NEBRASKA CITY – Elmwood-Murdock/Nehawka athletes left their dugouts at Nebraska City with excited smiles Thursday night.
The Nationals rallied from a 6-2 deficit to defeat Nebraska City 10-7. Elmwood-Murdock/Nehawka improved its Junior Legion season mark to 9-8.
E-M/N jumped ahead 2-0 in the top of the first inning but saw Nebraska City score six unanswered runs after that. The Pioneers posted a solo run in the opening frame and took a 3-2 lead in the second. The team then crossed the plate three times in the next inning.
The game’s script changed in the fourth inning. Austin Boucher and Ty Fox drew consecutive walks and Noah Willey reached base on an infield error. Lane Fox then drove in one run when he beat the throw to first on an infield hit. Ty Fox scored on the same play when the throw got past first base.
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Owen Snipes drove in Willey with an infield hit and Lane Fox dashed home on a wild pitch. Courtesy runner Levi Offner and Kobe Gansemer later made the score 8-2 when they touched the plate on Tucker Oehlerking’s single to center.
The Nationals notched two additional runs on the scoreboard in the sixth. Lane Fox started the scoring sequence by smashing a leadoff double down the third-base line. Snipes then crushed a pitch over the fence in left field for a 10-6 lead.
Nebraska City tried to mount a comeback in the last inning. Cameron Elshire posted a one-out single and moved to third on a successful hit-and-run play from Quintin Holman. Adam Dia followed them with a run-scoring infield single. Elmwood-Murdock/Nehawka secured the victory by catching infield popups in the final two at-bats.
Snipes guided E-M/N’s offense with three hits and four runs batted in. Lane Fox delivered three hits and Oehlerking generated a pair of RBI.
E-M/N starting pitcher Jakob Boucher earned the victory in five innings on the mound. He struck out five Pioneers and tossed 18 first-pitch strikes. Lane Fox secured the save with one inning of relief work.
Elmwood-Murdock/Nehawka will play three games this weekend. The team will travel to Adams Saturday for a 1 p.m. matchup. The Nationals will then host Lincoln High for a doubleheader Sunday afternoon. The teams are scheduled to play at 1 and 3 p.m.
Elmwood-Murdock/Nehawka   200 602 – 10 10 2
Nebraska City                            123 001 – 7 10 2