Action in the Class B 7 district tournament continued on Monday with a game between the Alliance White Junior team and Sidney. The contest was played in Sidney. Big scoring innings in the fifth and seventh frames powered the Spartans past Post 17 nine to three. With the victory, the Peltz Co goes to 26-3-1 on the year. The game was delayed in the second inning due to weather conditions but that didn’t stop Alliance as the Spartans advanced to the district championship which will be played on Tuesday. Three players-Espen Lanik, Jaxson Esparza and Kobe Strom- ended the evening with 2 hits each. Overall, the Peltz Co collected 8 knocks. Starting pitcher Braeden Clarke went 5.1 innings and had 5 strikeouts. Tossing the final 1.2 frames was Lexton Salcido who gave up 0 hits.
Alliance batted first and couldn’t cash in on a single by Creighton Fritzler. In the bottom of the first, the hosts got 2 singles but a double play by the Spartans and a k by Clarke foiled the rally. The Peltz Co scored in the second thanks to an RBI double by Esparza. Weather conditions then delayed the contest. When action resumed, Platte Valley tied the match using a couple of Alliance errors and a single. The Spartans would turn another double play to get out of the frame. After 2 innings of play, the ball game was knotted at 1 to 1.
Using hits by Lanik and Strom, the Peltz Co regained the lead in the top of the third. Sidney would load the bases in the home half but all the runners were stranded. Inning four had both clubs go scoreless with Clarke recording 2 strikeouts for the White team. The Spartan offense came alive in the top of the fifth with 3 tallies. A couple of Post 17 miscues aided in the rally. Lanik began the action by reaching on a Sidney error and later scored the Peltz Co’s third run thanks to a single by Carver Nemnich. The spree then continued with Strom being hit by a pitch. Another misplay by the hosts resulted in run #4. The scoring ended with a sacrifice fly by Nason Thompson that made it a 5 to 1 ball game. In the bottom of the fifth, Clarke had another strikeout as Platte Valley failed to get into the scoring column.
Post 17 made things interesting in the sixth. Sidney held the White club without a score while putting 2 on the board to close within 2 at 5 to 3. A four spot in the top of the seventh by Alliance counter the rally. The frame started with a hit by Lanik and Fritzler reaching on an error. Both Spartans then scored on a two run hit by Strom. Up 7 to 3, the Peltz Co loaded the sacks when Thompson reached on another error by Sidney and a walk to Tony Escamilla. Esparza followed with a double giving the White squad a 6 run advantage. In the home half, Sidney failed to score as the Spartans went for the 9 to 3 win.
Peltz Co. 0 1 1 0 3 0 4 9
Post 17 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 3
Eight hits for Alliance two each Lanik, Esparza and Strom, one apiece Nemnich and Fritzler.