The Wayne American Legion Post 43 baseball teams both made it 2-for-2 on their opening road stand of the season after wins over Tekamah-Herman Wednesday in Tekamah.
In the Juniors game, Wayne’s bats were on fire as they cranked out 16 hits and finished with an 11-run fourth innning in a 23-1 spanking of the home team.
Wayne jumped on the board with three in the first, highlighted by an RBI single by Gunnar Jorgensen and an RBI double by Reid Korth. They added seven in the second inning on the strength of six hits, including an RBI double by Hagan Miller and a two-run single by Victor Kniesche to make it 10-0.
Wayne put up two more in the third on a Blake Bartos double, then exploded for 11 in the fourth to end the game on the mercy rule. Wayne sent 17 runners to the plate in that inning and recorded six hits, including RBI doubles by Trevor DeBoer, Korth and Jacob Kneifl.
Miller, DeBoer and Korth each had three hits to lead the effort, while Jorgensen and Bartos had two hits apiece. Miller, Jorgensen and Josh Lutt both scored four times and Bartos had four RBI’s while Korth added three. Lutt got the win, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out three in three innings.
The Seniors game was a lot closer, as the hosts came from behind to make it interesting before Wayne held on for a 6-5 win to match the Juniors’ 2-0 record.
Wayne broke the ice in the first when Josh Dean singled home Tyler Lutt and Mason Lee for a 2-0 advantage. They added two more in the third, then made it 6-1 in the fourth on a two-run homer by Payten Gamble.
The hosts scored a run in the fifth, another in the sixth and two unearned runs in the seventh, but Zane Jackson shut the door in relief of Tucker Nichols’ first win of the season to get Wayne the victory.
Gamble singled, doubled and homered to highlight Wayne’s nine-hit attack. Lutt and Jackson both added two hits and Dean had two RBI’s. Nichols struck out five and scattered three hits and four walks in six innings of work.
Wayne is home for the first time with a Juniors-Seniors doubleheader scheduled against Logan View Friday at 5:45 p.m. at Hank Overin Field.
