Seniors use big rally to get one win away from state

Monday, July 22, 2013
Steve Kodad/McCook Gazette McCook National Bank Seniors third baseman Josh Escher decides not to try and field a bunt attempt by Holdrege in the Class B Area 6 Legion baseball tournament Sunday, July 22, at Holdrege. The umpire ruled that Escher did not touch the ball and it rolled foul in the sixth inning for a key play in McCook's 11-10 comeback victory. (Reprints available at McCookGazette.com)

HOLDREGE, Neb. -- Many of the players on the McCook National Bank Seniors Legion baseball team probably aren't too familiar with New York Yankees Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra.

But after Sunday's improbable comeback victory in the Class B Area 6 Seniors Tournament, the MNB Seniors will likely quote one of Berra's infamous lines.

McCook's squad may make that famous quip from Berra its mantra, as he once said about a baseball game -- "It ain't over 'til it's over." That phrase rang so true for the McCook Seniors in the second round of the double-elimination Area 6 Tournament Sunday, July 21, at Holdrege. McCook rallied from a nine-run deficit to beat the tournament host Holdrege First Nationals, 11-10.

Steve Kodad/McCook Gazette McCook National Bank pitcher Cash Bortner delivers to home plate against Gothenburg Saturday against gothenburg in the Class B Area 6 Seniors Legion Baseball Tournament at Holdrege. Bortner threw a no-hitter in McCook's 15-0 victory. (Reprints available at McCookGazette.com)

Sunday's win, coupled with McCook's 15-0, 5-inning decision Saturday, July 20, over Gothenburg, sends the MNB Seniors to the Area 6 championship finals Tuesday evening.

Holdrege will try to bounce back Monday, July 22, in an elimination game against Gothenburg. The Holdrege-Gothenburg winner advances to the Tuesday, July 23 finals against McCook, with the loser watching its season come to an end.

IN THE MIDDLE of the contest Sunday, there probably weren't too many McCook players and fans thinking the Seniors would rally for a win. Holdrege scored six runs in the top of the third inning to knock McCook starting pitcher Cameron Burkey off the mound and put the locals in a huge hole. McCook got one run back in the bottom of the third when Burkey scored from third on a fielder's choice.

The hosts came right back in the fourth with three more runs off McCook relief pitcher Kaden Sitzman. Holdrege added another run in the top of the fifth to build a seemingly insurmountable 10-1 cushion.

Cue Mr. Berra.

McCook paraded 16 batters to the plate in the bottom of the fifth to score 10 runs and take an 11-10 lead.

"We started to get a little more patient up to bat, we got a couple walks, got a couple guys hit (by pitches) -- they kind of helped us out scoring some runs," said McCook head coach Mike Mendenhall. "A huge hit by (Lucas) Post, it's crazy. down nine runs."

SITZMAN LED OFF McCook's fifth with a single, and Cash Bortner laid down a perfect bunt down the third base line to put runners on first and second. Travis Wallen delivered a single past the Holdrege second baseman to score Sitzman. Lucas Post then drilled a single to right field, with Bortner scoring to cut the deficit to 10-3.

Josh Escher came close to beating out a bunt, and his sacrifice put runners on second and third. Nick Fuchuck walked to load the bases, then Wallen scored when pinch-hitter Caleb Sheets was out at first on a fielder's choice infield grounder.

Two outs, a six-run deficit, it's over, right? Not quite yet. Jon Spilinek entered the game as a pinch-hitter and was hit by a pitch to load the bases again. Holdrege sent ace pitcher Andrew Maaske to the mound, and he started off by plucking Burkey to plate another McCook run. Sitzman then delivered a single to center field to drive home two more runs, then Bortner was hit by a Maaske pitch to load the bases yet again.

Wallen walked to put another McCook run. Post then drilled a single to right field to score Sitzman, and Bortner raced home from second for the tying run. One more line-drive single by Escher sent Wallen home from second for the go-ahead run -- and what proved to be the winning run for McCook.

"Mentally it's pretty tough. In any sport, it's tough to get down by so many runs or points," said McCook's Cash Bortner. "I think the biggest thing (in McCook's huge fifth inning) was when guys started getting hits, it's contagious."

Mendenhall said he told his team going to the plate in the fifth to try and chip away at the huge deficit.

"Honestly, I told them to just get a couple runs here. We don't need to get it all back in one inning," he said. "But you know what, we did. Good for these guys. This should bring a lot of momentum going into the championship game."

JON SPILINEK went to the mound for McCook in the sixth. Escher turned in perhaps the defensive play of the game for the Seniors without fielding a ball.

