MINDEN – On a hot Sunday afternoon, the Cozad Reds and Holdrege Wilkins ADP Juniors battled it out in an elimination game in the B6 Area Tournament, with the Reds surviving in extra innings with a 6-4 win.
Cozad struck early in the third meeting between the two this season, scoring two runs thanks to a two run double from Ollie Davis in the first. Cozad added another run in the third on a ground ball RBI from Gage Strauss to score Davis who had previously tripled, and Cozad was up 3-0 early. As they have done all season though, Holdrege responded, scoring two runs in the bottom of the third on RBI hits from Cameron Waldo and Tegan Weaver to cut the lead to one. Then in the fourth, Holdrege tied the game with a two out RBI double from Hudson Otto.
The game was tied until the sixth inning, when Krasen Smith came through with two outs and an RBI single to give Cozad a 4-3 lead. Cozad held that lead until the bottom of the seventh, when Holdrege would score on a shallow single into right field to tie the game at four.
Cozad wasted no time in extras, scoring a run thanks to an error at shortstop, and a sacrifice fly RBI from Matthew Arndt to give Cozad a 6-4 lead going into the bottom of the eighth. After coming in during the seventh inning, Braedon Groteluschen came through and forced Holdrege to go three up three down in the eighth, giving Cozad the 6-4 win.
Otto took the loss for Holdrege, taking the place of Chance Bailey who went six innings. Otto went two innings giving up two runs. Weaver finished 2-3 with a RBI, with both Otto and Waldo going 1-4 with a RBI and a run scored. Owen Ross had a fantastic start for Cozad, going six innings allowing two earned runs. Groteluschen got the win going two innings with no runs. Davis was 2-4 with two RBI’s, with Smith and Strauss adding a RBI as well, Strauss also scored two runs.
With the win, Cozad is now 14-5 and stays alive in the B6 Area Tournament they will play in an elimination game at 4pm on Monday vs York who beat Minden 12-2 on Sunday. The 7pm game on Monday has Minden vs Broken Bow. Holdrege finishes the year at 17-6, going 0-2 in the Tournament.
