An instant classic was on hand on Tuesday in Alliance. The contest featured the Spartan seniors and the Westco Zephrys. And in the end it was the guests coming away with a 3 to 2 victory in 10 innings. With the loss, the Peltz Co drops to 23 and 11 on the season. Alliance scored one run in each of its 2 at bats but went scoreless in the final 8 innings in falling to their rivals. Starter Braeden Clarke had a super effort, pitching 8 innings and giving up just 5 hits. Lexton Salico tossed the final 2 frames for the seniors. At the dish, the Spartans had 8 hits on the evening. Tony Escamilla, EJ Garcia, and Nason Thompson led the Peltz Co with 2 knocks each.
Clarke’s gem began with a 1-2-3 first inning. He recorded a k in the opening frame. Alliance would then take a 1 run lead in the home half. Espen Lanik walked and stole second. A wild pitch later by Westco allowed Lanik to score the game’s first tally. Creighton Fritzler followed with a single but was left on the base paths. Inning 2 had two more strikeouts by Clarke and the guests failing to score. The Peltz Co added to their margin in the bottom of the frame with another run. Thompson singled to start the spree and later scored on a double by Garcia. With 2 innings in the book, the Seniors led 2 to 0.
Using a walk and a single, the Zephrys sliced their deficit to 1 in the top of the third. Bats for the Spartans were quiet in the home half. Inning four had Clarke silencing Westco, keeping the Alliance lead at 2 to 1. Another knock by Thompson in the bottom of the fourth gave the Spartans hope. The Alliance first baseman was stranded on the sacks. In the fifth, the both squads didn’t score. The Peltz Co got a bottom of the fifth single by Escamilla but no runs. Errors by the Seniors in the sixth helped Westco tie the contest at 2. Scottsbluff had a single plus 3 miscues by the Spartans to make it a 2 to 2 ball game. Once again, Alliance recorded a hit in their at bat but failed to take a lead. Carver Nemnich singled in the home half and was left on the bases.
No tallies were recorded in the seventh. Alliance received a hit by Garcia but couldn’t capitalize. The Spartans then got some momentum of defense in the 8th. A single by the guests started the frame but a double play turned by the Peltz Co stopped the rally. In the home half, things started well for the seniors as a double by Escamilla gave Alliance a great opportunity. A sac bunt by Nemnich moved Escamilla to third and brought up Fritzler.
The Alliance right fielder lifted a ball to center. It was caught and the action continued as Escamilla was tagged out at the plate with the potential winning run. Both squads went scoreless in the ninth and the thriller went to the tenth with the score tied at 2. Scottsbluff tallied one run in the top of the 10th thanks a hit and a couple of Alliance errors. In their last at bat, the Seniors didn’t score as the Zephrys went on for the 3 to 2 win.
WESTCO 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3
PELTZ CO 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
Eight hits for the Seniors two each Escamilla, Garcia and Thompson one apiece Nemnich and Fritzler.