Juniors earn victory

After giving up one unearned run in the first inning, the Beatrice Eagles Juniors buckled down and went to work.

Beatrice ended up downing visiting Nebraska City, 3-2, Tuesday at Christenson Field.

Responding to adversity in the first inning, Beatrice coach Jason Cullison said starting pitcher Justin Coleman got better as the game went on.

“The first inning was key to the way Justin pitched the rest of the game,” Cullison said. “He found himself in a jam early in the inning and got out of a bases-loaded situation with nobody out.”

Cullison said Coleman was “on” the rest of the game.

Coleman earned the win, throwing the first five innings.

James Rivers picked up the save after coming in to start the top of the sixth inning.

“James came in and got the job done,” Cullison said.

Cullison said the Beatrice Juniors played nearly error-free baseball in earning the win.

Offensively, Cullison said the Beatrice Juniors “competed well” against a good Nebraska City pitcher.

Beatrice finished with just three hits in the game, a triple by Garrett Bruhn and singles by Coleman and Devin Schroeder.

Cullison said Bruhn will be counted on to be one of the team's big producers at the plate.

While Bruhn put the bat on the ball well in the game, Cullison said other players need to step up, also.

“Devin Schroeder did that in the last inning,” Cullison said. “He stepped up and sprayed one to right and scored a run off it.”

In the first inning, Nebraska City scored one run on a Beatrice error, two walks and a hit batter.

It remained a 1-0 contest until the bottom of the fourth inning when Beatrice scored a pair of runs to go up 2-1.

Schroeder reached on an error and took second on an errant pickoff attempt.

A triple by Bruhn scored Schroeder and tied the game at 1-all.

With one out, Bruhn stole home, giving Beatrice a 2-1 lead.

The Eagles Juniors added to their lead in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Coleman was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. He took second on a balk and went to third on an errant pickoff attempt at second.

A single by Schroeder scored Coleman and put Beatrice up 3-1.

Nebraska City scored one run in the top of the seventh inning on a double and a Beatrice error, but relief pitcher James Rivers then retired the next three batters in order to end the game.

Next action for the Eagles Juniors, 2-0, will be tonight (Wednesday) at Seward.