Becker's bomb sends Sedalia packing

Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Ralph Pokorny/Daily Mail/ Nevada's Austin Allison catches a fly ball in right field during the third inning of Tuesday night's game with the Sedalia Bombers.

Nevada Daily Mail

A ninth-inning blast off the bat of Griffons left-handed slugger Kurt Becker propelled Nevada to an 8-7 victory over the Sedalia Bombers Tuesday night at Lyons Stadium.

The victory snapped a three-game losing skid, while improving the Griffons to 4-5 overall (3-5 MINK League).

Ralph Pokorny/Daily Mail/ Griffons second baseman Seth Sims connects for a double in the third inning.

With the score tied 5-5 in the top of the ninth inning, a two-out error charged to Griffons second baseman Seth Sims nearly proved costly. The error allowed Trey Harris to reach first base, keeping the inning alive for Sedalia's Jordan Dey.

Dey took full advantage of the opportunity presented him, rocketing a Shea Nixon pitch over the center field fence for the go-ahead runs, handing the Bombers a 7-5 lead.

The Griffons however, mounted a rally in the bottom of the ninth. Nevada shortstop Jacob Bryant led off the inning by hammering a Leland Tilley offering down the left field line for a double.

An Alex Jones ground out to second base advanced Bryant to third. Next to the plate, Taylor Walker pulled a single to right field, scoring Bryant to slice the Bombers lead to 7-6.

A Tyler Bodenstab grounder to shortstop was badly misplayed by Sedalia's Stewart Nelson. After booting the ball, Nelson's throw sailed wide of first base. The error allowed Walker to trot into third while Bodenstab advanced to second.

Still with only one out in the frame and runners in scoring position, Austin Allison drew a walk to load the bases for Sims. Moments earlier Sims was drilled in the leg by a line drive while waiting in the on-deck circle.

Sims grounded softly to second base, but was able to leg out the single while scoring Walker from third to tie the game 7-7.

With the bases again loaded, Griffons center fielder Jamie Graeser grounded to Nelson, who was playing in for the play at the plate. Nelson threw out Bodenstab at home to preserve the tie.

With runners now on first and second, Becker stepped to the plate and played hero, drilling Tilley's pitch into deep left-center field as Allison touched home plate for the game-winning run.

Early action

With one out in the bottom of the first inning, Graeser reached base on a passed ball strike out. A slow roller to shortstop off the bat of Johnson advanced Graeser to third. A wild pitch delivered by Bombers starting pitcher Burke Echelmeier allowed Graeser to cross home plate, as the Griffons went on top 1-0. The inning ended with a Jones strike out.

Still leading by a run in the top of the third, Sedalia center fielder Justin Holt led things off with a single to center field. Next in the order, Nelson reached first base via a bunt single.

A wild pitch delivered by Griffons starting pitcher Tyler Fallwell advanced both runners up a base. Facing Trey Hair, Fallwell yielded a single up the middle, plating both Holt and Nelson, as the Bombers grabbed a 2-1 lead.

The inning continued after Jonathan Ramon singled, advancing Hair two bases to third. Harris then lined a pitch off the glove of Sims at second base, scoring Hair to give the Bombers a 3-1 cushion.

In addition, the base knock by Harris moved Ramon over to third. Sedalia wasn't finished, as a sacrifice fly to right field scored Ramon from third, to up their lead to 4-1.

The Griffons struck back in the bottom of the fourth.

With one out, Bodenstab reached safely on an infield single. Echelmeier notched the second out of the inning with a strike out of Allison. After Sims drew a walk, runners were on first and second for Graeser, who drilled an Echelmeier offering to deep right field, scoring Bodenstab, to close the deficit to 4-2. Sims however, was gunned down at home plate to end the inning.

Fallwell breezed through the top of the fifth inning, retiring the side in order.

Becker led off the bottom half of the inning with a single to left field, and then advanced to third base courtesy of a two base error by Sedalia left fielder Cory Chambliss.

Johnson then singled to left field, scoring Becker to trim the Bombers lead to 4-3.

A second consecutive fielding error by Chambliss allowed Johnson to advance to second base. An Echelmeier wild pitch moved Johnson to third base. With one swing of the bat, Bryant knotted the score 4-4 with liner into right field. The RBI was Bryant's fourth of the season.

As the inning continued, Bryant swiped second and third base. With two down in the inning, Bodenstab laced a single into left field, as the Griffons regained the lead, 5-4. The inning concluded when Allison went down swinging.

The bombers evened things back up in the seventh inning, as a Ramon single plated Nelson.

For Nevada, Nixon was credited with the victory, while Tilley took the loss.

Fallwell lasted five innings, yielding four earned runs off nine hits. Fallwell walked only one while racking up seven strike outs.

Prior to Nixon's appearance in the ninth, appearing in relief for Nevada was, Juan Aguilera, Jaraad Salas, and Seth Owen. The trio was effective, allowing only one earned run over three innings, while combining for three strikeouts.

Offensively for the Griffons, Becker's 2-for-5 day at the dish upped his batting average to .444.

Johnson was 3-for-5 with a run and RBI; Bryant 2-for-3 with a run and RBI; Bodenstab 2-for-4 with two runs scored; Sims 2-for-4 with an RBI; Allison 1-for-4 with a run; and Graeser 1-for-6 with a run and RBI.

Upcoming schedule

(Home games in bold. All games at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted)

* June 11: @ Branson, 5 p.m.

* June 12: @ Sedalia

* June 13: Monarchs

* June 14: St. Joseph

* June 15: @ Joplin

* June 16: @Sedalia

* June 17: Ozark

* June 18: Clarinda

* June 19: @ Branson, 5 p.m.

* June 20: @ Branson, 5 p.m.

* June 21: Sedalia

* June 22: League rain date

* June 23: @ Clarinda

* June 24: @ Clarinda

* June 26: Carroll (Iowa)

* June 27: NKC Giants

* June 28: Sedalia

* June 29: @ Joplin

* June 30: Ozark, 6 p.m.

* July 1: @ St. Joseph

Griffons activities

* June 10: Griffons Youth Camp Ages 7-and-up.

* June 13: Home game vs. KC Monarchs, 7 p.m., featuring Baseball Bingo.

* June 14: Free admission courtesy of Nevada Housing Authority; Father's Day Initiative (this event is meant to be an encouragement to dads to participate in activities with their kids).

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