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Say Hey! MNB regains winning ways, rallies past Imperial
What better tribute to the late great Willie Mays’ last day on earth than a diving, tumbling, dirty-good catch or two?
Make that three as the McCook National Seniors needed a night of improv against always tough Imperial Tuesday.
“We’ve had good success against them lately,” coach Chris Conroy said following MNB’s much-needed 8-4 victory. “But Imperial always seems to hang around. And they always have guys who throw with velocity.”
Imperial boys (8-7 record) know how to win following two consecutive Class D state track and field titles for Chase County.
Cooper Dillan blanked MNB through the first three frames while Mason Wallin began his three-hit evening.
Yet MNB hurler Trey Tiller was only warming up for what would be four consecutive shutout innings.
Tiller held Imperial to two runs with help from three memorable defensive plays that baseball-lover Mays surely would have appreciated:
Second baseman Brody Graham dashed to the outfield grass and made a diving, inning-ending catch of an Imperial pop fly;
Shortstop Trent Raile went low to catch Tristan Jablonski’s line drive which erased a certain base hit;
New left fielder Simon Garcia added a rumbling-tumbling-almost stumbling catch to end Imperial’s fourth frame.
All those plays fueled what became a strong Tiller pitching performance going deep into the seventh inning.
“Trey pitched lights out tonight,” Conroy confirmed. “He showed he can dominate with his fast ball. The only reason he didn’t finish was pitch count. He just needed to be a little more efficient.”
However, the Seniors (9-10 record) turned Garcia’s defensive gem into an efficient comeback.
Pure hustle from the batter’s box started this fun while bringing an end to McCook’s five-game winless streak.
Gabe Roberts slapped a grounder to shortstop, ran aggressively and helped inspire one bad Imperial throw.
Catcher Jaret Peterson hustled to back up first base on this play, but his ensuing strike could not stop Robers from reaching second.
Tiller used patience to draw a walk and put that tying runner on base. Miles Pollmann courtesy ran for Tiller.
“I often don’t like pitchers to bat,” Conroy said. “But we have to go with who has the hot bat right now.”
Kooper Rakes brought some heat when he sent a sizzler past Imperial’s third baseman.
With the bases now loaded, Dillan threw two strikes against McCook’s Ollie Corbett.
There would not be a third.
Corbett connected on that two-strike pitch for an excellent RBI-single.
The scoreless ice was now broken and more MNB runs began pouring across home.
Trent Raile drew a bases-loaded, RBI-walk which made it 2-2.
Another errant Imperial pitch to the backstop plated Rakes for MNB’s first lead of 3-2.
Bryson Gullion had battled to a 3-2 full count at this moment, and he promptly reached on another timely ball into play that scored Corbett.
Finally, Quentin Terry torched a two-out/two-RBI single into center for MNB’s commanding 6-2 margin.
“It’s great we were able to put together a big inning,” Conroy said. “Though we’d like to score in more than one.”
The Seniors did achieve that goal, adding two more scores for crucial breathing room.
Graham and Garcia both drew walks during McCook’s sixth.
Roberts ripped an RBI-single into right with Tiller hammering one more hit into center which plated Garcia to make it 8-2.
Imperial wasn’t finished, scoring two last at-bat runs as Wallin doubled and Jablonski drew a bases-loaded walk from reliever Terry.
Terry needed only more pitch, though, to get a wind-blown popper into shortstop Raile’s glove.
“It wasn’t pretty, but it was good to get that win,” Conroy concluded.
The Seniors will now focus on a new win streak starting at Gothenburg tonight.
MNB beat the G-Burg Melons, 13-5, on May 30 when Espn Hall had two hits, two runs and two RBIs.