The Wakefield Juniors baseball team traveled to Pender on May 27 to take on the home team on their own diamond, falling 4-3 after six innings of play.
The Juniors got off to a good start, scoring Adrian Flores off a walk his first at bat, a stolen base and a score off a sacrifice short stop to first from Cade Johnson before the end of the inning.
Jon Birkley served as pitcher for the Wakefield Juniors, and had one strikeout in the first with a short to first out and a fly to left caught that brought the three outs for the Pender team in the first.
Wakefield’s second at bat was three-up and three-down for Ryan Anderson, Jesse Lundahl and Tim Kaufman off a strikeout, short to first and pitcher to first. Pender scored in second inning off loaded bases after a short to first out, one strikeout and then a third to first forceout.
Following three more back and forth innings for both teams, at the beginning of the sixth, the Wakefield team was on trailing 2-1, after trading runs 2-2 in the sixth, the Juniors under the spotlight for another run to tie or win, and they were held scoreless in the top of the seventh, giving the win to Pender.
The Wakefield Juniors were scheduled to play against South Sioux City on June 1, and will travel to Battle Creek on June 2. The team will break until June 6, when they host Ponca, and then travel to Wayne on June 8; on June 10-12 the Wakefield Wooden Bat Tournament will be held in town.
Members for the Juniors’ roster this year include: Adrian Flores, Eliseo Sarmiento, Cade Johnson, John Birkley, Ryan Anderson, Jess Lundahl, Tim Kaufman, Tayton Salmon, Jack Schlickbernd, Mason Lamprecht and Jacob Birkley.
At Crofton
The Wakefield Juniors baseball team took to the diamond in Crofton last week on May 25, clinching a 3-1 victory over the home team after six innings.
In the first inning, Adrian Flores led off for the Wakefield team, pulling a strike out; and Eliseo Sarmiento was thrown out at first by the short stop.
Third batter, Cade Johnson had a base hit, and then stole his way to third and home, as his teammates John Birkley and Ryan Andersen took bases on four balls, and Birkley got nicked on his way to third.
After Crofton’s scoreless first, the Juniors team had a strikeout by Jess Lundahl, base hits by Tim Kaufman and Tayton Salmon and two strikeouts from Jack Schlickbernd and Adrian Flores to end the second.
The Crofton team came even in the fifth with a score off a few sacrifice hitters, and the Wakefield team didn’t respond until the sixth with two more runs for the win from Jess Lundahl and Tim Kaufman off a triple from Tayton Salmon.