Onstott's blast fuels 4-2 Sidney win

If Post 17 was at all troubled by their early 2-0 deficit to district foe Gering on Thursday night, Colton Onstott quickly put their fears to rest.

The veteran catcher drove in three runs and scored twice, helping Sidney secure a 4-2 win at Legion Park. But he turned the game around with a single swing of the bat.

With one gone in the bottom of the second and Jaden Sears on base after drawing a leadoff walk, Onstott drove a Brent Barge fastball over the right field wall. The two-run homer evened the score at 2-2. More importantly, it fired up the Sidney squad.

"I knew it was gone," Onstott said of the blow. "It gave us momentum."

That spark showed in the fourth. Travis Garska was hit by a pitch and stole second. Onstott followed, ripping a low line drive past a diving Gering firstbaseman, Esai Hernandez, sending Garska home and handing Sidney a 3-2 lead.

Onstott advanced to second on a balk. Scott Phillips almost brought him around, smacking a fly to center that was hauled in by Gering's Walker Britsch.

The catch was out number two and Sidney's newly forged advantage was slim. But Skyler Arent gave the home side some breathing room, slapping a single into left to score Onstott.

"I was just trying to hit the ball," said Arent, who also recorded an RBI base hit on Tuesday. "Lately I've been making better contact."

The 4-2 advantage proved more than enough for starting pitcher Kyle Burton. Over five innings of work he allowed just five hits and one earned run.

"It was one of my better outings," he observed. "And I had a great defense behind me."

Indeed, whenever Burton found himself in a bind, Sidney's fielders came through. With a man on and one out in the first, Gering's Nate Ferreyra drew a walk. Onstott quickly cut him down trying to steal, second baseman Garska applying the tag-an important out, as Hernandez followed with an RBI single for Gering's first run.

The visitors scored again in the top of the third and threatened to break the game open, putting runners on the corners with two down. A Burton offering to Logan Conn skipped past Onstott. But the alert backstop scrambled after the ball and fired to Burton, who beat Gering's Austin Reynolds to the plate.

Burton surrendered two hits in the fifth before Mitch Rolls brought down a fly to left, ending the inning. The Sidney starter then hit Gering's leadoff batter in the sixth, finally yielding the mound to Onstott, who came on in relief.

"Toward the end I started thinking too much," Burton pointed out.

Onstott fanned three and closed out the game.

"Kyle did a good job," Onstott said. "Everyone did a good job."

Sidney committed just two errors and hit well in the clutch. More importantly, the claimed their second district win in a week, knocking off Alliance by 10-run rule on Tuesday.

"We're just playing solid ball," Arent explained. "Those are two big opponents to beat."

Post 17 welcomed Austin Pile back to the lineup after two weeks away with the Nebraska National Guard. He quickly showed his value, making a running catch in center with one on in the third.

"We needed his speed," Burton acknowledged.

Infielder Bradey Holtz returns to the lineup next week and Lane Harvey, a potent all-around player, is expected before districts.

When the team can field a consistent lineup, Arent said, the possibilities will quickly become interesting.

The Juniors lost the opener 16-8.

Sidney's Seniors are back in action on Sunday when they travel to Gordon for a triangular with the host side and Valentine.

The first pitch is scheduled for noon.

Linescore

Gering 101 000 - 2

Sidney 002 020 - 4

WP - Burton

LP - Barge

AB R H

Sears 3b 2 1 0

Garska ss 2 1 0

Onstott c,p 3 2 2

Phillips rf 2 0 1

Arent 1b 3 0 1

Wakefield lf 0 0 0

Pile cf 3 0 0

Burton p,c 3 0 0

Doty 2b 2 0 1

Rolls cf,lf 2 0 0

Hagerman ph 1 0 0

HR-Onstott

RBI-Onstott (3), Arent

IP H R ER BB K

Burton 5 5 2 1 5 1

Onstott 2 0 0 0 0 3