Huge Fourth Inning Brings The Pioneers a Victory

There were 605 people in attendance for the Western Nebraska Pioneers game at Oregon Trail Park Stadium on July 15, where the Pioneers took on the Spearfish Sasquatch.

The Sasquatch came out big in the top of the second inning, scoring four runs, but that would be the only time they would score for the rest of the innings as the Pioneers shut them down for the rest of the game and walked away with a win with a final score of Sasquatch 4, Pioneers 7.

The Pioneers struck first at the bottom of the first inning, when Alex Zerfass got on first base with a walk then scored the first run after Isaac Lopez hit a single. The top of the second inning was huge for the Sasquatch where they scored four runs by Harrison Clark, Bailey Bordas, Bryson Hoier and Gage Kracht taking a commanding lead of 4-1.

Tyler Mead scored on the bottom of the second after Eric Smelko was putout for out number two, bringing the score to 4-2. The Pioneers then took the lead with a huge bottom of the fourth, where PK Walsh hit a double to get on second, then Tyler Mead launched one out of the park for a home run, scoring two runs making it a tie ball game 4-4. Antonio Nanez scored off of a single by Smelko and Jace Jeremiah scored off of a single by Zerfass and gave the Pioneers’ the lead 4-6. Jeremiah added to the lead after scoring again off of a single by Lopez at the bottom of the seventh bringing the score to 4-7, which would end up being the final score of the game.

The winning pitcher of the game was Adrian Short who pitched for 5.2 innings allowing five hits, four runs, eight strikeouts and walking three. The losing pitcher of the game was David Dielman who pitched for 2.2 innings allowing two hits one run and struck out two.

The Sasquatch had six hits for the night compared to the Pioneers 11. Nicky Winterstein, Ryan Bachman, Gabe Springer, Harrison Clark, Bordas and Hoier all led the Sasquatch in hits with one a piece. Lopez and Mead led the Pioneers in hits with two each, which included a home run by Mead.