Big inning secures Sidney road win

The Sidney senior American Legion team exploded for six runs in the top of the fourth inning to fuel a 10-6 win and a Post 17 junior-senior sweep at Ogallala on Friday night.

The junior nine opened the evening with a 6-2 triumph as Keaton Wakefield went the distance to get the win.

Severe weather was a constant threat throughout the game, causing Sidney Coach Mark Onstott to think in terms of winning a four-inning contest. Though the rain didn't come in earnest until shortly after the final out had been recorded, Sidney left no doubt with its big fourth inning.

With Post 17 trailing by a run at 3-2 entering the visitor's fourth, Arik Doty became the first of 11 Sidney batters to take a turn at the plate.

Doty, the number nine hitter, began the parade, being hit by a pitch. Leadoff hitter Bradey Holtz then followed by earning a base on balls.

Third up in the inning, Austin Pile reached on an infield single and made second on the throw as Doty scored. Holz was erased in a rundown on the play. The second run scored when Colton Onstott's bunt went for an RBI single.

After cleanup hitter Scott Phillips singled, Skyler Arent walked to load the bases. Wakefield earned his third of three RBI in the game without a hit when the lefthander slapped the ball to the right side for a 4-3 putout. He earlier earned a pair of RBI on walks.

Ironically, his final two at bats were well-struck line drives that added nothing to the hits column - though his second shot to center was mishandled to score a run.

"I'm seeing th ball real well now, that's about all it is," said Wakefield. "This is a team effort though. We're all working really well right now."

The bases were reloaded when Kyle Burton, who eventually earned the pitching victory, took another walk for Sidney. Onstott then scored when Jason Hagerman's shot to third couldn't be handled. With the sacks still full, Doty stood in for his second plate appearance of the inning and belted a hard single to left scoring two more.

After the visitors fourth was complete, Sidney turned its 3-2 deficit into an 8-3 advantage. Burton then went back on the hill and set Post 135 down with a walk, a strikeout and two lazy grounders.

While Burton struggled throughout the contest with his control, he consistenly came up with big outs when needed. By walking eight and striking out six, however, his pitch count began to mount. He was removed in favor of Onstott, who has taken on the closers roll this season.

"At times I gripped the ball too hard and other times too lightly," said Burton. "But we really battled through this as a team. This one was a really good team win."

Burton and his counterparts were also fighting a muddy mound as a light rain was an intermittent presence throughout. The Ogallala mound is also noticibly lower than the hill at Legion Field.

Sidney and Ogallala opened the game by trading first-inning runs. Sidney earned its tally after walks by Holtz, Phillips and Arent loaded the bases. A walk by Wakefield scored Holtz for a 1-0 lead. Connor Morrill tied the contest when he pulled Burton off the mound to field his grounder to the right side.

Justin Corfield and Cody Blackwell tallied RBI in the second inning for the home team as Ogallala took a 3-1 lead. The score became 3-2 when Wakfield was the fourth straight batter to be issued a free pass in the third.

Post 17 tacked on single runs in the final two innings on a pair of errors.

While Onstott struck out six batters in his two innings of work, he yielded a run in the fifth when Morrill's shot to right couldn't be handled. Chance Morland doubled home Morrill from third. But Onstott proved very stingy in his final four outs.

"I was throwing fastballs until they hit it," said Onstott who also had a hit, a walk and an RBI in five plate appearances. "My hitting's coming around. It's not quite where I want it to be yet but I'll find it soon enough."

Sidney has three games coming up this week on consecutive days. Post 17 will travel to Hershey on Tuesday and Torrington on Thursday. On Wednesday Sidney will be at home, hosting Chappell. All three games are junior-senior doubleheaders with with the juniors getting it started at 5 p.m.

Post 17 Linescore

Ogallala 120 021 0 - 6 6 6

Sidney 101 601 1 - 10 5 1

RBI

Sidney

Colton Onstott,

Keaton Wakefield 3,

Arik Doty 2

Ogallala

Connor Morrill,

Justin Corfield 2