Seniors off to rough start

ST. PAUL - Beatrice’s Exmark American Legion Seniors got off to a rough start in the Class B American Legion Seniors State tournament Friday at St. Paul.

The Beatrice Seniors fell to Lexington in first-round action, 6-4.

With its loss, Beatrice drops into the loser’s bracket and will face Chappell in an elimination game today (Saturday) at 2 p.m.

Chappell fell to host St. Paul Friday night in first-round action, 4-3.

Lexington and St. Paul will meet at 8 p.m.

In the other half of the bracket, Omaha Roncalli defeated Wahoo, 13-3, in the first game of the day and Gretna downed Wayne, 10-2.

Roncalli will face Gretna at 5 p.m., while Wahoo and Wayne will squad off in an elimination game at 11 a.m.

With a win today, Beatrice would advance to face the Roncalli/Gretna loser at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Play continues in the state tournament at St. Paul through Tuesday’s championship action.

“It’s a tough loss for the guys,” Beatrice coach Paul Valentine said. “They feel bad we didn’t come through and get the first one out of the way.”

Valentine said the team has to forget the loss and “move on” in the double-elimination tournament.

“We still have a chance to win games and get back in there,” Valentine said. “It’s a little tougher road, but we’ve got enough depth as far as pitching goes to do that.”

Valentine said Lexington hit the ball hard.

“We gave up a home run in the first inning and then we didn’t make a play (in the fourth inning) and they scored five runs,” Valentine said.

Without the one big inning, Valentine said Beatrice was “in the game” the whole way against Lexington.

Beatrice fell behind early in its opener as Lexington scored on a solo home run in the first inning, taking a 1-0 lead.

In the third inning, Beatrice rallied for three runs.

James Rivers reached on a fielder’s choice, which erased Justin Coleman at second. Coleman had led off the inning with a single.

Rivers took second on the play as Lexington made an errant throw to first base, attempting to double him up.

Garrett Bruhn the hit a two-run home run over the right-field fence, scoring Ryan Poling, who was in to run for Rivers.

Bruhn’s homer put Beatrice up 2-1.

Korey Diekman kept the Beatrice rally going, reaching second on a two-base error and scoring as Justin Wittler reached on an error.

Diekman’s run gave Beatrice a 3-1 lead.

In the top of the fourth inning, however, Lexington’s offense exploded for five runs on four hits. Three of the runs scored on a home run by the team’s nine-hole hitter.

After 3 1/2 innings, Beatrice trailed 6-3.

Beatrice held Lexington scoreless the remainder of the way, but could only plate one additional run of its own.

In the seventh inning, Rivers hit a one-out single.

Bruhn and Diekman hit back-to-back singles, loading the bases.

A sacrifice fly by Wittler allowed Poling, running for Rivers, to score and made it a 6-4 game.

Beatrice finished with 10 hits in the game.

Bruhn led the way with the home run and two singles, while Coleman and Diekman each had two singles.

Sam Busboom doubled and Devin Schroeder and Rivers each singled.

Rivers took the loss for Beatrice, throwing the complete seven innings. He allowed six runs on six hits, three walks and two hit batters, while striking out eight.