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MNB Seniors take brooms to tough Gering team
McCOOK, Neb. — The shiny sunshades coolly disguised Joel Carter’s reason for a super game two Monday afternoon.
“I was seeing it (a Gering pitch) really well,” Carter explained about his three-for-three hitting.
Drew Harvie offered no secrets about a sizzling double to the outfield fence capping his four-run doubleheader.
“I’ve been lifting weights more,” he said. “And yeah, college (baseball with McCook Community College team) has definitely helped.”
Meanwhile, Seth Dugger made sure Gering couldn’t hit anything even if the visitors did see a “fireball” from time to time.
Dugger pitched four scoreless innings while McCook restored order, rallying from 6-2 down to win 11-6 and finish an impressive sweep of these regular-season finales.
Gering Platte Valley Companies brought a 23-11 record into this 1 p.m. doubleheader.
Yet when “quitting time” arrived around 5 p.m., the visitors clocked out at 23-13.
“They were good wins for sure,” co-head coach Scott Smalley about his team’s 18 hits leading to 15 runs. “That (Gering) is a quality team over there.”
MNB also won game one, 4-2, behind Jordan Chauncy’s six strong inning and a two-run Dugger double that branded an early 4-0 advantage on this contest.
Gering took charge of the second game even though that had to sting considering MNB pitchers plunked seven batters.
Oops.
Momentum soon flipped like perfectly grilled burgers following Trae Koetter’s single into center leading off the MNB fourth.
Coady Armstrong quickly put down another fire-up-a-rally bunt.
The ball was thrown far over Gering’s first baseman while Koetter passed second and third en route to sliding across home plate.
Armstrong moved into scoring position where James Mockry could drive him home.
After Dugger walked, Gering made a pitching change which wouldn’t really change anything.
Not against Dawson Bredvick as the MNB catcher ripped a single down the left-field line.
Both Harvie and Mockry scored to catch the visitors at 6-6.
“That was a big hit for sure,” Smalley observed.
Though Bredvick was thrown out at second, MNB wasn’t finished until Joel Carter’s line drive scored Dugger for a 7-6 lead.
Another Koetter single ignited the offense again during McCook’s fifth.
One out later, Harvie hammered his best hit of the doubleheader into deep left-center field.
Koetter quickly scored the eighth MNB run while Harvie reached second.
Mockry’s single set up some more memorable MNB fun.
With Harvie now at third base, Mockry wandered off first just far enough to capture Gering’s attention.
The ensuing rundown only set up Harvie’s dash home which he easily finished before anyone could tag out Mockry.
MNB now owned a 9-6 margin — which became shakier than bobbleheads during Gering’s bases-loaded, no-out threat.
No sweat!
Harvie didn’t bobble a line drive into his glove near second base. He quickly flipped a throw to shortstop Mockry for the huge double play.
Dugger struck out the next batter to end Gering’s sixth inning.
Carter and Koetter delivered two more RBI-hits to put final touches on a doubleheader home sweep.
The MNB Seniors (23-13 record) responded nicely to not playing for five days since their 3-1 win at Minden Wednesday evening.
They also didn’t strike out 11 times like Wednesday’s less-than-satisfying road win.
However...
“We still run a little bit too much on emotion,” Smalley observed. “One guy gets going then every seems to — but a couple bad things gets guys down. Hopefully, we can work on that because now the season really begins.”
MNB should take a No. 1 seed into B-6 area tournament play at Cozad starting this weekend. Of course, the B-6 champ advances to Class B state tourney play.
Smalley expects the Seniors’ first B-6 opponent to be Holdrege. Watch for area tourney pairings this week.