GERING – With only two games left to be played for the Class B State Juniors Tournament yesterday, he West Point Jr. Bombers wanted to make sure they ended their season in the championship game and as potential state champs.
West Point was able to accomplish just one of those feats yesterday, downing McCook 11-3 to qualify for the title contest before falling in an 11-0 shutout to ETC Knights (Elkhorn Mount Michael), finishing the year as runners-up with a 19-4 record.
West Point jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after the first inning against McCook. During the inning, Mason Toelle tripled to score two runs; Hudson Bramlet singled to bring home a run; and one more run came across on a Joe Eames walk.
Mcook would respond by scoring two runs in the bottom of the third and another in the bottom of the fourth after West Point tacked on two runs in the top of the inning.
West Point would blow the game open in the bottom of the fifth, scoring five runs on three hits for an 11-3 lead. In that scoring stretch, Luke Guenther brought home a run on a double; two runs came across via an error; Ethan harstick drew a walk to score a run; and Eames singled to bring home a run.
Colby Anderson started on the hill for West Point, allowing three hits (two earned) on three hits with three walks and seven strikeouts.
Bramlet drove the middle of the lineup, leading the way with three runs batted in, while Toelle, Guenther and Eames each had two hits for West Point.
In game two, both teams would go scoreless in the first inning before Elkhorn Mount Michael’s bats came alive with a six-run second before tacking on three more in the third and single runs in the fourth and fifth innings for the 11-0 win.
Josh Snodgrass took the loss for West Point in the championship contest, surrendering seven runs on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts over two innings pitched.
Snodgrass, Toelle and Guenther were the only players to collect a hit for West Point, who committed four errors on the day defensively.