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'Fair' finale sends McCook Seniors to state tourney
McCOOK, Neb. — How can you suffer a case of decent exposure on another sizzling summer day at the Jaycees Complex?
McCook National Bank might just have the answer following Tuesday’s far-too-tense 7-5 Class B Area 6 finals win over Holdrege.
The mighty American Legion Post 203 Seniors were outhit, 13-7, outscored 5-1 for five innings and —egads! — actually had to play seven full frames against a familiar foe.
Decent and perhaps even the perfect close-game preparation for tthis weekend’s Class B state tournament.
“We were definitely exposed,” coach Scott Smalley said about McCook’s third Area 6 game all season decided by fewer than eight runs. “But now we know what we need to work on.”
The MNB Seniors can keep working because despite all sorts of adversity striking them Tuesday, they never stopped working.
They made three terrific defensive plays to erase potential runs and prevent feisty underdog Holdrege from ever taking a lead.
Starting pitcher Trae Koetter kept working despite allowing the 13 hits.
“Trae walked some guys but he did a good job,” Smalley said. “He battled. I just wish our offense would make it a little easier for him. We haven’t given him good run support all season.”
“Maybe at state,” he added.
Those last three words meant McCook still helped Koetter when it counted most.
Tied 5-5 in the seventh inning, team leader Kaden Sitzman singled to set up catcher/cleanup hitter Kaleb Taylor’s unforgettable redemption.
Taylor had been caught looking on called third strikes during two earlier at-bats on Tuesday.
Yet like all his McCook teammates, K.T. never lost his focus when Holdrege pitcher Colton Cole challenged him with “heat.”
“They threw curves the first two times and it kind of confused me,” Taylor admitted. “I just looked for something in the zone. I think it was just a fastball.”
Just a fastball meant “kaboom time” for K.T. as his blast sailed beyond the left-field fence.
This classic contest’s best drama was only beginning. The moon shot sailed so high that no one seemed certain whether it stayed inside that foul-air pole.
Well, Holdrege coach Dwayne “Turkey” Kudlacek seemed rather sure.
“It looked foul to me. Then it got fouler,” Kudlacek said. “I’d say it went 10 to 15 feet foul.”
Nobody who counted seemed to agree — although several moments of indecision only made the protests louder.
The home plate and third base umpires were still discussing this call as Taylor crossed home plate.
Only seconds later, they confirmed a “home run” and McCook had its 7-5 lead.
No. 3-seed Holdrege (20-20 final record) still wasn’t finished. A team that had not scored one run against MNB during three previous meetings seemingly threatened every inning — and their final at-bat was no different.
Tyler Johnston singled and Tristan Junker worked a full-count walk to put two runners on with no outs.
That’s when Koetter finally received some brilliant relief help from Drew Harvie.
Harvie’s save was not easy as Jaron Anderson jolted another “apparent” hit towards center field.
However, second baseman Spencer Krysl was ready to snag that line drive for a huge first out.
Harvie handled the next grounder right back to him, but a second out still moved both baserunners into scoring position.
Preston Melroy launched another baseball into left field where McCook’s defense was ready one final time.
Logan Greenlee made the running catch and MNB could finally celebrate a well-earned Class B Area 6 finals victory.
The McCook Seniors will take a 28-8 record into Class B state tourney play.
“Drew Harvie did a fantastic job, but now we’ll just flush this one from our system and move on,” Smalley said. “It kind of feels like we lost. We’re definitely going to have to perform better next week.”
McCook certainly started fast thanks to Sitzman tripling home two runs, Derek Greenlee’s RBI-single and Logan Greenlee tripling in his twin brother for a quick 4-0 lead.
Perhaps the margin arrived too easily because MNB didn’t score again until the fifth.
Krysl crushed a drive to deep right field which flicked off the Holdrege defender’s glove.
An unusual interference call also gave Krysl third base, and Sitzman quickly ripped another RBI hit as McCook regained a 5-4 advantage.
Holdrege likely takes an earlier lead if shortstop Clayton Stevens, Krysl and first baseman DJ Gross don’t turn a superb second-inning double play.
With two runners on later, third baseman Sitzman snagged another sharp grounder and caught that Holdrege lead runner in a “pickle.”
The successful rundown stopped another scoring threat from Kudlacek’s team.
“We definitely had some baserunning errors,” the coach concluded.
However, Holdrege National Bank still caught MNB again at 5-5 and forced those final heroics.
McCook’s Class B first-round opponent and the entire bracket were just announced this morning.
It appears below.