Three runs in the fifth and sixth innings proved to be too much to overcome for the Alliance Senior Spartan team on Saturday. In the first game against the Expos from Rapid City, the Peltz Co drop a 7 to 4 decision to Post 22 for their first loss on the year. The game was tied at 4 heading to the fifth inning before the guests scored once in the fifth and twice in the sixth in getting the victory. On the mound for the Spartans was starter Kegan Rodriguez and relievers Tony Escamilla and Teagan O’Gorman. Alliance had 10 hits on the evening with Espen Lanik leading the way with 3 knocks.
In the first, both teams won’t get into the scorebook. After holding the visitors scoreless again in the second, the Seniors surged ahead with a run in the bottom of the second. Hits from Lexton Salcido, Mike Johnson, and EJ Garcia loaded the bases for Rodriguez. His sacrifice fly made it 1 to 0. The frame came to end with a hit by Lanik and no more scores. Rodriguez continued his solid pitching in the third as the Expos remained scoreless. Creighton Fritzler would single for Alliance in the home half in inning #3 but didn’t score. With three frames in the book, the Peltz Co was up 1 to 0.
Four tallies in the top of the fourth swung the momentum to Rapid. The guests used three hits and a couple of walks to go up 4 to 1. Alliance, though, was up for the challenge. The Spartans knotted the game thanks to knocks by Lanik and Escamilla and an RBI double by Nason Thompson that tied the battle at 4 all.
A triple and single by the Expos in the top of the fifth helped the guests retake the lead at 5 to 4. Meanwhile, the Senior’s bats were cold in the bottom of the inning as the Spartans failed to score. Two more tallies by Post 22 in the top of the sixth gave Rapid City a little breathing room. Down 7 to 4, Alliance got a hit by Lanik in the bottom of the frame but a double play turned by the visitors kept the Spartan deficit at 3. Inning 7 had no scores by either club. The Peltz Co threaten with a double by Thompson but he was left on the bases.
Final Rapid 7 Alliance 4
RC 0 0 0 4 1 2 0 7
ALL 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 4
hits for Alliance Lanik 3 Thompson 2 one each Escamilla Fritzler Salcido Johnson and Garcia.