Sidney Legion teams continue skid

ALLIANCE, Neb. – The Sidney American Legion teams traveled the road to Alliance and finished on the short end of both ends of a junior-senior doubleheader Wednesday evening.

Though mostly a well-played game defensively on both sides of the juniors game, the Sidney pitchers struggled to keep runners off base as the Spartans won 13-5 in five innings.

With control being part of the issue, starter Zack Means failed to get out of the first inning in taking the loss. Meanwhile, Means combined with Byron Rowley, Kyler Lenzen and Logan Sircy to walk 14 hitters over the five frames.

In the seniors contest, Kyle Burton pitched a complete game but ended up on the short end of a 4-1 final in which Sidney managed just two hits and a hit batter. Post #17 also benefitted from a pair of Alliance errors. Sidney struggled to get much going against Jeff Heckman who also had a complete game. Heckman seemed to keep some of the Sidney hitters off balance with his varied arm angles.

"I wasn't bothered by (the arm angles), but I think some of the guys that haven't seen him much were," said No. 3 hitter Bradey Holtz.

The only base knocks for Sidney included a sixth-inning double by Burton that was reminiscent of a scene one might see at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Mitch Rolls picked up the other hit, a single in the fifth. After Burton struck his hard line drive to deep left center, it took one hop and was lost in the ivy that surrounds the outfield fence. Though on his way to third when the outfielder threw up his hands, Burton was called back to second for a ground-rule double.

"He shook off the first pitch so I knew it was a curveball and he shook it off again so I figured another curve was coming," said Burton of his sixth-inning drive. "He threw the curve right down the middle and I put a good swing on it. I went up there knowing I was going to get a hit. I didn't want to finish this game without one."

Sidney managed to plate its only run in the second inning without the benefit of a hit. Burton opened up the frame by reaching second on an error and reached third on a wild pitch. Arik Doty earned the only RBI for Post #17 with a ground out to the right side.

With Alliance having scored a run in the home first, the game remained tied at 1-1 until the fourth when Alliance plated an unearned run on Sidney's only error of the game. The Spartans picked up another pair in the fifth when Andrew Ochoa belted a long triple.

"Kyle pitched a great game. We didn't have many errors but they had some timely hits and earned their four runs," said Sidney head coach Ray Witt. "We left quite a few runners on base, but overall I was proud of the performance."

The seniors left three runners on base in the fifth inning, though they were just inches from clearing the bases for what could have been a 4-2 lead. With the sacks full, No. 2 hitter Connor Langrell ripped a hard-line drive down the left-field line that landed just left of the chalk.

Though the juniors scored an unearned run in the opening inning, they were topped by the Spartans' four spot in the home first and never led again.

Sidney scored another run in second when Garrett Langrell drove home brother Connor with a ground out to shortstop. Connor Langrell, who had three hits in the game, had earlier reached on a bad-hop single over the shortstop's shoulder.

Sidney tallied two more in the third on runs scored by Keaton Wakefield and Arik Doty. Wakefield scored on an outfield error and Doty crossed on a single by Connor Langrell. Wakefield then sent home Sidney's final run in the fourth.

Post #17 is back in action Saturday when it travels to district opponent Ogallala. The juniors take the field first at 3 p.m. with the seniors to follow.

WEDNESDAY'S BOXES

Juniors

Alliance 13, Sidney 5

Sidney 112 10 – 5 9 2

Alliance 420 34 – 13 9 1

Sidney: Zack Means, Byron Rowley (1), Kyler Lenzen (2), Logan Sircy (4) and Garrett Langrell.

2B: Cade Pheiffer (A), Connor Langrell (S). 3B: Derek Morrison (A).

Seniors

Alliance 4, Sidney 1

Sidney 010 000 0 – 1 2 1

Alliance 100120 0 – 4 5 1

Sidney: Kyle Burton and Bradey Holtz. Alliance: Jeff Heckman and Colton Rolls.

2B: Kyle Burton (S). 3B: Jeff Hausman.