Over the course of the past week, the Alliance FNBO Spartans Seniors have been racking up victories, adding a total of six wins to their season record.
Action started last Tuesday night as they took on Gering at home. In the second inning of the game, Gering scored one run, to which the Spartans responded with three. At the top of the third inning, Gering rallied and scored two more runs over the Spartans. Alliance chalked up one run in the bottom of the third, and five runs in the bottom of the fourth, while the Spartan defense prevented Gering from scoring again. Alliance wrapped up the game in the bottom of the fifth inning by scoring two runs and claiming an 11-3 victory over Gering.
Next, the Spartans blew out the Rapid City Expos in a double header on Wednesday night. In the first game, Alliance set the pace, chalking up six runs in the first three innings, while keeping Rapid City scoreless until the top of the fourth, when they chalked up one run. Alliance clenched their victory by tallying up two more runs in the remainder of the game. The game ended with a final score of 8-1.
Alliance carried the momentum into the next game of the evening. The Spartans scored a total of two runs in the first three innings, then came alive in the fourth, scoring seven runs. Rapid City worked two runners through Alliance’s defense in the top of the fifth, but Alliance responded with another run in the bottom of the fifth, claiming a 10-2 victory over Rapid City.
On Thursday, the Spartans saw another double header at Buckley, where they split two games. In the first game, the Bombers were the first to score, posting two runs in the bottom of the third inning. The Spartans posted their first run of the game at the top of the fourth, but Buckley maintained its lead, adding another run in the bottom of the fourth. The Spartans posted one run at the top of the fifth, then took the lead in the sixth inning, racking up three runs, all while preventing the Bombers from scoring. The Spartans posted the final run of the game at the top of the seventh inning, claiming a 6-3 victory over the Bombers in the first game.
In the second game of the evening, the Spartans put up a tough fight, but were unable to top the Bombers in a close game. Alliance set the pace of the game posting two runs in the top of the first inning, but Buckley was quick to respond, posting four runs in the bottom of the first, and another four in the bottom of the second. The Bombers kept the Spartans scoreless until the fifth inning, when they rallied, posting four runs. The Spartans posted another run at the top of the seventh, but fell short of victory. The final score of the game was 8-7.
After a break from the action, the Spartans resumed play on Monday evening, where they hosted Buckley at home for a rematch. In the first game, Buckley took the lead, posting one run in the second, and another in the third. The Spartans posted one run in the bottom of the third and tied up the game with another run in the bottom of the fourth. The Spartans clenched the lead in the bottom of the fifth posting two more runs. At the top of the sixth, the Bombers rallied, posting three runs. The Spartans responded with one run in the bottom of the sixth, tying up the game. The game remained tied in the seventh inning, with each team posting one run. At the top of the eighth, Buckley remained scoreless, and the Spartans, seeing their opportunity, edged out Buckley by posting one run in the bottom of the eighth, claiming victory. The final score was 7-6.
The Spartans carried that momentum from the first game into the second against Buckley, posting two runs in the bottom of the second. The Spartans kept Buckley scoreless through the fourth inning, but posted another run in the bottom of the fourth. Buckley rallied in the top of the fifth, posting three runs and tying up the game. The Spartans responded in the bottom of the sixth by posting four runs. Buckley remained scoreless the remainder of the game, and the Spartans claimed victory with a final score of 7-3.
The Spartans faced off against Bridgeport on Tuesday evening; however, the results of the game were not available as of press time. On Wednesday, Alliance is set to take part in a triangular at home against Ogallala and Sidney. They will then travel to Rapid City to take part in the Black Hills Tourney from July 16-19. On July 20, the Spartans will travel to Bridgeport, and the following day, they will take on the WESTCO Zephyrs at home.