There wasn't a big reaction to the Blair Junior Legion baseball team's Class B Area 2 Tournament title win Tuesday night in Plattsmouth.
The players didn't dogpile on the infield turf. Their volume didn't hit that high of note either.
“Obviously its a huge milestone to get to state, but we come in here expecting to win,” pitcher Barrett Brown said after Post 154's 9-4 victory against Nebraska City.
The result capped a 4-0 tourney run and clinched a state tournament spot. Coach Sean Munger's lineup next plays Saturday in Gering.
On Tuesday, though, the Blair Juniors were confident. Parker Jennings said his squad started warmups 20 minutes before its opposition.
“When you put that much more effort in, you just expect to win,” he said.
Post 154 fell behind 3-0 through one inning, but scored the next nine runs to beat Nebraska City convincingly.
“We got the business done and now we're heading onto state,” Brown said.
The right-hander was Blair's starting pitcher. He threw 106 times to catcher Colton Scheer before Tucker Storjohann relieved him during the seventh inning.
“The goal was to just pitch to contact and be efficient,” Brown said. “Luckily, our defense was excellent tonight. So, that took a lot of stress off of me.”
Munger's team quickly battled back from three runs down with three of its own scores during the second inning. Grady Grabbe crossed home plate on a throwing error first before Easton Kosch avoided a tag on his way to first base and plated Brown.
Then, with two outs, Jennings evened the score at 3-3 with an RBI single into left-centerfield.
“With runners on, you've just got to put the ball in play,” he said.
Brown, meanwhile, said he wasn't rattled by Nebraska City's three first-inning runs because of how his team delivers at the plate.
“I kind of knew our offense would come along,” the pitcher explained. “It definitely helped tacking on some runs. Pitching with a lead made it a lot easier on me.”
Blair secured that advantage with six third-inning runs. Landon Bernasek touched the plate first when Lane Christensen hit into an error. Plate appearances by Easton Kosch, Jennings and Jaxon Logan turned into five more runs from there.
“We hit gaps,” Jennings said of his team's strength at the plate. “Situational hitting is excellent.”
The batter noted Post 154's bunting and base-running skills, too.
“It sort of makes up for errors if we make them,” he said.
Nebraska City didn't force Blair into too many miscures the rest of the way, though. It loaded the bases and scored a run during the seventh frame, but couldn't climb back into the game.
Now, Post 154 looks to make its mark during the state tourney. Logan said his squad's scrappiness should serve it well in Gering.
“When we get behind, we come in the dugout and we're ready to hit,” he explained.
Blair batters are going to put pressure on opposing defenses.
“We're going to put runs on you,” Logan added. “You've got to get more than five runs to beat us.”
Post 154 wins semifinal
The Blair Juniors secured their Area 2 Tournament finals position with a 13-5 win against the same Nebraska City squad it met in the finals.
Coach Munger's team broke a 3-3 tie with a five-run top of the fourth inning and led from there. It added two runs during the fifth inning and three more during the seventh.
Storjohann, notably, went 3-for-5 with a double for Post 154. Colin Jacobitz earned the pitching win.
POST 154 JUNIOR LINE SCORES
Tuesday
Blair 9, Nebraska City 4
NEB CITY 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 — 4
BLAIR 0 3 6 0 0 0 X — 9
Sunday
Blair 13, Nebraska City 5
BLAIR 1 0 2 5 2 0 3 — 13
NEB CITY 2 0 1 0 2 0 0 — 5
