OMAHA - The Columbus Senior Blues are two wins away from the team's first state championship.
The Blues (Cornerstone Insurance) staved off elimination for the third time in a row with an 8-6 victory over Bellevue West (DJ's Dugout) in the Nebraska American Legion State Tournament at Omaha Westside Tuesday evening, avenging a first round loss just three days prior.
“One of the biggest strengths of our team over the last couple of weeks has been the way that we've adjusted the second time we've seen somebody,” Blues Head Coach Tom Keiser shares. “You want to have an opportunity to make amends for stuff you didn't do well the first time through, so I thought the kids did a great job there, and simplified things a little bit at the plate, and you saw the results there.”
The game was tied 2-2 through the top of the 6th, before Bellevue West took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the inning. Columbus made their move with one out in the top of the 8th with a Tyler Morton single and a Nathan Sliva walk forcing a pitching change. That was when Miles Putnam stepped up to the plate and belted a three-run shot over the left-center field fence to give the Blues a 5-3 lead.
Bellevue West would respond in the bottom of the inning and grab a run, cutting the Columbus lead to 5-4 heading into the top of the 9th.
The Blues answered again with a three-run inning with Morton stealing home on a passed ball, followed by a Spencer Humphrey double that brought in Tucker Ramaekers and Putnam.
Bellevue West grabbed two runs in the bottom of the 9th, but it wasn't enough.
The Blues will face the winner of Omaha Westide and Creighton Prep on Wednesday, and will need to win two games to claim the State Championship. The fact that Westside is the 2014 defending champ and Prep is last year's runner up isn't deterring the Blues.
“We've learned a long time ago that it matters more about what we're doing as opposed to who we're playing. Our kids are ready to compete and they haven't shied away from a challenge yet,” Keiser explains.
First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
SCORING (R/H/E)
Columbus - 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 3 (8/11/0)
B. West - 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 (6/12/2)
PITCHING
W - Cade Hansen
L - Cameron Taylor
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