The Broken Bow American Legion seniors baseball team claimed victory in round one of the Class B Nebraska American Legion Seniors American Division State Tournament. Broken Bow collected their 23rd win of the season by coming back and holding off Springfield Saturday 4-3. Springfield scored a run in their first at bat to take an early 1-0 lead but Broken Bow quickly responded with two runs in the bottom of the second as Brice Chaplin and Kayden Record came around to score to give Bow the lead. Springfield came right back in the top 3rd with two runs to retake the lead. The score remained 3-2 until the bottom of the fifth when Broken Bow sent eight men to the plate and scored two runs as Max Denson and Carter Hall came across home plate to grab the lead back. Brice Chaplin, in a relief role, put Springfield down in order in the sixth and Max Denson came on in the 7th where he struck out the three men he faced to pick up the save. Coy Wardyn started the game going 4 1/3 innings giving up three runs on seven hits. Brice Chaplin pitched an inning and 2/3rd’s of scoreless relief giving up just one hit and Denson was untouchable in his one inning of relief. At the plate, Max Denson was 2 for 3 with a run scored and Kayden Record was 1 for 2 with a run scored and two runs batted in. Coy Wardyn, Dominic Nowak, Kanzas Kellum and Jackson Hall also collected hits for Broken Bow.
Broken Bow will face defending state champion Hickman in the winner’s bracket on Sunday. Hickman scored six runs in the fifth inning to pull away from Omaha Roncalli on Saturday to secure an 11-3 win, Roncalli will face Springfield in an elimination game on Sunday.
The Broken Bow / Hickman game is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Sunday and will be broadcast on KBBN 95.3 FM and kbbn.com.
