Legion Juniors Take Two from WESTCO

Sidney’s American Legion Post 17 Junior baseball team hosted the WESTCO Express B team on Thursday for a double header, and took both games from the visitors to give them momentum going into the weekend’s tournament in Scottsbluff.

In the first game, Sidney’s Sawyer Dickman took the mound and was able to keep the visitors off the board after scattering three walks in the top of the first inning. Sidney was able to get on the board quickly when leadoff batter Luke Kasten reached first on an error, then a steal, a balk, and a walk set up Sidney with runners on first and third with no outs.

Nolan Hofrock and Dietrich Lecher were able to both plate runs via RBI groundout to end the inning with Sidney leading 2-to-0.

Dickman was able to minimize the command issues he had in the first, and kept WESTCO off balance by changing speeds and locations, while throwing an occasional knuckleball. Two groundouts and a strikeout made short work of the visitors in the top of the second, and Sidney got their offense in gear in the second inning, recording eight runs and knocking out the WESTCO starter before registering an out. The new pitcher fared no better as a series of walks and hits continued the Sidney barrage until the inning finally ended with the home team up 11-to-0.

Cameron Leeling came in to relieve Dickman and walked the first WESTCO batter on four pitches. After giving up another walk, WESTCO attempted a double steal, but catcher Micah Schneider made a strong throw to third base and cut down the lead runner. Leeling struggled with his control, and gave up a run after issuing a walk with the bases loaded. Leeling was then relieved by Jacob Dowse, who struck out the first batter he faced.

Another run was able to score on a passed ball, but then Dowse was able to get the strikeout to retire the side with Sidney leading 11-to-2.

In the bottom of the third with runners on second and third, Lecher drilled a line drive over the third baseman’s head, driving in two runs for Sidney. Schneider added an RBI single, and Sidney ended the inning leading 14-to-2. WESTCO was able to collect a few more runs over the next few innings, but the Sidney lead was too much, and the game was ended via run-rule in the fifth inning. Dietrich Lecher went 2-for-3 with four RBI’s to lead the Sidney offense, while the Sidney pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts in the game.

Jaeden Dillehay took the mound for the second game, and struck out the leadoff batter looking. Dillehay issued a harmless walk in between two groundouts to keep the visitors off the scoreboard. After Dowse struck out to leadoff, Ethan Reichman singled and Nolan Hofrock reached on an error to give Dietrich Lecher an RBI opportunity. He delivered, diving a hard grounder up the middle into center field to plate the first Sidney run. Dillehay then struck out the side in order in the top of the second, but Sidney followed up by going down in order in their half of the second inning.

The score remained 1-to-0 until the bottom of the fourth until Cameron Leeling was able to drive home Luke Kasten from second on a single. Sidney added another run in the bottom of the fifth when Sam Hashman drove a single to right field, scoring Micah Schneider and giving Sidney a 3-to-0 lead.

Sam Hashman finished up the game in relief, allowing only one hit and no runs, and Sidney took the second game of the day by a score of 3-to-0. Lecher, Sam Hashman, and Leeling each had an RBI in the victory, while Jaeden Dillehay pitched 4.2 innings giving up no runs on two hits, while striking out seven and only walking one. Sam Hashman pitched 2.1 innings in relief, giving up one hit while striking out five.