Seniors top Lincoln High with Morton walk-off [Columbus Telegram, Neb.]

July 15--COLUMBUS -- It was a pair of sophomores and a junior that provided the heroics on Senior Day.

The Columbus Cornerstone Insurance Group Seniors American Legion baseball team defeated Lincoln Samson Construction (Lincoln High) 8-7 in 10 innings Sunday at Pawnee Park Field.</p>

The scheduled nine-inning game started with a three-run Lincoln first inning. The Seniors answered with a run to cut the lead to 3-1.

Lincoln gradually added to its lead, scoring one run in the third, fourth, sixth and eighth innings to own a 7-2 lead after the top of the eighth inning.

In the bottom of the eighth inning with two outs, Spencer Humphrey reached on Lincoln's only error of the game before Tucker Ramaekers and Brendan Ritzdorf each walked to load the bases. Humphrey scored when Blake Bubak drew a walk. With Lincoln clutching a 7-3 lead, Cole Fuller hit a three-run double to bring the Seniors within one run. The next batter, Nathan Sliva, drove in Fullner with an RBI single to tie the game at 7-all.

"Cole has been the late-inning heroic guy for us lately," Seniors head coach Nick Handley said. "In Salina, he had the walk-off hit off the wall, and then this time. Cole is a guy, that even when he struggles, he still has confidence. He's comfortable in his own skin and he understands the game of baseball. He makes very good in-game adjustments. He had been pulling the last few pitches down the third-base line but couldn't get them by the third baseman, this time he got a ball where he waited and let it travel back through the zone, then he put it in right-center field."

Patience was key for the big eighth inning, according to Handley.

"I thought we were bailing their pitcher out a lot," he said. "We would get something brewing, then all of a sudden we would get too excited. I think we felt like we would have to go after that first pitch and we would pop it up or ground out, and that would end what would have been a good threat. In the eighth inning, we were taking (pitches) until we got a strike, we were patient at the plate, and we were making their pitcher work a little bit. The patience was the biggest difference that inning."

In the bottom of the tenth inning, the Seniors had two on with two outs. Tyler Morton, who was 0-for-5 at that point, lined the ball over the right fielder's head for a walk-off single.

"Tyler is a guy that we're always going to be confident that if given the opportunity, he's someone that will be able to come through," Handley said. "He got down two strikes -- he was swinging at some bad pitches today -- but he gets the ball on the outer half just to protect, he had the presence of mind to know that if he waits back he can hit it pretty hard to right field, and he did that."

Nate Ek was honored before the game for Senior day. The lone Columbus senior went 1-for-4 from the plate with a double and an RBI.

"Nate has meant a lot to our group," Handley said. "He's been used to playing with his brother -- I think that's been a comfort zone for him. They played a lot of baseball together and this was his first year of playing without him. We were curious what kind of leader he would be, because it's clearly obvious that the guys look up to him. That can be a badge of honor, or it can be a problem if you're not the right kind of guy. Nate has matured so much this summer. He's been a mentor to the younger guys, especially the guys in the infield. He doesn't say a lot, but when something needs to be said, he's the first guy to do it, and these guys absolutely respect it. The way he plays on the field speaks for itself, that's why he's an effective leader. He's a guy that I'm really going to miss."

Sliva went 4-for-6 from the plate with two RBIs and a run scored, while Humphrey went 2-for-4 with a run scored, and Fullner went 1-for-5 with a double, three RBIs and a run scored.

Bubak picked up the win in relief, and went 1-for-4 from the plate with an RBI and three runs scored.

Up next for the Seniors is the A6 Area Tournament starting Friday at Pawnee Park Field.

Sunday at Pawnee Park Field

Lincoln 301 101 010 0 -- 7 11 1

Seniors (17-15) 100 000 150 1 -- 8 11 2

--Pitching: WP -- Blake Bubak; LP -- Quentin Bohaty.

--Leading Seniors Hitters: Bubak 1-4, RBI, 3 runs; Cole Fullner 1-5, 2B, 3 RBI, run; Nathan Sliva 4-6, 2 RBI, run; Nate Ek 1-4, 2B, RBI; Tyler Morton 1-6, RBI; Austin Ewers 1-2, 2B; Spencer Humphrey 2-4, run; Tucker Ramaekers 0-4, run; Brendan Ritzdorf 1-4, run.

--Leading Lincoln Hitters: Bohaty 2-4, 2 runs; Austin Trejo 1-4, run; Race Schuurmans 0-4, 2 runs; Austin Dredge 3-5, 3B, 2B, 3 RBI, run; Zac Spence 1-4, RBI, run; Steve David 1-5, RBI; Taylor Samek 2-5, 2B, RBI; Alex Holman 1-5.

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