Tigers go 2-3 at Alliance tourney

Andrew Towne
Posted 6/28/22

ALLIANCE, Neb. – The Torrington Tigers’ senior Legion baseball team went 2-3 over the course of the five-day tournament in Alliance, Nebraska.

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Tigers go 2-3 at Alliance tourney

Posted

ALLIANCE, Neb. – The Torrington Tigers’ senior Legion baseball team went 2-3 over the course of the five-day tournament in Alliance, Nebraska.

The Tigers split games on Wednesday and Saturday before wrapping up the weekend with a loss on Sunday.

On Wednesday, the Tigers opened the tournament with an 11-3 win over Sidney before wrapping up the day with an 8-4 loss to Alliance.

Against Sidney, Torrington broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the third with six runs en route to the eight-run victory. Torrington added three more runs in the fourth before the game called due to reaching the time limit.

Ben Firminhac paced the offense, going 3-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs. Grady Shields added two hits and two runs scored. In all, the Tigers tallied 12 total hits.

Nolan Long pitched a complete game, striking out two.

That night, Alliance jumped on Torrington early in the 8-4 loss.

The Spartans scored three times in the first and twice in the second to grab a 5-0 lead.

It wasn’t until the top of the fourth when Torrington got on the scoreboard.

An error, a Firminhac single and Ayden Desmond getting hit by a pitch loaded the bases with no one out. Bryce Hager walked, bringing in the first Tiger run of the game. Matthew Hellus drove in another run on a sacrifice fly to center field. Torrington capped off the inning scoring on a passed ball to cut the deficit to 5-3.

Alliance added runs in the fourth and fifth inning. Firminhac led off with a triple, and Desmond drove him home on an error on the Alliance right fielder. With one out and runners on first and second, Alliance struck out the next two Tiger batters to close out the game.

Firminhac was 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored. Shields and Landre Greiman tallied the other two Torrington hits.

Keith was tagged with the loss, pitching 1 1/3 innings.

On Saturday afternoon, Torrington overcame a 4-3 deficit to defeat York, Nebraska, 5-4.

York scored once in the second and third inning and twice in the fourth.

Meanwhile, Torrington got two runs in the third and one in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to score the come-from-behind win.

In the third, Desmond drove in two runs to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.

Torrington added to the lead with an RBI groundout courtesy, but it was short-lived. York scored twice in the bottom of the fifth inning to retake the lead 4-3.

The Tigers tied the game in the sixth courtesy an error by York, and in the top of the seventh, Saucedo broke the tie with a double, driving in Long, who had reached base on an infield single.

Firminhac picked up the win in relief. He worked the final 2 2/3 innings, surrendering only one hit. Desmond took a no decision, striking out one in 4 1/3 innings of work.

Desmond went 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs. Firminhac had two hits. In all, nine of the 10 Tiger batters who recorded an at-bat, tallied at least one hit in the win.

In the evening game on Saturday, Torrington battled back from an 8-2 deficit to tie the game at eight apiece heading into the final inning before falling to Broken Bow, Nebraska, 12-9.

Trailing 8-2, the Tigers began its comeback in the bottom of the fourth.

Long got the rally started with a one-out walk. Shields singled, and Saucedo reached on a fielder’s choice, driving in Long. Austin Short hit into a sacrifice fly, and Saucedo scored on a passed ball, cutting the deficit to 8-5.

Torrington got two more across in the home half of the sixth inning. Firminhac walked and Desmond was hit by a pitch. Keith’s single tied the game at eight apiece.

Heading to the seventh, Broken Bow’s offense woke up again with four runs in the top of the seventh. All four of the runs came with two out on the scoreboard.

The Tigers managed to only get one more run across before Broken Bow recorded the game’s final out.

Saucedo, Firminhac and Desmond collected two hits apiece and combined for five RBIs and four runs scored.

Saucedo was tagged with the loss, working four innings in relief of Short.

On Sunday, the Tigers were back in action with the early game. Torrington let a 5-0 lead slip away in the late innings in an 8-7 loss to Sturgis, South Dakota.

Firminhac and Keith had RBI hits in the first to give the Tigers an early 3-0 lead in the first inning.

Torrington added two more in the second courtesy of Firminhac being hit by a pitch and a walk by Hager.

The score remained 5-0 until the top of the fifth inning when Sturgis plated seven runs. They added the eighth run in the top of the sixth.

The Tigers got two of the runs back in the home half of the sixth from a single by Hager. Hager later came around to score, stealing home.

In the bottom of the seventh, Torrington stranded the game-tying run at third.

Saucedo, Short, Firminhac, Long and Shields had two hits apiece for the Tigers. In all, Torrington had 13 hits.

Hager was tagged with the loss in 2/3 of inning of work.

Torrington (12-8) return to conference action Wednesday evening in Wheatland. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 5 p.m. before traveling to Buffalo on Friday, July 1 for a noon and 2 p.m. twinbill.