Thunderbirds Thump Pioneers
Bellevue West improves to 14-1 on the season and Nebraska City falls to 2-5 after a 13-1 loss on Monday.
By News Channel NebraskaNEBRASKA CITY- After almost a full week off from baseball because of rain cancellations, the Nebraska City Pioneers shifted focus to a 13-1 Bellevue West team.
The game started off as a pitching duel between Nebraska City junior Zach Tesarek and Bellevue West junior Ryan Sullivan. Both made it through the first inning of play without allowing a run.
In the second inning, Bellevue West got its leadoff man, senior Gage Allen, on base with a single. Allen went 3-3 in the game with two runs and one RBI.
Bellevue West senior Jaden Holman saw the opportunity with Allen advancing to third and hit a deep sacrifice fly-out to left field and Allen would score from third, breaking the 0-0 tie. Bellevue West took a 1-0 lead after the top of the second inning.
In the bottom of the second, the Pioneers were in a prime position to get the offense rolling. Nebraska City had the bases loaded with only one out in the inning. Sophomore Baylor Poston struck out, and senior Clay Stovall lined out to right field to end the inning, leaving three stranded on base.
It didn't take long for Bellevue West to continue where they left off. In the top of the third senior Carson Wright singled as the leadoff man and stole second shortly after. Fellow senior Jaxon Jelkin, then, singled and scored Wright making it 2-0 in the top of the third.
The offense was prevalent in the third inning, with a three-run blast to left field from junior Daniel Lester that pushed the lead to 5-0. Lester finished the game 2-3 with three RBI.
Bellevue West tacked on another three runs in the top of the fourth, with a home run from Wright and a Holman double to center field.
In the bottom of the fourth, Nebraska City had runners on third and first with two outs. Once again, the Pioneers came up short of scoring as Boston grounded out to third.
The Thunderbirds added another five runs in the top of the fifth to make it 13-0, but in the bottom of the fifth Nebraska City answered back. With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, freshman Sloan Pelican laced a ball out to center field, and the ball carried enough to make it out of Steinhart Park. The Pioneers were on the board after five innings, making it 13-1. The damage had been done though, and the Thunderbirds won 13-1 after five innings of play.