BY: CON MARSHALL
Chadron’s First National Bank of Omaha Seniors won the Class B-7 District Tournament championship Monday by squeezing past Alliance 1-0 in Chadron.
The win sends the Nationals to the Class B State Tournament to be played this weekend in Pierce. It’s the first time the Chadron Seniors have qualified for state since 2007. However, in 2021, when most of the players who are now Seniors were Juniors, they qualified for that state tournament.
Chadron scored its only run Monday in the top of the fourth inning, when Tobin Landen’s single to center field drove in pinch runner Bricen Wright from second base.
Both teams finished with six hits. Alliance left the bases loaded in both the first and fourth innings.
Chadron’s winning pitcher was Caden Buskirk, who struck out six and walked just one. Alliance’s Kaden Ferguson also went the distance on the mound. He fanned seven and didn’t walk anyone, but plunked three Nationals with pitches.
During the tournament, Chadron scored just six runs by gave up only two. The Nationals edged Gering 2-1 in the first round on Friday, nipped Alliance 3-1 on Saturday and blanked the Spartans on Monday.
Chadron is now 15-14 for the season, but for almost the first time all summer has all of its eligible players available.