H-J boys beat No. 3 en route to state's top six

Miles Pollmann (left) appears to tip his cap after scoring another H-J run during the 10-3 win over No. 3 state seed Omaha Tigers while teammate Trenton Raile (27) is ready to offer Pollmann high-five congratulations.

Courtesy Photo

OMAHA, Neb. — Herrmann Jones Funeral Home was far from a team of zombies during the AAA state baseball tournament last weekend.

The McCook Legion B baseball team hustled, hit, pitched and battled their way to three state victories including a huge 10-3 upset of No. 3-seed Omaha Tigers.

Coach Chad Graham saw his boys (15-12 record this seasson) almost surprised the No. 2-seed Ambassadors if not one pivotal rally-ruining call.

McCook’s Tristian Campbell was part of a Hermann Jones Funeral home pitching group that held three state tournament foes to three, three and two runs in big wins at Omaha last weekend.

Courtesy Photo

“We had bases loaded and scored two runs on a deep fly ball,” Graham recalled. “But they (the Ambassadors) challenged and it was ruled our runner left third too soon. It took not one, but two runs off the board that became outs instead.”

“I watched the best video we had and I thought our guy didn’t leave third until the throw was in the air,” he added. “But that’s baseball.”

Herrmann Jones could still celebrate a strong finish to its 15-12 season.

They stopped the Papillion Storm Chasers and won a 3-2 thriller over Nebraska Black-Fanholz — two more eastern Nebraska foes.

Herrmann Jones took sixth among the 33 teams competing at AAA state. It finished a fine move up from AA, where the H-J boys placed second at state last season.

“It was a great weekend,” Graham prclaimed. “I’m looking for this group to make a run at districts and state in upcoming years.”

Coach Graham also offered final thanks to all the players’ parents along with fellow coaches Jim Roberts, Darren Pollmann, Travis Raile and Hunter Rynders.

“I was head coach, but we were really all equal coaches,” Graham concluded. “We all made some decisions.”

Herr.-Jones 6,

Papillion Chasers 3

A combined five RBIs from Trenton Raile (three) and Gabe Roberts (tw0) made sure Papillion’s Storm Chasers could never catch H-J in this state tourney opener.

The McCook team built a 5-1 lead through three innings.

They showed how to move runners around during the first inning.

Miles Pollmann walked then Tristian Campbell singled.

Raile and Roberts followed with infield grounders that both scored teammates.

When the Chasers closed within 2-1, Brody Graham and Pollmann both “set the table” for Raile’s two-RBI hit.

Roberts soon doubled home Raile to finish that 5-1 H-J advantage.

Pollmann pitched four strong innings while protecting that lead. He didn’t allow an earned run and struck out five.

Campbell worked the final two frames.

Simon Garcia added a double, single and one more run scored.

Herr.-Jones 10,

Omaha Tigers 3

An eight-run second inning helped Hermann-Jones more than erase an early 3-0 Omaha Tigers edge.

Garcia started and finished the rally which made it 9-3 for H-J.

He was plunked by an inside pitch, which only meant Simon smashed a two-RBI double during his next at-bat.

Oliver Corbett and Roberts both scored for the 9-3 margin.

Trey Tiller earlier singled home Garcia to make it 3-2.

Graham’s bases-loaded walk scored Graham for a 3-3 deadlock.

Errors and other Omaha miscues fueled the H-J rally.

Corbett’s sharp single to left plated Raile as McCook’s team now led 7-3.

Overall, seven different players delivered one hit apiece.

Jude Schmick joined Pollmann in scoring two runs each. Noah Mashek also rounded the bases.

Garcia and Campbell delivered two RBIs apiece.

Raile pitched three scoreless, hitting innings of relief to earn the win. He struck out three.

Herr.-Jones 3,

Nebraska Prime 2

An awesome eight-inning thriller ended when Campbell plated the winning run on another hit by pitch.

Nebraska Prime Black-Fahnholtz took a 2-1 lead even though McCook’s Trey Tiller pitched seven superb innings.

Tiller allowed just one run, six hits and fanned four batters. He still earned this win because H-J finished with a two-run bottom of the eighth.

Graham’s line-drive single sent Raile home to form the final 2-2 tie.

Pollmann received an intentional walk which put Cole Walter at third and Graham into second base.

Following one ball, the next offering struck Campbell and sent Walter home for a 3-2 Herrrmann-Jones victory.

Corbett singled en route to scoring an earlier H-J run on Tiller’s base hit.

Graham totaled two of the six hits overall.

Ambassadors 12,

Herr.-Jones 5

The Ambassadors 14U took a 9-0 lead through two innings of Herrmann-Jones’ final state game.

McCook’s team tried to rally behind two hits each from Raile, Walter and Graham.

Roberts, Campbell and Graham delivered RBIs.

Raile finished two-for-three, but another three-run Ambassadors inning stopped any H-J comeback.