AUBURN - After falling to the Beatrice Eagles/Store Kraft Juniors in two previous regular-season contests this season, the Fairbury First National Bank Juniors took “Round Three” in area tournament play Friday.
After rain washed out their scheduled meeting in the B-1 Area American Legion Juniors baseball tournament Thursday, Beatrice and Fairbury made the return trip to Auburn Friday for their second-round match-up with Fairbury winning the contest, 4-3.
With its win, Fairbury advances to the winner’s bracket final, facing top-seeded Falls City at 7:30 p.m. tonight (Saturday).
Beatrice will take on Nebraska City at 2:30 p.m. in an elimination game.
In the other elimination game, Syracuse will face Crete at 5 p.m.
Beatrice coach Jason Cullison said the local Juniors will have to come back ready to play today.
“Our kids played hard (against Fairbury) and they played aggressive,” Cullison said. “I was happy with the way they competed in the game.”
Cullison said he knew the Fairbury contest would be a tough match-up.
“I knew after the first time this year we played them they are a good ball club,” Cullison said. “They have good athletes and we knew that coming in.”
Cullison said neither team took the other “lightly” when play started Friday night.
“We told our kids starting out this is a double-elimination tournament,” Cullison said. “Hopefully, we can come back and get things taken care of.”
Fairbury had a number of key hits in the game, Cullison said.
“But along with that, we had some errors,” Cullison said. “We made some errors that cost us the game.”
Cullison said Beatrice starter Eric Haake threw well in the game.
“I thought Eric Haake pitched a heck of a game,” Cullison said.
Fairbury starter Dalton McLain also pitched well, Cullison said.
McLain threw 123 pitches, but kept “hanging in there,” Fairbury coach Steve Zimmerman said.
“He (McLain) refocused himself about the fifth inning and stayed tough,” Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman said Fairbury also played solid defense behind McLain.
One of the keys for Fairbury was “believing” they could win against a quality team like Beatrice, Zimmerman said.
“They played with a positive attitude all night and they had nothing to lose against Beatrice,” Zimmerman said. “We knew if we played a quality game it would be a good game.”
Both teams, Zimmerman said, played good baseball.
“They gave us a couple of gifts, but we gave them a couple of gifts,” Zimmerman said. “We had some good solid hits and they had some good solid hits.
“What more can you ask for, it was good quality baseball.”
Beatrice scored the game’s initial run in the top of the first inning.
A.J. Jarvis singled, advanced to second on a balk and took third on a passed ball.
A fielder’s choice on a ball hit by Sam Busboom scored Jarvis and put Beatrice up 1-0.
In the bottom of the inning, Fairbury answered.
Pierce Griffin hit a two-out solo home run to tie the score at 1-all.
In the third inning, Beatrice went up 2-1 as Jarvis hit a lead-off solo home run.
Fairbury again had an answer in the bottom of the inning, however.
Jake Melcher singled and advanced to third on a single by Chad Medina.
A two-out single by Griffin and subsequent throwing error allowed both Melcher and Medina to score.
The two runs gave Fairbury a 3-2 lead.
In the fifth inning, Beatrice tied the game at 3-all.
David Gay led off with a single, advanced to second as Busboom walked and took third as Eric Haake reached on a fielder’s choice.
A single by Pat Bell scored Gay.
Fairbury took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth inning.
With one out, Jake Bell walked and advanced to third on a single by Dalton McLain.
A groundout by Jake Sand scored Bell from third and put Fairbury up 4-3.
Beatrice had one runner on in the top of the seventh, but couldn’t advance him around the bases.
Fairbury finished with six hits in the game.
The only multi-hit was Griffins’ home run.
Griffin also had a single, while Chad Medina, McLain, Dylan Hinrichs and Melcher added a basehit each.
For Beatrice, Jarvis led the offense with a home run and two singles.
Dorn had a single and Gay, Busboom and Patrick Bell added a single each.
Both starters on the mound went the distance for their respective teams.
McLain earned the win for Fairbury, allowing three runs on seven hits, five walks and one hit batter. He struck out seven.
Haake took the loss for Beatrice, giving up four runs on six hits and two walks. He struck out six.