Late Blue rally falls short against Five Points

News-Times/SJ Munoz - Cornerstone Junior catcher Logan Killion blocks the plate and makes the tag on the Grand Island runner in Central City, Saturday.

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By SJ Munoz
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Published: Monday, June 29, 2009 6:45 AM CDT

CENTRAL CITY — The York Cornerstone Junior Blue were shutout through six innings, but made a late charge in the seventh scoring three runs before falling short in a 6-3 loss to Grand Island Five Points Bank, Saturday at the Central City Tournament.

The game was scoreless through 1 1/2 innings, before Grand Island got things started.

After two York errors, GI had two on with no outs. An RBI single gave Five Points a 1-0 lead. Another run scored on a pickoff attempt and two more on base hits. Heading into the third, the score was 4-0, in favor of GI.

York tried to respond in the top of the third. Trezden Ford and Chauncey Miller hit singles to start the inning. But a fielder’s choice and a flyout quickly gave the Blue two outs. With two on and two outs a strikeout ended the York inning.

In the bottom of the third, Five Points scored a run on an infield single, making it 5-0.

Zach Taylor led off the fourth inning with a double. Connor Zumpfe grounded out advancing Taylor to third with one out. The Blue’s scoring threat was shot down with back-to-back strikeouts. Five Points was unable to added to their lead in the bottom of the inning and still led by five, heading into the fifth.

Only one run (by Five Points) was scored over the fifth and sixth innings. After six complete, GI held a 6-0 advantage.

Down to their last three outs, the Blue fought back. York started the inning with three consecutive hits. Dustin Schumacher’s double scored Zumpfe for the Blue’s first run of the game. Ford then hit an RBI single and the score was 6-2. The Blue then loaded the bases with one out. A strikeout had York down to their last batter. The Blue cut the lead to three on a hit batter and trailed 6-3. With the bases still loaded and two outs York had the go ahead run at the plate, but a strikeout ended the rally and the game.

“It would have been nice if we could have got out bats going earlier,” Blue head coach Nick Wiehn said. “I felt like we kind of dictated the game. Whether it was in a good or bad way it felt like we were controlling the flow.”

The Blue were coming off a 9-0 win over Central City, Friday night.

In the game, the Blue scored seven of their nine in the second and third innings. Miller and Logan Killion had RBIs in the two-run second. York had six hits in the third inning to account for the five runs scored.

Taylor picker up the win for York. He allowed one hit and two walks in the complete game five-inning victory.

Connor Zumpfe had a triple and a double, while Killion also had two hits, to lead the Blue at the plate.