Alma edges McCook Juniors B in extras

Whoops! Nate Renner (above right) got tagged before he could complete his dive back to first base, but Renner drove in two runs with this single as the Herrrman-Jones Juniors B team took a 5-4 lead over visiting Alma Thursday night. Teammate Layne Stevens (above left) scored easily while helping the home team erase a 4-1 deficit at McCook’s Jaycees Complex. Alma won in extra innings.

R.B. Headley

McCOOK, Neb. — A wild night of dramatic Herrman-Jones comebacks sadly came down to one disputed substitution on Thursday at the Jaycees Complex.

The McCook Junior Legion B team clearly had more fight than Cleveland Cavaliers in NBA Finals game one.

Herrman-Jones trailed 4-1 until Nate Renner ripped a two-RBI single.

Caleb Johnson moved over to third base where he worked on rattling Alma’s pitcher.

Sure enough, a pitch to the backstop meant Johnson would dash home safely with Herrman-Jones’ tying run.

An ensuing balk sent Tyler Kinne trotting home for a 5-4 lead.

Herrman-Jones had another answer after Alma regained the lead.

In fact, the visitors were one out from an 8-6 win — only to see Johnson’s RBI-double and a Carson Garcia single catch them again at 8-8.

Though Alma moved ahead one more time, more H-J heroics seemed unstoppable as Jarrett Walter smashed a leadoff base hit.

However, H-J coaches decided to use a pinch runner who had already played earlier in this game.

Alma’s coaches protested the “illegal” move and umpires agreed. The baserunner became an out instead, and Alma recorded two more for its 9-8, extra-inning victory.

Herrman-Jones slipped to 2-4 this season, according to information found on gamechanger.com.

The 14-and-under team can recover quickly at today’s Holdrege Tournament which continues through Saturday.

Herrman-Jones owns a 16-2 win over Holdrege earlier this season on May 16.

Ethan Hicks and Kinne drove home three runs apiece while Garcia delivered two RBIs.

Kinne delivered two hits to support Garcia’s three innings of no-hit pitching.

Herrman-Jones’ other triumph was 12-2 over Sidney Sunday afternoon.

Johnson’s two hits and three RBIs led the attack.

Layne Stevens also had two hits with Garcia and Cameron Werkmeister adding one apiece. Garcia picked up his second pitching win. He threw three innings and allowed two hits.