Seniors drop pair of games Sunday

COLUMBUS -- The Columbus Bank American Legion Seniors dug themselves into holes they couldn’t climb out of.

The Seniors dropped the nightcap to Fremont 11-6 after losing the opener to Colby, Kan. 9-7 Sunday during the Columbus Bank Senior Tournament at Pawnee Park Field. Columbus suffered an 8-6 loss to Norfolk Saturday night.

In the tournament’s final game, Fremont used big innings and withstood a seventh-inning rally to drop the Seniors to 0-4 in the tournament.

Fremont scored a run in the first, but Columbus tied it in the bottom of the second with an RBI single by Alden Elm.

Fremont regained the lead in the top of the third with a two-run home run by Gates Cook.

Columbus got a run back in the bottom of the third with a Jon Raitt RBI groundout. But a three-run fourth inning and five-run seventh inning gave Fremont an 11-2 lead.

“We just haven’t been doing enough early in the game,” Senior coach Cody Schilling said. “We can’t afford to fall behind by large margins, because it’s very hard to come back.”

Columbus scored four runs in the final inning, but the rally came up short.

The Seniors used back-to-back RBI singles by Raitt and Brandon Zakrzewski to cut the lead to 11-6, but Warren Drucker got Kyle Shefcyk and Chase Stanton to fly out to end the game.

“This team is pretty resilient,” Schilling said. “They never lay down, and as long as they continue to give 100 percent, the wins will come.”

Columbus also rallied in the seventh inning of the early game, but couldn’t make it over the hump, as Colby held on for the victory.

The Seniors jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

Michael Blatchford blasted a two-out double to the gap in left center and scored on a Raitt single on the very next pitch.

Colby answered with two runs in the top of the third against Elm.

Garrett Rogers led off the inning with a double to left-center and came home three batters later on a wild pitch. Levi Schlick also added a single that drove in Cory Sager.

The Seniors tied it up in the bottom of the frame when Blatchford smashed his second double to drive in Jordon Eckholt.

Colby put up a run in the fifth and six more in the seventh to take a 9-2 lead.

Columbus scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh, but it wasn’t enough.

Four consecutive Senior batters drove in runs, and Stanton came to the plate representing the tying run. But Colby pitcher Steve Dinkel got Stanton to hit into a game-ending fielder’s choice.

A big third inning propelled Norfolk over the Seniors in Saturday’s late game.

Columbus took the lead on a Raitt home run in the bottom of the second, but the lead was short-lived.

Norfolk responded by putting seven runs on the board in the top of the third.

The Seniors cut the lead to 7-5 in the bottom of the fourth with four consecutive singles and a two-run double by Zakrzewski.

Jordan Eckholt scored on a Shefcyk single in the fifth to cut the lead to one.

Norfolk added an insurance run in the top of the sixth, and Columbus couldn’t score in the bottom of the inning. The game was called after six innings because of the two-hour time limit.

According to Schilling, slowing down the opponent’s offense will be key for the rest of the season.

“We just need to limit the big inning when we’re on defense,” Schilling said. “If we can make the routine plays and play good defense, we’ll be a dangerous team.”

The Seniors play Kearney at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Pawnee Park Field.

Sunday’s Second Game

Fremont 102 300 5 -- 11 13 3

Columbus 011 000 4 -- 6 9 1

• Pitching: WP -- Warren Drucker LP -- Jon Raitt

• Leading Hitters: Columbus -- Jon Raitt: 2-for-4, 2 RBIs; Brandon Zakrzewski: 1-for-4, RBI; Alden Elm: 1-for-1, RBI; Fremont -- Justin Beranek: 3-for-4, 2B, 2 RBIs; Taylor Patrick: 2-for-4, 2 RBIs; Gates Cook: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBIs.

Sunday’s First Game

Colby 002 010 6 -- 9 12 1

Columbus 101 000 5 -- 7 10 0

• Pitching: WP -- Steve Dinkel LP -- Alden Elm.

• Leading Hitters: Columbus -- Michael Blatchford: 3-for-3, 2 2B, 2 RBIs; Jon Raitt: 2-for-4, 2B, 3 RBIs; Brandon Zakrzewski: 2-for-4, RBI; Colby -- Eric Blanton: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI; Steve Dinkel: 1-for-3, 2 RBIs; Levi Schlick: 2-for-3, RBI.

Saturday’s Late Game

Norfolk 007 001 -- 8 7 2

Columbus 010 410 -- 6 9 2

• Pitching: WP -- Brent Ristow LP -- Michael Blatchford.

• Leading Hitters: Columbus -- Jon Raitt: 2-for-3, HR, RBI; Brandon Zakrzewski: 2-for-3, 2 RBIs; Kyle Shefcyk: 2-for-3, RBI; Norfolk -- Tanner Lancaster: 3-for-3, 2B, 3 RBIs.