McCook Juniors rally in Area 6 tourney

Steve Kodad/McCook Daily Gazette McCook First Central Bank Juniors shortstop Kaden Sitzman (1, right) receives a pickoff throw from pitcher Brandon Lucas as the Broken Bow base runner slides back to second base during Class B Area 6 Tournament play at Holdrege July 15. The Broken Bow runner was safe on the play. The McCook Legion team ended Broken Bow's season with an 18-2 decision.

HOLDREGE, Neb. -- The McCook First Central Bank Juniors started out the Class B Area 6 Tournament about as dismal as possible.

But the FCB Juniors rebounded with two big victories to get in position for revenge that first-round loss and earn a spot in the area tournament championship finals.

McCook exploded at the plate in an 18-2 win Sunday, July 15, over Broken Bow in an elimination bracket contest at BD Field in Holdrege. Sunday's game was stopped after five innings due to the 10-run mercy rule. After a 17-0 loss to Cozad last Friday, July13, McCook came back Saturday, July 14, with a 15-1, five-inning elimination bracket decision over Holdrege.

Steve Kodad/McCook Daily Gazette McCook FCB Juniors catcher Kasey Taylor blocks a Brandon Lucas pitch in the dirt in the July 15 win over Broken Bow at the Area 6 Tournament in Holdrege.

Kearney County of Minden punched the first ticket to the Area 6 finals with a 2-1, 10-inning marathon win over Cozad Sunday night. Minden also beat Broken Bow, 16-3, in a winner's bracket contest Saturday night.

Cozad plays McCook Monday, July 16, at 5 p.m. The winner earns the right to meet Minden Tuesday, July17, in the Area 6 finale, with a trip to the Class B Juniors state tournament at Chadron on the line. Monday's McCook-Cozad loser will see its season draw to a close.

FCB JUNIORS head coach Scott Smalley was pleased with his team's rebound after a tough loss Friday.

Steve Kodad/McCook Daily Gazette McCook First Central Bank Juniors base runner Caleb Sheets kicks up a cloud of dust and calls timeout after he stole second base in Class B Area 6 Tournament action against Broken Bow July 15 at Holdrege. McCook ran past Broken Bow, 18-2.

"Friday we kind of fell apart, we broke down as a team, didn't get things executed like we wanted to do," Smalley said.

One positive from Friday's game was McCook was able to save pitching innings. Each pitcher in the area tournament is allowed to work 12 innings and three appearances in three calendar days, with those innings resetting each 24-hour period.

"We threw guys that we probably won't use again in the tournament," Smalley said of Friday's loss. "We also saved innings for guys that will probably throw again if we can stay alive."

"Saturday and Sunday, offensively that's what we had to do. We had to come back and hit the ball, and we did. We put the ball in play hard, put a lot of pressure on both their defenses (Holdrege and Broken Bow)."

Smalley felt like his team was stronger than either Holdrege or Broken Bow and they had to go out and prove that on the field in the back-to-back elimination games.

"The added pressure of hit and run, bunting, putting guys in motion to make things happen, that helps when you're playing that caliber of team," he said. "That's something we have to learn to grow up as a team. that we need to do those things against a little better caliber team than we are."