The Spartans traveled to Ogallala on July 22, where they competed in the District baseball tournament. The Spartans were the number two seed in the tournament and faced off against the number three seed Chadron Friday. The Spartans shut out the Nationals 0-8, where Chadron could not get on the board and make anything happen against the Spartans’ offense.
The onslaught’s first play happened during the bottom of the second inning when Kaden Ferguson singled on a line drive allowing Eli Blanco to score. The Spartans then had a huge fourth inning, scoring five runs against the Nationals’ defense.
The scoring frenzy started with a sacrifice fly by Espen Lanik that allowed Jonah Amill to score, making it 2-0. Brantz Halouska then singled a line drive to center fielder Quinn Bailey allowing Tyzen Brown to score. Bailey committed an error that allowed Ferguson to advance to third. Ashton Ross then doubled on a line drive to center fielder Bailey which allowed Ferguson, Halouska and Caeson Clarke to score, making the game 6-0. At the bottom of the fifth, the Spartans continued to score against Chadron, where Chadron still had no answer for the Spartans at this point in the game. Ferguson singled on a line drive to right field, allowing Jakob Callan to score, then Lanik singled on a line drive to center field, allowing Blanco to score and making the score 8-0, where the Spartans earned the win.
The winning pitcher was Callan, who pitched for four and a third innings, allowing two hits and zero runs while striking out seven and walking one. Nick Wright came out of the bullpen to relieve Callan, where Wright threw for two-thirds of an inning, striking out one.
The game’s losing pitcher was Dawson Dunbar, who pitched for four innings, allowing eight runs on seven hits and struck out one while walking seven.
The Spartans had nine hits for the night compared to the Nationals’ two hits, where Ferguson led the Spartans with three hits in three at-bats. The Spartans didn’t commit a single error, and Ross was the playmaker with nine plays.
The Spartans advanced to their next game in the bracket, taking on Post 135 on July 24.
The Spartans put on another performance as they shut out Post 135 with a final score of Alliance 5, Post 135 zero. Ross got the job done from the mound for the Spartans, allowing five hits and striking out six. The game was 0-0 for the first three innings, and the Spartans scored four times in the top of the fourth. Brown started the Spartans’ scoring frenzy with the first score of the game, where he walked to home plate after bases had been loaded and Halouska had a walk. Then it happened again.
This time Clarke walked to first, and Blanco walked to home plate, where the Spartans scored again off a walk. Ross then doubled on a line drive to left field, allowing Lanik, Halouska and Clarke to score, bringing the game to 5-0, which would be the game’s final score. Neither team scored after the fourth.
The game’s winning pitcher was Ross, who pitched for seven innings, allowing five hits and striking out six. The game’s losing pitcher was Ian Shaw, who threw for three and a third innings, where he allowed five hits and four runs while striking out one. The Spartans had nine hits for the night compared to Post 135 five hits. Ross, Brown and Lanik all had multiple hits. Ross went three for four and led Alliance in hits.
The Spartans advanced to the finals, playing against Ogallala on Tuesday evening. The results of the game were not available as of press time.