Nationals too tough for Express

WESTCO's Andres Morales throws a pitch during the first game of a doubleheder against North Platte Thursday at Cleveland Field in SCottsbluff. The Nationals registered a 9-5 and 11-1 win.

BY: MARK REIN, For the Star-Herald

Published: Friday, June 19, 2009 12:23 AM CDT

The WESTCO Express junior legion baseball team will look to rebound today in the WESTCO Tournament after dropping a doubleheader to North Platte on Thursday at Cleveland Field.

The Express jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the opening game but then watched North Platte score nine runs to grab a 9-5 win. In the nightcap, the Nationals' Taylor Williams tossed a three-hitter to lead North Platte to an 11-1 five-inning win.

WESTCO will play two more games today. The Express will open the tournament at 2:30 p.m. against Chappell before facing Mullen, Colo., at 7 p.m. The other game today has Mullen facing Chappell at 5 p.m. The tournament continues Saturday and Sunday with the Express playing Fort Morgan, Colo., Saturday at 8 p.m. and then Wheatland on Sunday at 5:30 p.m.

Express coach Brian Ross likes his team's chances of bouncing back from Thursday's setbacks.

``We have two good teams coming in. Chappell is always a good team and Mullen came in here last year and beat us pretty good,'' Ross said.

The Express started Thursday's doubleheader by scoring three times in the first inning on four hits. Joe Moran and Ty Wilson started things with back-to-back singles and then scored on a Joe Sanchez double. Sanchez came around to score for a 3-0 lead.

WESTCO went up 4-1 after two innings as Moran singled and scored on a Wilson double. WESTCO, however, left the bases loaded.

The Nationals took advantage of getting out of the bases-loaded jam by scoring four times in the third inning on four hits. The visitors then added three more runs in the fourth for an 8-4 lead. Both teams added runs later in the contest.

The Express pounded out eight hits. Moran went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, while Wilson went 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI. Ty Dunkel also went 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored and an RBI.

The second game was all North Platte as Williams shut down the Express bats. Williams scattered three hits over five innings, while striking out two and walking five.

North Platte scored three runs to open the game on four singles. The Nationals then added two more runs in the second on just one hit, a double by Hunter King that scored both runs for a 6-0 lead.

WESTCO scratched across a single run in the third inning. Tharyn Curtis had the first hit of the game for the Express with a single to left field. Moran followed with a single. Curtis scored on a double by Sanchez to cut the lead to 6-1.

North Platte came right back, scoring six runs on six hits in the fourth inning to put the game away. North Platte's six runs came with two outs for an 11-1 lead.

Ross said Thursday's doubleheader was a good learning experience for his squad.

``They [North Platte] are a very competitive team. They are well coached, and they have good players,'' he said. ``They hit the ball all night long and put the ball into play. I am not upset at our team at all.''