Sidney Legion Baseball Opens Season

Sidney’s American Legion Post 17 JR team opened their season last week and after battling weather delays, was able to compete in tournament play in Alliance over the weekend.

The season started with the Junior team in Ogallala facing off against the Adams Insurance Advisors Juniors on Wednesday, but after two innings of play, the game needed to be called on account of thunderstorms sweeping through the area. The teams gave it another try, but moved the contests to Sidney’s Legion Park on Thursday, and were able to complete both games despite weather interrupting the second game.

In the first game, Sidney started the top of the third inning trailing 5-to-0, and Ogallala’s Max Mueller on the mound. Mueller gave up a walk and a base hit to Sidney’s Blaine Rusell, but was able to get Ben Hashman to pop out to end the inning.

Reid Fiscus assumed the pitching duties for Sidney in the bottom of the third inning, and Sidney’s defense gave up two errors combined with a hit and walk to give Ogallala another run and a 6-to-1 lead. Sidney then went down in order to end the top of the fourth inning. Owen Gillham came in to pitch for Sidney, and although he didn’t throw with overpowering speed, his pitch selection and location kept the Ogallala hitters off-balance and was able to escape a bases-loaded situation without giving up any runs.

The fifth inning started with Kaode Adams-Brewer on the mound for Ogallala, and after Wade Dodge led off and walked for Sidney, Reid Fiscus was able to drive him in with a solid single to left field that was misplayed to finally get Sidney on the board. However, Gillham struggled with his control in the bottom of the frame and gave up another run, ending the game 9-to-1 in mercy-rule shortened game. Sidney manged two hits, one each by Fiscus and Russell.

The Senior Teams then played the second game of the double-header with Same Hashman starting the pitching duties. He gave up one run on a double, giving Ogallala an early lead. Hashman pitched himself into trouble in the second inning, but managed to escape without giving up any runs by inducing a line out to right field to end an Ogallala scoring threat. Sidney was able to threaten in the bottom of the second inning by loading the bases, but Ogallala catcher Jack Rezac made an outstanding diving catch on a foul ball to end the inning.

A lightning delay followed, and after the threat had passed, the game resumed. Sidney managed to tie the game in the bottom of the third on an error, but Ogallala’s offense got in gear over the next two innings, plating five runs to open a 6-to-1 lead. A five run top of the seventh gave the visitors an 11-to-2 lead, and the game ended when Sidney was unable to narrow the lead at the end of the seventh.

Sam Hashman was credited with the lone RBI for Sidney in the loss.

The Junior teams were scheduled to face Alliance in Sidney on Monday while the Junior and Senior teams were scheduled to face Gering on Tuesday in Sidney.