MNB Seniors one win away from area tourney title game

Steve Kodad/McCook Daily Gazette McCook National Bank outfielder Tyler Howard fouls off this pitch during Class B Area 6 Seniors Legion baseball tournament action Monday, July 23, against host Minden. McCook claimed a 7-3 win to oust Minden from the tournament. The MNB Seniors face Broken Bow Tuesday, July 24, with the winner advancing to the area tourney finals Wednesday, July 25, against Holdrege.

MINDEN, Neb. -- Stayin' Alive, part II.

The McCook National Bank Seniors "cashed" in on a strong pitching performance Monday, July 23, to keep their hopes alive in the Class B Area 6 Legion baseball tournament. Cash Bortner's pitching effort led the Seniors to a 7-3 victory over host Kearney County-Minden in an elimination bracket contest in the state-qualifying tournament.

The Area 6 Tournament is being played at Ollie Bjorkland Field in Minden.

Bortner pitched six innings, scattering seven hits while keeping Minden hitters off-balance. Chris Conroy pitched the final inning to ice the victory for the Seniors.

After a tough 7-1 loss to Holdrege Saturday, July 21, McCook has now won two straight games in consecutive days to get within one win of a berth in the area tournament finals. The Seniors also topped Cozad, 15-1 in action Sunday, July 22.

McCook now faces Broken Bow in the elimination bracket finals Tuesday, July 24, at 5 p.m. The winner advances to meet Holdrege in the championship finals Wednesday, July 25, at 5 p.m.

Holdrege gained the first berth in the finals with an exciting 8-6, eight-inning win over Broken Bow in Monday night's winner's bracket final. According to the Nebraska Legion baseball Web site: www.nelegionbaseball.net, Broken Bow grabbed a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Holdrege rallied with four runs in the top of the seventh for a 6-3 lead, but Broken Bow came back with three runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the score and force extra innings.

Holdrege tallied a pair of runs in the top of the eighth, then pitcher Kyle Exstrom sat down Broken Bow in order to ice the win for Holdrege.

If Holdrege loses Wednesday's game to the McCook-Broken Bow winner, the two teams would play again Wednesday night to determine the champion of the double-elimination Area 6 Tournament.

The Area 6 champ advances to the Class B Seniors Legion baseball state tournament at Wahoo July 28-Aug. 1.