By: Con Marshall
The Chadron American Legion Post 12 Seniors baseball team won both of its games during the first day of the Wood Bat Tournament on Saturday at Maurice Horse Field on North Main Street.
The Seniors initially defeated Martin, S.D., 8-0 as Chadron pitcher Creighton Ryan gave up just two hits and struck out nine while hurling all six innings.
Chadron got nine hits, including two each by Ryan and Alex Fisher.
The second game against Valentine had a dramatic ending. The score was tied at 7-7 in the bottom of the sixth when Edwin Fills Pipe hit a 3-run, walk-off homer over the centerfield fence for a 10-7 victory.
Fills Pipe, who also hit a solo homer in the first game, attends high school in Oklahoma, but has relatives at Pine Ridge and played with the Gordon-Rushville Regulators last summers. Since the Regulators don’t have enough players for a Seniors’ team this year, Fills Pipe along with Bronson Freeseman and Logan Slama are playing for Chadron this summer.
Caden Buskirk had three of Chadron’s six hits in the game against Valentine and also was the winning pitcher after taking the mound in the top of the sixth in relief of Slama.
Chadron and Valentine will meet again at 6 o’clock tonight (Sunday) in the Wood Bat Tourney’s final game. The Seniors also will be at home Monday night to host North Platte in a double-header.