0, Heller lf 5 1 2 0, Wilson rf 2 0 0 0, Vach 2 0 0 0. Totals 39 6 8 3
Merino ip h r er so bb
C.Fiscus 4 3 3 2 6 1
Nester 4 4 3 2 7 3
Rinaldo (W) 2 1 0 0 3 0
Peetz
Holtz 4 5 4 3 1 4
Crane 5 1 2 0 8 2
Cavender (L) 1 1 1 0 1 1
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