The McCook third baseman charged a bunt attempt by Nolan Breece of Holdrege. The ball rolled down the base line, and Escher made a quick decision to pull up and not field the ball in fair territory. The home plate umpire ruled that Escher did not touch the ball and ruled the bunt foul, bringing Breece back from first base to the batter's box. Breece then lined a shot down the first base line that landed just foul in the outfield. After two close calls, Spilinek struck out Breece for the first out of the inning.

Spilinek then struck out the next two Holdrege hitters to preserve McCook's one-run lead.

The Seniors couldn't get a runner on board on the bottom of the six, setting up a nerve-racking final at-bat for Holdrege.

Alex Hamling led off the seventh with a single to left field, putting the potential tying run on base. Spilinek then helped his cause, as he caught Hamling napping with a quick pick-off move to first. Wallen applied an easy tag on Hamling for the first out of the inning.

Maaske then walked, but Spilinek got Walter Hohensee to fly out to Sitzman in right field for the second out. Colin Sindt drew a walk to put the potential go-ahead run on board, and it wasn't quite over yet for the Seniors.

Dakota Fulk came to the plate for Holdrege, and Spilinek recorded a strikeout to end the game and start a happy celebration and a collective huge sigh of relief from the McCook squad and its supporters.

McCOOK is the top seed in the five-team Area 6 Seniors Tournament field. The MNB Seniors opened their portion of the Area tournament Saturday with a pitching gem from Cash Bortner. Bortner did not allow a hit and walked just three batters in the five-inning mercy run rule victory over Gothenburg. Bortner also recorded 10 strikeouts in a dominant performance.

"The adrenaline was moving," Bortner said. "I really didn't throw anything different than I did all year. Mostly fastballs. I had a great defense behind me. Great coaching staff. Tracy Sitzman has taught me everything I know. Mike Mendenhall had confidence to throw me, and Justin Terry called all my pitches. Thanks to those guys.

"And we scores 15 runs. It's easy to throw a no-hitter when you only throw five innings."

McCook led 4-0 before exploding for 11 runs in the top of the fifth frame.

Burkey led the locals with four hits and three runs scored. Nick Fuchuck also had two hits and three runs scored.

THE AREA 6 TOURNAMENT opened Friday, July 19, with Gothenburg topping Broken Bow, 12-5, and Holdrege nipping Kearney County (Minden), 3-1. Kearney County started the Saturday, July 20 action with a 9-4 decision to eliminate Broken Bow, followed by McCook's rout over Gothenburg.

Sunday's results saw Gothenburg, the fourth seed, survive with a 5-4 win over Minden in an elimination contest. Minden, batting in the bottom of the seventh, had bases loaded before the Gothenburg recorded a strikeout to end the contest. McCook then capped its unbelievable rally to set up the final two days of tournament action.

Holdrege and Gothenburg meet Monday, July 22, at 6 p.m. for the right for a rematch with McCook. The Tuesday, July 23 final game is set to start at 5 p.m. If McCook loses, the two teams will play a second game Tuesday night to decide the Area 6 Seniors champion.

The tournament winner advances to the Class B Seniors Legion State Tournament at Gering starting July 27.

CLASS B AREA 6 SENIORS LEGION BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

Friday-Tuesday, July 19-23

At Phelps County Fairgrounds, Holdrege

Double Elimination

Friday, July 19 First-Round Results

Gothenburg 12, Broken Bow 5

Holdrege First Nationals 3, Kearney County (Minden) First Bank 1

Saturday, July 20 Results

Kearney County (Minden) 9, Broken Bow 4 (Broken Bow eliminated)

McCook National Bank 15, Gothenburg 0 (5 innings)

Sunday, July 21 Results

Gothenburg 5, Kearney County (Minden) 4, (Minden eliminated)

McCook National Bank 11, Holdrege 10 (McCook to championship finals)

Monday, July 22 Game

Gothenburg vs. Holdrege 6 p.m. (loser eliminated)

Tuesday, July 23 Games

Championship Finals

McCook National Bank vs. Gothenburg-Holdrege winner, 5 p.m.

Championship Finals II (If Necessary)

McCook National Bank vs. Gothenburg-Holdrege winner, 7:30 p.m. (if McCook loses first game Tuesday)

Area 6 Seniors Tournament champion advances to Class B Legion Seniors State Tournament at Gering July 27-31

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  • thought for a moment senior citizens got what was coming to us guess not.just hoping.why has nebraska turned their backs on senior citizens

    -- Posted by palisadist1 on Tue, Jul 23, 2013, at 6:39 AM
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