Drama was high on Friday in an affair between Alliance and Gillette. A 2 run hit by Spartan Braeden Clarke in the bottom of the sixth lifted the Peltz Co past the Rustlers 4 to 3. The Seniors got 7 solid innings from starting pitcher Kegan Rodriguez and reliever Lexton Salcido who held the guests to just 3 hits. Clarke led the Seniors with 2 of their five hits. The contest was played in Alliance as part of the Clair Conley tournament.
Two strikeouts by Rodriguez in the first inning kept Gillette off the board. Alliance scored once in the bottom of the frame. Espen Lanik singled and crossed on an RBI groundout by Kobe Strom. An Alliance double play in the second helped the Peltz Co maintain their advantage. The Spartans scored once in the home half. Knocks by Clarke and Mike Johnson led to a second tally. A balk by the Rustlers made it 2 to 0 after 2 frames of play.
Rodriguez again was sharp in the third, allowing 0 runs and striking out 2 more. Alliance got a Tony Escamilla hit in the last of the third but he was left on the paths. The visitors came to life in frame four with 3 scores while the Peltz Co went scoreless. Inning #5 saw another DP by the Spartan’s defense and no runs by either side. Salcido in relief held the Rustlers scoreless in the sixth, setting up the rally. In the bottom of the sixth, Strom reached on an error and Jaxson Esparza was hit by a pitch settling the table for Clarke, whose 2 rbi hit made it 4 to 3. In their last at bat, the guests went down silently with Salcido getting another strikeout. Final. Alliance 4.
Gillette 3
Rustlers. 0. 0. 0. 3. 0. 0. 0. 3
Peltz Co. 1. 1. 0. 0. 0. 2. X. 4
Hits for the Spartans. 2 for Clarke. One each. Lanik. Escamilla and Johnson