WINNEMUCCA - In its second to last tournament of the summer season, the Greater Nevada Badgers A squad turned in its best result of the year with a runner-up finish at the Firecracker Invitational played in Boise, Idaho, June 28 - July 1.
The Badgers played twice on June 28, losing their opening game 3-2 to Meridian but they came back with a vengeance later that night to beat Borah 21-5. Greater Nevada was back on the field for two games on June 29, losing 6-4 to Centennial and battling back for a 7-6 victory over Columbia. The Badgers earned their way into the championship game with a 14-0 win over the Boise Capitals on June 30. The Badgers fell short in the title game on July 1, losing 3-2 to the Boise Gems.
The Badgers picked up a strong pitching performance from Zach Zeiler in the opener against Meridian, but Greater Nevada lost on a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning. Zeiler threw seven innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits, with five strikeouts and a walk. Aaron Nelson pitched the final 1.1 innings, where he gave up an unearned run that turned into the game winner. He struck out one and walked one.
The Badgers held a 1-0 advantage after the top of the second inning on a solo home run by Levi Bliss. The Rangers came back to tie the game in the bottom of the second on the strength of a RBI double. Greater Nevada grabbed the lead back in the top of the fifth, as Trevor Achenbach and Lane Newman, a pair of Spring Creek teammates, strung together back-to-back hits to make the score 2-1. The two led the team with two hits apiece.
The Badgers managed just three hits the rest of the way, with a sixth-inning rally stopped by a double play after a leadoff double by Achenbach. Greater Nevada was just as dominant on the mound and the field, allowing just four Meridian runners to reach base from the third through eighth inning. The Rangers used a lead-off single and error in the ninth inning to start the winning rally, which ended with a one-out single.
Greater Nevada bounced back in a big way later that night against Borah, scoring seven runs in the first inning. The first five Badgers reached base and scored, as 13 batters came to the plate. Greater Nevada turned the lineup over once again in the second, with 10 batters going to the plate. Nelson, Zephan Zeiler and Alex Nimmick all had run-scoring hits.
After being retired in order in the third inning, the Badger offense went back to work in the fourth inning, plating six more runs. Christian Dawson drove in a run with a single and Troy Hardy doubled home two more runs to put the Badgers up 17-3. Greater Nevada continued to tack on the runs in the top of the fifth, beginning with a lead-off walk by Zack Zeiler and three straights hits by Nimmick, Bliss and Newman.
Blake Pruitt picked up the win, as he threw four innings and allowed three runs (one earned) on two hits, with three strikeouts and two walks. Tanner Lecumberry threw the final innings, giving up two runs (none earned).
Greater Nevada trailed from the beginning against Centennial but made things interesting with a three-run sixth inning to close within two runs at 6-4 before falling short. The Cannons plated a single run in the bottom of the first, only to see the Badgers tie the contest in the top of the third as Achenbach doubled home Michal Arenas, who led off the frame with a single.
Centennial got the run back in the fourth and tacked on four more in the fifth. Greater Nevada scattered five hits through the first five innings but finally broke through in the top of the sixth. Newman was hit by a pitch to lead off and scored on a single by Brumm. Zack Zeiler added a run-scoring single and Brumm scored on a bases-loaded walk to Brandon Okuma. The rally ended as Achenbach flew out to right field. The Badgers put the first two runners on base in the seventh but the next three batters were retired to end the game.
Brumm went the distance for the Badgers but took the loss, allowing six runs (two earned) on seven hits. He struck out five and walked one. Bliss paced the team with two hits.
Greater Nevada scored single runs in the first and third innings against Columbia, the latter off a single by Brumm. The Mudcats cut the deficit in half with a run in the bottom of the third. The Badgers had just three hits through the first five innings, before breaking out for four runs and five runs in the sixth. Nimmick and Bliss each drove in two runs and Brumm had a RBI triple for a 7-3 advantage.
Greater Nevada had to hold on as Columbia rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh but Lecumberry was able to get the final two outs, including a strikeout for the save.
Okuma pitched the first four innings to get the win, as he gave up one run on four hits with four strikeouts and a walk. Newman saw 2.1 innings on the mound and allowed five runs (two earned). Nimmick and Brumm each had two hits.
Greater Nevada kept its winning ways going, as it got a dominant pitching performance from Nelson in the 14-0 win over Boise. He threw a complete-game four hitter, with two strikeouts and a walk. After scoring single runs in the first two innings, the Badgers scored three runs in the third and seven in the fourth.
Greater Nevada pounded out 18 hits, with Lecumberry and Bliss collecting three each and Zach Zeiler and Brumm two each.
In the championship game, Greater Nevada could not overcome a 7-0 deficit after the top of the second inning but did come back to make things interesting for the Boise Gems. The Badgers cut away at the advantage with a run in the bottom of the second on a ground out by Blake Pruitt. Pruitt drove in the Badgers' second run in the fourth, followed by a RBI single by Arenas to cut the deficit to 7-3.
Greater Nevada further cut into the lead with a triple by Newman that scored Lecumberry in the fifth inning.
Boise added an important insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, as Greater Nevada posted a three-run rally in the top of the seventh. Okuma led off by reaching on an error, followed by a walk to Lecumberry. Achenbach followed with a single to load the bases, when Nelson drove home two runs with a single. Pruitt followed with a sacrifice fly to score Achenbach to bring the Badgers within a run at 8-7. However the game ended as Zack Zeiler grounded out to end the game.
Greater Nevada closed out its summer season this past weekend at the Baker City Wood Bat Tournament.
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