Champs Again!

The Sidney Raider 12U team earned its fourth consecutive State Championship by defeating the Westco Bluffs 12U team in the championship game of the Cal Ripken Baseball Tournament at Kiwanis Field in Sidney Sunday afternoon.

The Sidney squad earned its place in the final game by going 3-and-1 in tournament play, and were the number 2 seed matched up against the undefeated Westco Bluffs team led by slugger Ryan Hinman. The teams faced off for a final battle that turned out to be a classic, with both teams playing outstanding baseball in a game that either team could have won.

The teams met earlier in the tournament on Saturday when the Westco squad bolted out to a 6-to-0 lead until Sidney finally broke through in the bottom of the third inning when Zeb Meyer jolted a solo home run followed by Zech Roggasch blasting a three run homer later in the inning to narrow the score to 6-to-4. Westco increased their lead to 8-to-5 in the top of the fourth, scoring two runs on passed balls.

After falling behind 10-to-5, the Sidney bats broke out in the bottom of the fifth, and scored 5 runs with two outs on three singles and two home runs to tie the game at 10-to-10 going into the final inning. Westco was able to scratch out two runs on four hits to take a 12-to-10 lead in the sixth inning, while Sidney was unable to score in the bottom of the frame and lost the game 12-to-10. Sidney moved on to the semi-finals, and easily got past North Platte scoring 15 runs off of 14 hits in a mercy-rule shortened three inning contest to earn their place in the championship game.

Sunday’s final had Sidney as the visitors against the Westco Bluffs team, and the Raiders scratched out a first inning run to start the scoring. Sidney starting pitcher Alek Doty retired the side in order to end the first, and continued to stymie the Westco bats by hitting the corners with his fastball and mixing in curve balls and off-speed pitches.

Sidney plated another run on a bases loaded hit by Braxton Heater, but the Westco squad avoided further damage when starting pitcher Nate Kelley snagged a blazing line drive off of Doty’s bat to end the inning with Sidney up 2-to-0. Doty then took the mound and retired Westco’s slugger Ryan Hinman with a ground out to start the inning, then cruised to retire the side in order again.

Sidney’s Zech Roggasch walked to lead off the top of the third inning, then Ryder Bayne took the first pitch he saw and blasted a line drive home run over the center field fence to increase the Raider lead to 4-to-0. Westco finally broke through with a run on a single by George Schmall, scoring Micah Gomez to narrow the Sidney lead to 4-to-1. Sidney went down in order in the top of the fourth, and Doty gave up a walk to start the bottom of the inning. Doty then faced Hinman with a man on, and the Westco slugger delivered with a monstrous home run that went far over the center field fence to move the score to 4-to-3. Doty was able to avoid any more damage when Westco’s Oscar Felix was thrown out trying to steal second to end the inning.

In the fifth inning after Sidney was able to get runners on first and third, pitcher Nate Kelley was replaced by Oscar Felix.

Felix threw off speed pitches with great movement and location to strike out Ryder Bayne and Lance Holly to end the inning. Doty then took the mound and retired the Westco batters in order on three straight ground outs. Sidney was able to get one runner on with a base hit in the 6th, but was unable to score, keeping the game at 4-to-3 going into the bottom of the final frame.

Westco’s Oliver Carpenter beat out an infield single to start the bottom of the sixth, then advanced to second base. After a strikeout, Doty intentionally walked Hinman to give Westco runners on first and second. After another strikeout, Doty had hit his 85 pitch limit, and was replaced by Lance Holly to get the final out.

Connor Schumacher was unable to handle a liner to second base, which loaded the bases. Holly was able to then strike out Micah Gomez to end the game and deliver Sidney’s fourth straight 12U Championship. Doty earned the win, going 5+ innings, striking out six batters, while Nate Kelley took the loss for the Westco Bluffs team. Sidney’s Braxton Heater was named Defensive Player of the Tournament, while Westco’s Ryan Hinman earned Offensive Player honors and George Schmall earned the Sportsmanship Award.