Thursday’s contest between the Sidney Post 17 Seniors and the Alliance Peltz Co team featured a little of everything. And when the smoke cleared it was Alliance defeating Sidney 3 to 1. Both teams had strong starting pitching, timely hitting, and solid defense. Spartan starting pitcher Tony Escamilla went the distance for the Pelz Co, giving up just 6 hits while striking out 3. Escamilla got key defensive plays by outfielders Espen Lanik and Kaden Ferguson in recording the win. Mikey Johnson led the Spartan offense with 2 hits while garnering one hit each were: Lanik, Jaxson Martinez and Ferguson.
Runs were tough to muster in the opening inning.
A strike out by Escamilla help keep the guests off the board in the top of inning #1 but three straight Ks by the Spartans ended an Alliance threat in the home half of the inning. In the second Alliance took the lead. After holding Sidney scoreless in the top of the second, the Spartans got in the scoring column with back to back hits from Martinez and Johnson to take a 1 to 0 lead.
The game remained scoreless in the third and 3 consecutive put outs by Lanik in center kept Sidney from scoring in the top of the fourth. Escamilla then helped his cause in the bottom of the fourth with a leadoff walk and a stolen base. A sacrifice RBI fly out by Johnson would score Escamilla and the contest went to the fifth with the Peltz Co up 2 to 0. Sidney got on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth, using a walk and 2 hits to cut their deficit to 2 to 1.
A Ferguson hit was the lone highlight for the Spartans in the fifth and the exciting contest went to the sixth with Alliance ahead by 1. Lanik then had the play of the game in the top of the sixth with a spectacular catch in center to deny a Sidney hit. Using that momentum the Peltz Co was able to muster a run in the bottom of the inning. Martinez led off with a walk and went to second on a bunt single by Johnson.
With 2 outs Lanik laced a single that score Martinez, giving Alliance a 3 to 1 heading to the final. Two solid defensive plays by Lanik and Ferguson helped the Spartans hold off a Post 17 rally. The inning began with a single by the guests. With one out, a perfect throw by Lanik nailed the Sidney runner at second following another hit by the visitors. Following another single by the guests, the ball game came to close with a super sliding catch in right by Ferguson. Final Alliance 3 Sidney 1
SID 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
ALL 0 1 0 1 0 1 x 3
Pitching for the Spartans Escamilla-winning pitcher 5 hits for Alliance Johnson 2 Ferguson Lanik and Martinez 1 each