A nine run third inning was just enough for the Alliance Spuds Saturday in their game against the Panhandle Storm. Alliance won the contest 13 to 11. Down 6 to 0 in the first, the Spuds rallied in posting the victory. Three Spuds pitched. They were starter Ridge Toedtli and relievers Jensen Freiberger and Luke Clarke. They combined for 7 strikeouts. Clarke had 2 of the 7 hits for Alliance.
Bats for the Storms came out hot in the first. PH used six hits and a couple of passed balls to surge ahead 6 to 0. In the bottom of the opener, the Spuds got three back. Hits
from Grady Mracek and Clarke made it 6 to 1. The inning ended with a steal of home and a sacrifice fly by Toedtli. Heading to the second, the Storm was up 6 to 3. Panhandle went down silently in the top of frame 2 while an rbi hit by Freiberger made it 6 to 4. The Storm added to their lead in third with one run. Down by three, the Alliance bats came alive in the home half. Key knocks by Clarke, Leo Hager, and Toedtli began the scoring. An rbi walk by Landon Hickman then knotted the affair at 7. After another rbi walk by Freiberger, the Spuds got a big hit by Jack Sautter to go ahead 10 to 7. Inning three came to a conclusion with an error by the Storm and a steal of home. With three frames in the book, the Spuds were up 13 to 7.
PH would score once in the fourth and three times in the fifth but would get no closer. Alliance went scoreless in their last at bat but hung on for the 13 to 11 win.
PH 6 0 1 1 3 11
ALL 3 1 9 0 x 13
Hits for the Spuds 2 Clarke one each Mracek Hager Toedtli Freiberger and Sautter