Furious late rally falls just short as Sidney eliminated

Trailing Ogallala 8-4, the Sidney Post 17 senior team mounted a furious four-run rally in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game, but fell behind again in the seventh and couldn't conjure up any more magic, as it lost 10-8 to Ogallala on Monday night at Bower Field in Alliance.

The Sidney seniors are now eliminated from the district tournament. Sidney totaled 10 hits on the way to its eight runs, but also stranded 10 runners on base over the course of the game.

It was a difficult loss to swallow, especially for those not returning to the program-Jaden Sears, TJ Garska, Scott Phillips, Kyle Burton, Alex Maestas and Austin Pile.

Everyone who is returning will begin preparation for a long but dedicated offseason, looking towards next summer.

The team was again without star catcher Colton Onstott, who had been suspended for the remainder of the tournament after his ejection Saturday night against Alliance. Sidney was also without Lane Harvey, a key player in the Gering win. He was back in Denver competing with his select team.

The loss itself was disappointing to the players and coaches. But no one could complain about the players' efforts all the way through to the end.

"It's [the loss to Ogallala] is nothing to hang you're heads about," manager Mark Onstott told the team after the game.

He commended all of the players, especially the seniors, for their hard work throughout the season and in this final game. He reminded them that they far exceeded everyone's expectations for this year.

"They all said you guys would barely be .500," Onstott said.

This year's senior team finished with a very strong 24-12 record and was the first place team in the district.

Burton got the ball on what ended up being the final start of his Sidney career.

Ogallala third baseman Justin Corfield-who finished the game a perfect 5-5 with five runs scored-led off the game with an infield single to Garska at short. He would eventually score on Connor Merrill's two-out sac fly to deep left field, giving Ogallala a 1-0 lead.

Sidney answered quickly in its half of the first off of Ogallala right-handed starter Austin Mack. With two outs, Sears lined a single to left field just past Corfield at third. That set up Phillips who ripped an RBI single to center field that scored Sears as the tying run.

Phillips' RBI put an early charge into the Sidney dugout, as the team was able to tie the game immediately, whereas it took five innings Sunday night to do so against Gering.

Sidney's early energy fizzed a little in the second however.

Burton really labored, throwing 28 pitches in the inning as Ogallala added three runs to its score.

Already at-bat for second time, Corfield lofted a 2-RBI single just past the edge of the infield, scoring Chance Morland and Jake Redinger.

Colby Rezac's RBI groundout to Sears at third gave Ogallala a 4-1 lead going to the bottom of the second.

Mack kept Sidney quiet in the bottom of the second, allowing only a single to left by first baseman Skyler Arent.

In the third inning, Burton retuned the favor for Sidney despite giving up a single and two walks. He needed 69 high-stress pitches to make it through three innings.

Ogallala's patience at the plate, especially with two outs, was the story in its fourth inning.

Burton was able to get the first two outs without much difficulty, but just couldn't find that final one.

He walked Merrill to put Ogallala runners on first and second with two gone and was then pulled by manager Tim Herrera.

Burton completed his final Sidney start after pitching 3.2 innings, allowing six runs-three earned-on six hits, accompanied by five strikeouts and four walks.

Center fielder Austin Pile came in to relieve Burton, one pitch away from preventing further Ogallala damage. But he couldn't find the strike zone either and four-pitch walked the first batter he faced, Mack.

Moreland reached on an error on third baseman Sears that scored Corfield for the third time.

Redinger walked and Merrill eventually scored on a passed ball on Burton, who had replaced Bradey Holtz as Sidney's backstop.

By the time Pile fanned Brandon Fuller to finally end the top of the fourth inning, Ogallala had taken a 6-2 lead. The two fourth inning runs were both charged to Burton.

Pile, who didn't come back out for the fifth, finished with two runs-neither earned-on no hits and two walks.

Sidney got a run back in the bottom of the fourth when Keaton Wakefield scored on an infield single by Holtz that was paired with an errant throw to first.

Wakefield drew a one-out walk and stole second to set up Holtz.

The two teams moved to the top of the fifth with Ogallala leading 6-3.

TJ Garska, who threw a very nice game in Saturday's 2-1 loss to Alliance, came out to pitch in the fifth for Sidney. Things briefly looked stable for him. Corfield collectedhis fourth single of the night but Garska was ableto keep him at first with two outs.

