MNB Seniors split with GI Chiefs

The McCook National Bank Seniors split a doubleheader with the Grand Island Chiefs Sunday afternoon at the Jaycees Sports Complex in McCook.

In the first contest, the Chiefs downed MNB 9-5. McCook won the second game 10-0.

Derick Lorentz was the starting pitcher in the opener for MNB.

Lorentz allowed eight runs on 10 hits and struck out one in his 5 2/3 innings of work. The loss dropped Lorentz's pitching record to 3-2.

Spencer Walter replaced Lorentz in the sixth inning. Walter gave up one run on three hits and striking out one in his 1 1/3 innings.

Ryan Gross pitched a complete game victory for the Grand Island Chiefs.

Gross did give up five runs on 10 hits, but MNB left eight players on base during the game.

"Gross was a real junk-ball pitcher," said McCook Seniors coach Tye Hallowell. "He really kept us off-balance and from having a big inning. We would get runners on base, but we couldn't get the big hit to push them across the plate."

Grand Island got the early lead by scoring lead-off hitter Jeff Dubas, in the top of the first inning off of a Philip Williams sacrifice fly to put them on top 1-0.

MNB answered back in the bottom of the inning when Jeff Holthus reached second with a double, allowing Al Shiers to drive him in with a RBI single.

After Jason Eder reached the bases after being hit by a pitch. Quinton Pohl drove in Shiers to put MNB in the lead 2-1.

Lorentz held the Grand Island offense scoreless until the top of the fourth when Rich Razey crossed the plate to tie the game at 2-2.

MNB was unable to counter back and they would pay for it in the sixth inning. Grand Island exploded for a six-run sixth inning to put them up 8-2.

MNB allowed runners to advance off errors they committed.

"Errors are going to happen, but for some reason they seem to cost us more than they cost the other team," Hallowell said. "That's something we are going to have to figure out. Just a few errors with a walk and a couple of hits and that‚s how big innings happen."

Eric Anderson started off MNB offensively in the bottom of the sixth with a single. The next batter, Walter, reached on an error and Adam Kotschwar walked to load the bases for MNB.

With the bases juiced, Matt Serbousek smacked a two-RBI single. Holthus' sacrifice fly scored Kotschwar for the third run of the inning.

However, Serbousek was thrown out at home on a controversial and disputed call that ended the rally at 8-5.

Grand Island tacked on one more run in the seventh.

Grand Island 100 106 1 -- 9 13 5

McCook 200 003 0 -- 5 10 4

M -- Derick Lorentz, Spencer Walter. GI -- Ryan Gross. W -- Gross. L -- Lorentz (3-2). 1B -- Adam Kotschwar, Matt Serbousek (2), Jeff Holthus, Al Shiers, Quinton Pohl, Matt Beckenhauer, Eric Anderson, Spencer Walter, M. Lance Burkholder, Philip Williams, Sam Stinson(2), Rich Razey, Ty Dalland, Tyler Macke (2), GI. 2B -- Holthus, M. Dalland (2), Gross (2), GI.

McCook 10,

Grand Island 0

In the second game of the twinbill, MNB turned the momentum around and demolished Grand Island 10-0 in a game that ended in the fifth inning on the 10-run rule.

Matt Beckenhauer took the mound for MNB and picked up the win to improve his record to 4-1.

Beckenhauer kept Grand Island guessing the whole game while pitching a one hit shutout.

"Grand Island is a good hitting team," Beckenhauer said. "They can definitely swing the bat. Coach told me to keep them off-balance and I started getting on top of the batters in the count."

MNB handed Grand Island pitcher Sam Stinson the loss for the afternoon.

Stinson gave up seven runs on three hits in his four innings pitching before being relieved by Lance Burkholder. Burkholder did not have any better luck

against the MNB batters in the fifth inning. He allowed the final three runs of the game on three MNB hits.

Lead-off hitter Adam Kotschwar reached first in the bottom of the first inning after being walked. Matt Serbousek then got beaned by a Stinson pitch.

Both advanced off of a wild pitch, putting runners on second and third. Derick Lorentz drove them both in with a two RBI single to put MNB up 2-0. MNB went scoreless in the second frame.

In the bottom of the third inning, Jeff Holthus, Spencer Walter and Lorentz all scored off of Grand Island mistakes to extend their lead to 5-0.

Beckenhauer frustrated the Chiefs' batters with his array of pitches in the top of the fourth.

Holthus drove in Kotschwar for MNB's sixth run of the game. Serbousek scored on a Grand Island error for a 7-0 McCook lead.

Eric Anderson started off MNB in the bottom of the fifth when he crushed a double. Jared Muehlenkamp singled him to third.

Muehlenkamp stole second base to set up a two-RBI single by Kotschwar, who showcased his speed as he rounded the bases to end the game on Holthus' double.

Hallowell said he was pleased to see improvement in the second game of the doubleheader.

"We hit the ball better in the second game," Hallowell said. "It was a good team effort. When we get production from one through nine in the order good things are going to happen.

"We had a team meeting between games and had everything squared away. Hopefully, we can come out and repeat the second game in the rest of this week's games from an intensity stand point."

After splitting the doubleheader, MNB's record is 19-11. The Seniors host Cozad at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

The McCook Juniors host Gering in a 5:30 doubleheader tonight at the Jaycees Sports Complex.

Grand Island 000 00 -- 0 1 1

McCook 203 23 -- 10 7 4

M -- Matt Beckenhauer. GI -- Sam Stinson, Lance Burkholder. W -- Beckenhauer (4-1). L -- Stinson. 1B -- Adam Kotschwar, Matt Serbousek, Eric Anderson, Jared Muehlenkamp, M. Rich Razey, GI. 2B -- Jeff Holthus, Derick Lorentz, Anderson.