A three game winning streak came to an end for the Peltz Co Spartans in a contest against Johnson Auburn on Monday. Alliance fell to the First National Bank 11 to 3 in day 4 of the Area 7 District tournament. The Spartans, who had defeated Auburn earlier in the tourney, had a 3 to 0 before a big 5 run second inning by FNB turned the tables. Alliance had 5 hits in the contest. Pitching for the Spartans were: Braeden Clarke, Cody Gallas, Kegan Nelson and Kobe Strom.
Errors by FNB in the top of the opening inning helped the Peltz Co gain an early lead. Espen Lanik walked to start the rally for Alliance. Clarke was next and he reached following an Auburn error that scored Lanik. Two more miscues by Auburn on grounders hit by Spartans Kaden Ferguson and Strom kept the inning alive and made the score 2 to 0 in favor of Alliance. Clarke, the Alliance starter, held Auburn scoreless in the bottom of the inning. The Peltz Co added to their margin in the top of the second. Gallas singled and moved into scoring position following another error by FNB. From there, Gallas scored run #3 on an RBI single by Alliance’s Tony Escamilla. The Spartan advantage quickly was erased in the bottom of inning 2.
Auburn would tally 5 runs in the inning to surge ahead 5 to 3. The First National Bank used 5 hits, a walk, and a fielder’s choice to move ahead by 2.
The bats would go silent for Alliance in the third as the Spartans went 1-2-3. In the bottom of the third, Auburn would increase their lead. A 2 run single by FNB plated runs 6 and 7. Lanik singled in the top of the fourth for the Peltz Co but was left on the bases. Auburn kept the pressure on the Spartans in the home half on the fourth. FNB tallied another run thanks to a single and a double. After 4 innings of action, Alliance trailed 8 to 3.
Strom and Jaxson Martinez both got hits for Alliance in the top of the fifth. Unfortunately both runners were stranded as the Spartans failed to score for the third straight inning. Auburn was also denied any runs in inning 5 and the game went to the sixth. The Peltz Co again went scoreless again in the top of the sixth with the bats continuing to be cold. Auburn put the game away in their last at bat with 3 more tallies. Two walks, two hits, a walk, and a wild pitch allowed FNB to end the game in the sixth due to the run rule. Final. Auburn 11. Alliance 3
ALL. 2. 1. 0. 0. 0. 0. 3
AUB. 0. 5. 2. 1. 0. 3. 11
5 hits for Alliance. One each Lanik, Escamilla, Strom, Martinez, Gallas.