The Blair Senior Legion baseball team was enjoying its Class B state tournament stay through two games Sunday in Broken Bow.
“They're having a blast,” Post 154 coach James Bilslend said, waiting for his postgame meal after the Bears' elimination game victory against Minden. After a six-run loss to start the tourney Saturday, the coach's team won 9-1 to survive and advance.
“It was a new day, a new team,” Bilslend added. “They're not ready for the season to be done yet.”
Blair ended Sunday's game by run-rule in the sixth inning when Greyson Kay hit a two-run homer over the left field fence. Morgan Rump scored on the swing after plating Ethan Baessler himself.
Overall, the Bears outhit Minden 13-3. Rump, Kay, Conner O'Neil, Eli Morgan and Kaden Fletcher all notched two hits each, while Dylan Swanson, Rump, O'Neil, Lee Chavez-Lara, Morgan, Fletcher and Tanner Jacobson plated runs in addition to Kay's hom run.
Defensively, Rump claimed the Post 154 pitching win. He threw all six innings, striking out two Minden batters and allowing just one unearned run.
Bilslend's victorious squad moved onto a second Class B elimination game Monday with the win.
Hickman wins opener with Blair
Hickman outhit Post 154 12-8 Saturday, winning the teams' state opener 8-2 in Broken Bow. Post 105 broke open a 3-2 game with five runs across the fifth and sixth innings.
Jacobson suffered the pitching loss for Blair despite four strikeouts in five innings. Morgan threw one frame, too.
Nate Wachter, meanwhile, knocked in both runs for coach Bilslend's team. He plated Baessler during the top of the first inning before knocking Tyler Andersen in during the third.
The Bears' Baessler, Swanson, Rump, O'Neil, Kay and Andersen notched state tournament hits, too.
