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In their final game prior to hosting this weekend's Post #17 Junior Tournament at Legion Park, Sidney's Juniors baseball players got a final warm-up against Hershland Thursday evening.
Like those before it, Thursday's game was filled with lessons for the young Sidney squad, who had to practice patience and keeping their heads in the game.
Hershland went on top 1-0 in the top of the first inning, but that was the last ray of hope for the visitors.
Sidney put up three runs in the bottom of the first, then retired Hershland in order in the second. Sidney added five more runs in their half of the second, on the way to 12-2 rout.
Coach Ray Witt said the game was good in a lot of ways for Sidney players, who had to work at keeping in the game after building their large lead early.
"They mentally adjusted," Witt said of his players' reaction to the challenge.
Part of that adjustment was in seeing so many balls outside the strike zone, and having the patience to resist going after bad pitches.
For instance, Logan Sircy and Brett Jaggers and Arick Doty scored eight runs between them, without any hits. Jaggers walked four times. In all, Sidney got nine walks and one player was hit by a pitch.
Witt liked a lot of what he saw out of his young players, who "are growing every game," he said.
Witt said Sidney added another arm to its rotation Thursday, with Tommy Ellwanger taking the hill.
"He did what he needed to do," Witt said of the lefty's performance. "He threw strikes and got ground balls."
Sidney's next outing is Saturday morning at Legion Field, opening the Junior Tournament against Chappell at 9 a.m.
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