A five run first inning was too much to overcome Wednesday night for the Alliance Peltz Co senior team. The Spartans fell to the Platte Valley Co-Gering- 9 to 0 in a contest played in Alliance. Gering pounded out 13 hits to just 2 for the Spartans to go on for the win. Due to the run rule, the ball game went just 5 innings. Pitching for the Peltz Co were starter Jackson Smith who went 2 innings and Lexton Salcido who pitched the final 3. Right fielder Kaden Ferguson and shortstop Tony Escamilla had the lone hit for Alliance.
Gering wasted no time to grab the early momentum. The guests sent 9 batters to the plate in the top of the first with the first 5 all reaching and scoring. Four Gering hits and a hit batter produced 5 Platte Valley runs. A super play by Escamilla at short finished the top of the inning with Alliance down by 5.
Two walks by Spartan Cody Galles and Kegan Nelson gave the hosts hope in the down of the inning but a groundout ended the threat. After one inning of action, Gering led 5 to 0. Platte Valley kept the pressure on Alliance in the second with one more run on a single and an error by the Spartans. A nice defensive play by Spartan second baseman Jaxon Martinez denied Gering any more and the game went to the bottom of the second with Gering ahead 6 to 0. Escamilla began the frame with a double but three straight Alliance outs kept the hosts off the scoreboard.
With Salcido now on the mound Gering added to their advantage with one more run in the top of inning #3. The Platte Valley Co used 2 singles to push their lead to 7. Alliance made things interesting in the bottom of the inning with walks by Espen Lanik, Gallas, and Mikey Johnson to load the bases. An Alliance strike out ensued and the inning closed with groundout to the Gering shortstop.
Neither squad would score in the fourth and the game went to the fifth with the Spartans still down by 7. The ball game was put away by Gering in their last at bat in the fifth. Using 2 singles and a walk the Platte Valley Co plated 2 more scores to increase their margin to 9 to 0. Another walk by Gallas and single by Ferguson began the Spartan fifth but 3 straight outs kept the home team out of the scorebook. Final Gering 9 Alliance 0
Gering 5 1 1 0 2 9
ALL 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pitching for Alliance Smith and Salcido hits for Alliance Escamilla and Ferguson