Arron Coleman started for the first time all year, although he had pitched in relief for North Nodaway. North Nodaway skipper Jake Shipman had been looking for someone to throw strikes all year, and finally got some as he went for six quality innings.
Neither team could get anything going for the first inning and a half. In the top of the second, center fielder Logan Keho made a running catch to deny extra bases to Joel Smyser, while second baseman Dalton Smyser made a great heads-up play by coming up with Dayne Carpenter’s shot off Coleman’s glove for an out.
North Nodaway had trouble with Caine Huffman’s big breaking ball, but on an 0-2 count, Ryan Riley turned on one in the second. Logan Keho reached on an error when first baseman let a pop fly drop in and it got away, and everybody was safe. Andrew Blackford struck out, and Riley was picked off second; North Nodaway ran its way out of some runs Wednesday, which was a factor in the loss. But Drexel Richardson walked to keep the inning alive and Jordan Jenkins singled to right, too shallow to score anyone. Tyler Bix then singled to center to score two, and the Mustangs were on top 2-0.
First baseman Ryan Riley made a shoestring catch of Jacob Oliver’s line drive in the third to take extra bases away. In its half of the third, North Nodaway had a chance to add to its lead, but ran its way out of the inning. Arron Coleman doubled a hung breaking ball to the wall in right center and Dalton Smyser reached on an error when his pop fly dropped in front of the third baseman and rolled under his legs to put runners on first and second. It looked all set up for a big inning, but then Coleman misjudged a pitch in the dirt and catcher Joel Smyser scooped it up and easily threw him out at third. Ryan Riley struck out; Logan Keho walked, but Andrew Blackford grounded out to end the inning with no runs coming across.
In the fourth, North Platte took advantage as Coleman began fighting the strike zone and walked Andrew Hernandez and Blake Gibson to start the inning. He came back to get Kaleb Pendlay on a fly ball to Keho, but then Jesse Martin crushed one so hard that even the vast North Nodaway field couldn’t hold it and North Platte was in front 3-2. North Platte threatened to add to their lead after shortstop Jordan Jenkins was played by Joel Smyser’s chopper. But Dayne Carpenter’s shot off Coleman’s glove was fielded perfectly by Andrew Blackford, and he got the out. Coleman blew one by Matrix Large to get out of the inning with no further damage done.
The Panthers added to their lead in the fifth to make it 4-2 when Andrew Hernandez stole third and came home on Tyler Bix’s throwing error.
In the Mustang fifth, Panther reliever Andrew Hernandez walked Ryan Riley and Logan Keho with one out. But there was a scary moment as Andrew Blackford grounded into a force play at third. Ryan Riley slid hard into third trying to break up a double play and got his hand stepped on, and he was finished for the game. Drexel Richardson walked, but Jordan Jenkins flied out for the third out.
There were some anxious moments in the North Platte sixth as Karson Oberhauser was forced to play out of position at first, and Dakota Wray had to come in to play left field. But Tyler Bix threw Joel Smyser out stealing with one out in the inning. Dayne Carpenter hit a sinking line drive that Wray hustled after, but his try at a shoestring catch came up short, and it dropped in for a double. Matrix Large hit a chopper that looked like trouble, but third baseman Andrew Blackford got a perfect jump on it and threw out Large by half a step at first.
Tyler Bix hit a pop fly single that dropped in behind second, and Karson Oberhauser doubled into the left field gap to put runners on second and third. A long single could tie it, but North Platte intentionally walked Coleman, and Dalton Smyser grounded into a 4-6-3 double play as a run scored to make it 4-3. Wray walked to keep the inning going, but Logan Keho got a called third strike.
It looked like North Platte might add to their lead as Arron Coleman was out of pitches and Andrew Blackford came into pitch. But after giving up a single to Jacob Oliver, he settled down as Caine Huffman flied out to Logan Keho, moved from center to left field. Andrew Hernandez was called out on strikes, and Blake Gibson grounded out. With two outs in the seventh, pitcher Kaleb Pendlay plunked Jordan Jenkins and Tyler Bix on consecutive pitches, but Karson Oberhauser was called out on strikes to end the game.
Recognized on Senior Night were Arron Coleman, Keith Irwin, and manager Makayla Cross, who had played with the team the previous two years.
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