Then Blackwell stepped in a belted a two-run homer about 10 feet to the right of the left field foul pole.

As the Sidney players watched Blackwell round the bases, you could hear a pin drop in their dugout. For a few minutes, it appeared as though they knew they were defeated, even as friends and family desperately cheered them on from the bleachers.

Ogallala now boasted an 8-3 lead and looked completely in control. Blackwell's was the second homer Garska had surrendered in the tournament.

In the bottom of the inning, Sidney again got one run closer when 13-year-old second baseman Arik Doty hit an RBI single to center that scored Garska from second. Still, Mack was able to keep things under wraps and Sidney trailed 8-4 heading to the sixth, running out of time fast.

Garska worked a quick 1-2-3 inning in the sixth- just what the Sidney players needed to try to keep their confidence up with six outs to go in the game.

Finally, the Sidney bats put up a crooked number in the bottom of the sixth.

Holtz led off with a walk and was followed by Pile who placed a perfect bunt and beat out the throw for an infield single. With runners on second and third, Sears hammered a 2-RBI triple to the deep right center gap that scored Holtz and Pile.

Sidney had cut its deficit in half with one swing of the bat and still had nobody out.

Phillips then picked up Sears with his second RBI single of the game-this time to right field. Garska grounded out next and was followed by Burton who hit a long fly ball to center.

Phillips misread the ball however and didn't tag up from third on the play.

But he was picked up by Arent, who singled to center and in the span of about five minutes the game was all knotted up at eight a piece.

The Sidney dugout and side of the bleachers exploded as Garska walked back out for the top of the seventh, trying to shut down Ogallala and set up his team for its second walk-off win in as many days.

But it was not to be. The No. eight hitter Fuller took a leadoff walk and was moved to second on a sac bunt by Gage Christensen. Corfield knocked his fifth hit of the game.

Garska struck out Rezac for a huge second out, bringing up Blackwell, fresh off his fifth-inning two-run shot.

With Blackwell at the plate, Fuller came into score the go-ahead run on a wild pitch from Garska.

This time Blackwell hit an RBI single to center that scored Corfield for the fifth time Monday night, giving Ogallala a 10-8 lead.

Sidney was now down to its final three outs to save its season. It had come back from the dead Sunday against Gering to stay alive a nd it was set up as well as it could have been for another rally, with Holtz leading off one final time.

But he swung on the second pitch of his at-bat and popped up for the first out. He was followed by Pile and Sears, both of whom struck out to end the game.

As Ogallala celebrated the win, the Sidney players hung their heads in disbelief and quietly began to pack their equipment and change in the dugout.

Manager Onstott called the team together on the grass right outside the dugout.

Each coach and player gave each senior a parting hug and a warm thanks for their unrelenting commitment during their years in the program.

Onstott had a positive and inspirational message for his team.

"We were rebuilding this program and it's still rebuilding," Onstott said. "You guys [pointing at the younger players] will now carry the torch that these guys [theseniors] did. What will you do with it?"

Sears, who completed his first and only summer with Sidney, said his move from Alaska helped him in many ways.

"I felt immature as a baseball player coming down, having to meet a bunch of new guys and having to mesh with people I didn't know,"

Sears said. "It helped make me not only a better player but a better individual. These guys really accepted me. I'm so glad I came down [from Alaska]."

The loss was a learning experience for the team.

"It [the loss] brought us closer together as a team," said Burton, who will play at WNCC in Scottsbluff next season. "We're all brothers here and we're all there for each other. It was a good experience."

LINE SCORE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

Ogallala 1 3 0 2 2 0 2 10 10 1

Sidney 1 0 1 1 1 4 0 8 3 2

BOX SCORE

AB H R RBI 2B 3B SO BB SB HBP

Holtz 5 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 1

Pile 5 1 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0

Sears 5 2 2 2 0 1 1 0 1 0

Phillips 3 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1

Garska 3 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1

Burton 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

Arent 3 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0

Doty 4 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0

Wakefield 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 1 0

SIDNEY PITCHING

IP H R ER SO BB HBP HR

Burton 3.2 6 6 3 5 4 0 0

Pile 0.0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0

Garska (L) 3.1 4 2 2 6 1 0 0