Zephyrs rally past Chappell

Six-run fifth inning ignites WESTCO to fifth straight win

By JEREMY WOZNICK

Star-Herald Sports Re-porter

Playing at home for the first time since June 3, the WESTCO Zephyrs

senior legion baseball team rallied for a successful homecoming win

over Chappell's Buckley Bombers on Tuesday evening at Cleveland

Field in Scottsbluff.

After spotting the Bombers a 6-0 lead in the first inning, the

Zephyrs hung around before erupting for six runs in the fifth inning

to post a 9-7 win. It was WESTCO's fifth straight win after the

Zephyrs went 4-0 at the Clair Conley Tournament in Alliance over the

weekend.

With storm clouds looming prior to Tuesday's game, many around the

field wondered if the game would even be played. But other than a few

rain drops, everything started as planned, except for the Zephyrs in

the top of the first inning.

"It was an awful start by us," Zephyrs coach Mark Moran said. "We

dropped a few balls in the outfield and made some lousy plays in the

infield. But our guys battled and did a good job of coming back to

win the game."

Tyler Dale's two-run triple to the right field wall helped Chappell

get off to a solid start. The Bombers also took advantage of a pair

of errors to tack on four more runs.

The Zephyrs managed to get two of the runs back in the bottom of the

second. After Chase Wickard scored on a wild pitch, Jackson Pahlke

doubled home Dusty Huddleston to cut the Chappell lead to 6-2.

With Chappell holding a 7-3 advantage in the fifth, the Zephyrs sent

10 hitters to the plate in their six-run outburst.

After Zac Rada walked, and Wickard doubled, both raced home on an

error to make the score 7-5. Garrett Deeds scored on another Bomber

error just a few pitches later to bring the Zephyrs within just one.

Tyler Patrick and Trevor Papczun followed with back-to-back singles.

Brian Colburn's single plated Pat-rick to tie the game before Michael

Hoppes blasted a two-run double to give the Zephyrs a 9-7 lead.

"A couple of our guys had trouble getting the bunt down in that

inning, but the same guys came through with big hits," Moran said.

"It was a big inning for us."

Papczun relieved Joe Huck on the mound in the fifth and allowed just

one hit the rest of the way.

Chappell threatened in the top of the sixth when Austin Tharp lined a

triple to the center field wall with just one out. However, Papczun

pitched out of trouble by retiring the fourth and fifth hitters in

the meat of the Bomber lineup to strand Tharp at third.

Papczun struck out two to improve to 4-1 on the season. Huck struck

out two and allowed just two earned runs in four innings of work.

Logan Krueger took the loss for Chappell in relief of Kendall Kroeger.

The Zephyrs finished the game with seven hits. Seven different

players combined for the hits.

Wickard scored three runs, while Hoppes drove in two and walked twice.

Chappell totaled five hits. Kroeger finished with two hits for the

Bombers, who dropped to 7-7 on the season.

The Zephyrs, now 10-15 on the season, will host Chadron in a

doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Senior Game

Chappell (7-7) 601 000 0 - 7 5 5

Zephyrs (10-15) 021 060 x - 9 7 4

WP - Trevor Papczun (4-1); LP - Logan Krueger.

3B - Tyler Dale. 2B - Chase Wickard, Michael Hoppes, Jackson Pahlke.