Sidney Post 17 Juniors Compete at District Tournament

Sidney's American Legion Post 17 Junior Baseball team traveled up to Gering over the weekend for the Area District Tournament, and lost their elimination game to Alliance on Sunday in a heartbreaker, 9-to-8.

The Juniors started the tournament with a match up against Chadron, and jumped out to a 2-to-0 lead when Rhyder Bayne smacked a two-out double to bring two runs home. Bayne was also on the mound for the Post 17 squad, and went for 5.1 innings, giving up just one run and three hits in his outing. After surrendering a run, Reid Fiscus came in on relief and retired the side to keep Sidney ahead 2-to-1 going into the seventh inning.

But Chadron was able to cash in another run against Fiscus in the seventh, tying the game at 2-to-2. However, in Sidney half of the final frame, Kyle Jaggers was able to get aboard with a single, followed by another single by Landon Riddle. After Reid Fiscus walked to load the bases, Patrick McCartney came up to bat. No hit was necessary as a passed ball allowed Jaggers to score from third base, ending the game in a 3-to-2 victory for Sidney.

On Saturday, the Post 17 Junior team matched up against the B&C Gering Junior team, and the Gering team took an early lead with one run in the first inning, then they added on three in the second inning and one more in the third inning to take a 5-to-0 lead. Conner Hurt started on the mound for Sidney, but the Gering team seemed to have his number, banging out multiple hits in the 2.2 innings Hurt pitched. With two outs in the third inning, Patrick McCartney came in to relieve Hurt, and was able to get the final out to end the third inning. Sidney finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning when Fiscus and McCartney both singled, and Landon Riddle brought them home with a triple to cut the Gering lead to 5-to-2. Tristen Fischer came in to relieve Fiscus in the fifth inning and balked in a run to make the score 6-to-2. Gering started the sixth inning with two walks and a single, and after two runs made it home, Fischer was replaced at pitcher by Calvin Borgmann. An error followed by a walk and a single drove in two more runs, giving Gering a 10-to-2 lead. Sidney was unable to generate any offense in their final at bat, and lost by a final of 10-to-2.

On Sunday, the Post 17 Juniors had an afternoon elimination game against Alliance. After both teams went scoreless in the first inning, Sidney jumped out to a 2-to-0 lead in the second inning when Landon Riddle was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, then came around to score after stealing second base and an error by the Alliance third baseman. Two more singles and a fielder's choice scored Conner Hurt, but then Sidney failed on a double steal with Sam Hulbert getting thrown out trying to steal second and then Anderson Smelley was thrown out trying to steal home. Kyle Jaggers retired the Alliance batters in order to end the second inning, then Sidney was able to use a couple of singles, a couple of walks and an error to score four runs and take a 6-to-0 lead.

But Jaggers luck ran out on the mound in the third inning and he struggled with his control, walking the bases loaded and giving up five runs to see the Sidney lead whittled down to 6-to-5. Patrick McCartney came in to pitch in the fourth inning, and gave up a run on a walk and then a triple to tie the game at 6-to-6. Jaggers was able to get the lead back for Sidney in the fifth inning when he singled home Anderson Smelley to give Sidney a 7-to-6 lead. Sidney extended their lead in the top of the seventh when Rhyder Bayne drove home John Meza with a single to increase the Sidney lead to 8-to-6. In the bottom of the seventh, Reid Fiscus came in to pitch, and after getting two outs, Fiscus gave up a single and then three walks in a row to tie the game at 8-to-8. Smelley came in to relieve Fiscus, but he walked in the winning run, and Sidney fell by a final of 9-to-8, ending their season.

Sidney had 13 hits in the loss, but could not get the Alliance team off the basepaths when it counted. The Juniors end their season, but fine performances by Reid Fiscus, Rhyder Bayne and others will be a big benefit to the Senior team as the junior players move on.