The Badgers (3-6) were in Twin Falls, Idaho, for the Donnelley Wood Bat Tournament, leaving with a 1-3 record. Greater Nevada lost 10-5 to Blackfoot on June 7 and later that night lost 15-5 to Canyon Ridge. The Badgers lost their third game of the weekend on Friday, June 8, a 14-2 defeat to Kimberly. The Badgers came back on Saturday and behind a no-hitter by Aaron Nelson, beat Pocatello 15-3.
"I think we had 17 errors over the four games," said coach Ron Espinola. "Going into our fourth game we had more errors than hits and more errors than runs. It was just weird. Just about every play was routine and simple. Once the first one happened it got contagious."
Greater Nevada grabbed a 1-0 lead over Blackfoot on a RBI single by Lane Newman to score Brandon Okuma, who led off the frame with a walk. The Badgers left the bases loaded in the inning, scoring just the lone run. Blackfoot responded with four runs in the top of the second inning on the strength of three hits and two Badger errors.
The Blackfoot advantage did not last long, as Greater Nevada answered in the bottom of the second to tie the game at 4-4. With one out, Alex Nimmick walked to begin the rally. Brandon Okuma was thrown out at first on a fielder's choice but Greater Nevada followed with four consecutive singles by Zephan Zeller, Austen Plank Lane Newman and Tyler Brumm.
Each team scored a single run in the fourth, when Blackfoot pulled away with a run in the fifth and four in the sixth to seal the win. McCade Wing started and took the loss, as he went 4.2 innings. His Spring Creek teammate, Levi Bliss, pitched through the sixth inning, and Donovan Brumm threw the seventh for the Badgers. Newman led Greater Nevada with three hits and Plank added two.
"This was a younger tournament (17 and under) and we were missing a few guys," Espinola said. "You could see us lacking some leadership out there. As these kids play together more that will come. It was a solid game until the end. Our pitchers threw OK. McCade had trouble with his control to start but when he found the plate his defense didn't help him out."
Canyon Ridge scored three or more runs in four of the five innings and was held scoreless in the fourth. Canyon Ridge scored four runs in each of the first two innings to lead 8-0. Greater Nevada cut the deficit to 8-2 in the bottom of the second, as Tyler Brumm scored on an error and Donovan Brumm plated a run on a fielder's choice by Nelson.
Canyon Ridge broke the game open with three runs in the third and four more in the fifth. Levi Bliss had a RBI triple in the third for Greater Nevada and the Badgers plated two more runs in the fifth on a single by Wing.
Blake Pruitt started and took the loss, throwing 2.1 innings. Alex Nimmick pitched the final two innings. Wing led the Badgers with two hits, with Okuma, Bliss and Zack Zeller adding one each.
"Most of our kids are used to hitting wood bats," Espinola said. "When we hit the ball we hit it pretty good. Our pitchers that aren't used to throwing to wood are still in that mentality of trying to nibble and get it off the plate. With wood bats they can make mistakes and get away with. As coaches we want them to run it to the batters and make them put the ball into play.
"It was a tough game for us. As soon as the first game was over we had to hop in cars and go about a mile to play this game. The kids didn't even take their cleats off. Canyon Ridge was waiting for us. You could sense that we were not ready to go."
Trailing 2-0 against Kimberly, Greater Nevada tied the game in the bottom of the second on a double by Wing and a single from Arenas to score Newman and Wing, respectively. However that was all the offense for the Badgers, who collected just one hit in the final four innings.
The Astros broke the tie with three runs in the third inning and put the game out of reach with nine runs in the sixth.
Tyler Brumm started and went five innings for the Badgers. He allowed seven runs (two earned) with four strikeouts and two walks. Okuma and Bliss combined to get the final three outs. Four different Badgers had one hit.
"We were playing good again and just had one bad inning that cost us," added the coach. "That is how our summer has gone. Tyler threw the ball and (I) was hoping to get him through a quick sixth. The pitch count just started to add up and it took us three pitchers to get through the sixth."
It's not too often you give up three runs and yet throw a no-hitter in the process. That is what Nelson did in the tournament finale against Pocatello. The Badgers used a single by Newman and a sacrifice fly by Wing to build a 2-0 lead after an inning of play, then blew the game wide open with 12 runs in the second. Seventeen batters came to the plate in the frame, which included four RBIs by Newman and two RBIs each from Nimmick, Bliss and Wing.
Pocatello scored once in the second on an error and wild pitch and twice more in the fifth, as Nelson walked two batters, hit two batters and had another reach on an error.
"I told him last week that he throws too many strikes," Espinola said. "Of the 25 pitches he threw against Manogue 21 were strikes. He comes into this game and barely throws strikes. He went from pin-point control to effective wildness in one outing.
"The weather was horrible also. It was rainy, cold and miserable and no one wanted to be out there. I was surprised with what he did. The control problems had a lot to do with the weather. He will be someone we look to for the next high school season."
Greater Nevada is back in Idaho this weekend with a trip to Caldwell for the Buffalo Wild Wings Wood Bat Tournament. The Badgers were scheduled to open with Meridian on Thursday. Greater Nevada plays Boise today at 1 p.m. and Vallivue Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Sunday's opponent has yet to be determined.
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