Sidney wallops Buckley 10-2 on solid, all-around performance

With six runs in the first and four more in the second, Post 17 had all the runs it needed for an easy 10-2 win over Buckley at Legion Field last night.

Before the game the juniors and seniors gathered on the basepaths to honor the late Benny Hochman. Hochman, who survived the death camps at Auschvitz and Buchenwald during World War II, was a longtime Sidney resident and supporter of Legion baseball. Two of his grandsons threw out the first pitches.

Tyson Herrera (1-0) pitched a strong game yeilding just one-earned run over six innings of work. Lane Harvey finished the job by pitching a scoreless seventh. Sidney upped its record to 7-3.

"I threw mostly fastballs but a lot of off-speed stuff too," Herrera said. "I threw curveballs, sliders and even a few knuckle balls."

And most were effective. Herrera surrendered just three hits while walking five and striking out six. He fanned the side in the second inning and two more in the third.

"Tyson is really starting to come around after returning from Texas," said head coach Tim Herrera. "I'd say he probably gave up about two too many walks but we'll work on that. I'm sure that will get better.

"He's starting to hit the ball hard now like he did last year and that's nice to see," he added.

Offensively, Post 17 batted around in the first inning while its first four batters scored. Devon Sullivan and Harvey each walked and were followed by a Herrera base hit to load the bases. Colton Onstott sent Sullivan and Harvey home with a long double. Austin Pile brought Herrera home with a safety squeeze.

Kane McLaughlin and Austin Crane added base hits later in the inning to give the home team a 6-0 first-inning lead.

Overall Sidney collected 12 hits including two each from Sullivan (triple, double, walk and two runs scored), Herrera (double, single and two runs scored), Pile and Crane. Pile's fifth spot in the batting order was not officially retired all night. He went two-for-two to go along with his RBI squeeze.

Pile added another RBI in the second. Scott Phillips singled as a pinch hitter for Pile in the sixth inning.

Sullivan, Harvey and Herrera each scored their second run of the game in the second. Pile, who stole second in the inning, also scored to give Post 17 a 10-0 lead. Though Sidney wouldn't score again, it didn't need to.

Defensively, Onstott's alertness behind the plate required Buckley baserunners to be constantly on the alert. On at least a half dozen occassions Onstott threw behind runners on the base paths.

"Colton pretty much has a green light to throw whenever he wants except maybe in certain situations," said Herrera. "He has a good arm and a good head on his shoulders."

In the first inning he caught Buckley's Trevor Dalton off guard and erased him from thrid. For good measure he threw out Brady Heinz trying to steal third base in the fifth inning.

In the junior game Brady Holtz's three base hits and four RBI and Jake Heeren's two doubles were not enough to overcome Buckley in a 12-8 loss. Skyler Arent also collected two hits. Heeren went 5 1/3 and took the loss. Arent pitched the final 1 2/3.

Sidney is next in action on Sunday when it travels to Chadron to play games postponed from last week. The juniors start the action at 4 p.m. The Sidney seniors do not have a scheduled home game until June 18, against Alliance. The juniors will host Laramie in a Tue., doubleheader.

Game one is scheduled for 3 p.m.