Sidney splits weekend tourny

Stephen McKay

[email protected]

Hed: Sidney splits weekend tournament

Before American Legion Post 17 played its fourth and final game of the Platte Valley Companies Tournament at Oregon Trail Park in Gering, they were batting just .227 as a team--and that despite a 10-run first inning to its season.

Against the same team in which it opened its season last Wednesday, Post 17's bats got well in a hurry as they rapped out 14 hits in a 15-1 four-inning victory. Overall Sidney is 3-2 for the season which includes a 2-2 record for the tournament.

"We should have been 4-0 or at least 3-1 (in the tournament), but we're coming together," said Sidney coach Tim Herrera.

Post 17 lost the first game to North Platte 3-1 as, managing just two hits. The the most significant blow came off the bat of Lane Harvey, as he tripled to right in the fifth inning. He later scored the only run for Post 17. Devon Sullivan took the loss despite giving up just two-earned runs in seven innings.

In its second game of the tournament Sidney edged Chadron 3-1 with just four hits. Sullivan drove in two to power the victory while Harvey went the distance for the win.

Sidney dug itself a deep hole in game three against Gering. Post 17 trailed 8-2 after the second inning. Sidney managed to tie the game in the top of the sixth at 9-9 but lost in the bottom half of the frame 10-9.

The game was shortened due to darkness.

"We climbed out of a big hole and started to hit. I think we could have won that one if we had another inning," Herrera said.

In its final game versus Hershland on Sunday, Sullivan set the tone for the afternoon as he led off with a double on his way to a four-hit game. He was followed later in the inning by a Tyson Herrera double, a Colton Onstott triple and a single off the bat of Lane McLaughlin. Austin Crane added a sacrifice fly. By the end of the half inning Sidney held a 4-0 lead.

"We saw mostly fastballs, not many curve balls or off-speed stuff," said Onstott who went three-for-four, stole a base and drove in two runs. "It's the first game we've really started to hit consistently."

Not only was Sidney hitting, they were also getting hit. At least Herrera was. He was nailed by pitches in consecutive innings, which he made little effort to avoid. One pitch caught him in the shoulder the other one in the elbow.

"No, I really didn't try to get out of the way, I took the base," Herrera admitted. "If it's too cold though I might get out of the way, but not today."

Herrera scored on both occassions he was hit.

After sending nine batters to the plate in the first, Post 17 went relatively quietly in the second. A Sullivan lead-off single was all they could manage off Hershland starter Jacob Weir. But Sidney knocked Weir out of the box in the third inning after sending 11 batters to the plate. Sidney collected four walks, four hits, a hit batter and seven runs in the third.

Sidney sent 10 more batters to the plate in the fourth and scored four more runs. Three doubles off the bats of Sullivan, Schyler Arent and Onstott led the charge.

Austin Pile picked up the win gving up one run in three innings while Scott Phillips kept Hershland scoreless in the fourth.

Post 17 is at it again today with a junior-senior double header at Alliance beginning at 5 p.m.