McCook Juniors punch state ticket

Grant Strunk/McCook Daily Gazette McCook First Central Bank Juniors' Matt Thayer rips a pitch over the fence for a home run in the top of the ninth inning Wednesday night in the Class B Area 6 American Legion championship game. Thayer's blast proved to be the game-winning run in a 9-8 victory over Cozad.

Matt Thayer belts homer in top

of the 9th to win game for FCB

HOLDREGE -- The McCook First Central Bank American Legion Juniors pull off another win to take the Zone 6 district championship title Wednesday night in Holdredge.

The Juniors A team beat Cozad 9-8 in nine innings of play.

McCook had beaten Cozad in its first game of the tournament 5-1. Cozad had given McCook close games all season.

Mike Grabowski pitched the first six innings giving up only four hits with an impressive 12 strikeouts.

Adam Kruger relieved Grabowski in the seventh and Austin Larson relieved Kruger in the eighth and also pitched the ninth to take the win.

McCook scored one run in the first inning but Cozad answered back with two in the bottom of the inning.

McCook led off the second inning with a double by Nick Kenny, who was able to steal third on a wild pitch. Nate Gleason singled to score Kenny.

Cody Broomfield knocked one over the fence at left center for a two-run home run to bring the score 4-2 in McCook's favor.

No more scoring took place until the bottom of the sixth when Cozad was able to get one across the plate bringing the score 4-3 with one full inning to play.

Cozad held McCook scoreless in the top of the seventh and then scored one in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game and take it to extra innings.

In the top of the eighth, McCook was able to get the bats going and wound up with four runs bringing the score 8-4 in the bottom of the eighth.

After the first three batters made their way to base, Cozad's Mason Fischer belted a grand slam home run to tie the game at 8-8 with no outs.

McCook kept Cozad scoreless the rest of the inning.

In the top of the ninth, Matt Thayer started off with his first home run of the season, knocking it over left center to take the lead at 9-8.

In the bottom of the ninth the first batter singled to put the tying run on first. Cozad's next batter tries a bunt which hits him in fair territory for out number one.

Larson struck out the next two batters to clinch the game and the district championship.

Larson had one single. Grabowski and Shane Wallen each had two singles. Thayer had one single and a home run, which turned out to be the winning run.

Broomfield had a single and a two-run home run. Kenny had a double and a single. Gleason had three singles.

The McCook FCB Juniors will advance to the Class B Juniors State Tournament July 27-31 at Sidney.