All five youth baseball teams from Wayne, Wayne 14u (Ponies), Wayne 12u (Broncos Blue and White) and Wayne 10u (Didgets Blue and White) took part in Tri County League tournament play over the past week.
Wayne Ponies set for league finals
For a third time in the past four seasons, a Wayne Pony Tri County League youth baseball team will be competing for a tournament title.
From Emerson, the third-seeded Wayne Ponies took on #2 Pender to open the month of July.
After a back-and-forth battle early trading four runs, Wayne built some separation in the middle innings scoring four times in the top of the fourth and twice in the top of the fifth.
The Wayne Ponies picked up a 10-6 victory to improve to 18-3-1 overall.
Kian Pick singled three times and scored twice while Colston Starzl doubled, drove in two runs and scored twice.
Kash Haase and Brrayden Stegemann both singled twice, drove in a run and scored twice as Remyngton Rager singled twice and drove in three runs.
Liam Rockhill singled and scored; Isaiah Zarate accounted for a RBI and run scored as Noah Magnuson added a RBI.
Starzl (85 pitches) picked up the win in four innings allowing four runs (two earned) off four hits while striking out nine batters, walking two and hitting one. Merrick Miller (49) worked the final three innings allowing two earned runs off two hits while striking out seven batters and walking one.
#3 Wayne looked to avenge their lone league loss of the season during the Tri County League Tournament finals in the Pony Division which was played on July 2 in Emerson against #1 Tekamah-Herman Purple. Wayne suffered a 9-4 loss to finish runner-up.
Two members of the Wayne Ponies, Colston Starzl and Kian Pick were selected to compete in the Red vs. Blue All-Star Pony game on Wednesday, July 9 at 7 p.m. in West Point. The two will join Wakefield's Colt Johnson and Zeke Ramirez among the Red All-Stars.
Wayne Ponies advance, Blue Didgets fall during Tri County League quarterfinals
One more win over the weekend advanced Tri County League Pony and Gold Bracket Didget teams to a guaranteed four games in the postseason and a spot in the semifinals.
Two Wayne teams remained in the Tri County League Tournament.
From the Summer Sports Complex in the Pony Division, #3 Wayne (17-3-1 overall) picked up a 4-1 victory over #6 Stanton on June 29 while in Battle Creek during the Gold Didget Division #7 Wayne Blue (10-3) suffered an 8-2 loss at #2 Battle Creek #1 also on June 29.
In Wayne, the Wayne Ponies scored twice in each of the fifth and sixth innings to win 4-1.
Liam Rockhill singled twice and drove in a run while Kian Pick doubled and drove in a run.
Mason Wendte, Brayden Stegemann, Izaiah Zarate and Evan Greve all scored.
Wendte (49 pitches) picked up the win in three and two-thirds allowing three hits while striking out six batters and walking one.
Kash Haase (50) started the opening two and two-thirds allowing an earned run off two hits while striking out five batters, walking three and hitting one. Colston Starzl (5) recorded the final two outs while walking one batter.
#3 Wayne Ponies next played in Emerson on Tuesday, July 1 against #2 Pender at 7:30 p.m. A win for the Wayne Ponies would advance them to the Pony finals while a loss would drop Wayne to the consolation game. Both would be played on Wednesday, July 2 in Emerson at 5:30/7 p.m. against either #1 Tekamah-Herman Purple or #5 Logan View.
From Battle Creek, Lincoln Masters led the Wayne Blue Didgets with a double, RBI and run scored while Travis Heithold singled and drove in a run.
Ryan Magnuson suffered the loss in three innings allowing five earned runs off five hits while striking out eight batters.
Masters worked two innings allowing an earned run off two hits while striking out five batters.
Wayne Ponies begin league tourney 1-0
Following a delay due to rain on June 25, Tri County League first round tourney play began on June 27 for the Pony Division.
From the Summer Sports Complex, #3 Wayne played host to #14 Battle Creek #2.
Wayne plated 10 runs in the second inning en route to a 14-3 victory. The Wayne Ponies improved to then 16-3-1.
Noah Magnuson doubled, drove in a run and scored three times while Mason Wendte singled, drove in three runs and scored twice.
Kash Haase and Brayden Stegemann both singled, drove in two runs and scored; Remyngton Rager singled and scored; Colston Starzl accounted for a RBI and three runs scored; Kian Pick tallied a RBI and two runs scored; Isaiah Zarate added a RBI and run scored as Merrick Miller picked up a RBI.
Miller (60 pitches) picked up the complete game win in four innings allowing three runs (two earned) off four hits while striking out eight batters and walking one.
#3 Wayne also won on June 29 over #6 Stanton, 4-1 to advance to the Tri County League Pony Division semifinals facing #2 Pender. The game was played on July 1 in Emerson.
Wayne Blue advances, White ends season during Didget Gold tournament
Both Wayne Didget (10u) youth baseball teams began postseason competition in the Gold Division of the Tri County League youth baseball tournament.
From the Summer Sports Complex, #7 Wayne Blue entertained #10 Tilden as #5 Wayne White hosted #12 West Point Aardvarks both on June 27.
In the Blue outing, Wayne improved to then 10-2 after picking up a 10-9 win in eight innings against Tilden. Wayne was later eliminated on June 29 (8-2) against #2 Battle Creek #1.
Graham Sharpe recorded an inside the park homerun totaling three RBI on June 27.
Ryan Magnuson picked up the win in four innings as Lincoln Masters also pitched four innings.
During Wayne White contest, Wayne dropped an 8-4 decision to the West Point Aardvarks to end their season at 9-3.
Weston Nelson singled, tripled, drove in a run and scored twice while Beckett Miller singled and drove in a run.
Wyatt Holz accounted for a RBI and run scored; Kirby Gubbels added a RBI as Owen Judd scored.
Miller (52 pitches) suffered the loss in four innings allowing three earned runs off three hits while striking out four batters and walking three.
Lincoln Nelson (16) worked a third of an inning allowing four earned runs off three hits while striking out and walking one batter each. Maxx Wohlers (18) closed out the final inning allowing one run off two hits while striking out two batters.
Wayne Bronco teams eliminated from league tournament
Following slight delays in time to their respective first pitches, both Wayne Bronco (12u) youth baseball teams began the first round of the Tri County League Tournament on June 26.
From the Summer Sports Complex in Wayne, #8 Wayne White hosted #9 Wisner while #14 Wayne Blue traveled to #3 Pender Red.
In Wayne, the White Broncos lost 11-6 to end their season at 8-4.
Braden McManigal singled twice and drove in four runs while Caysen Gamble singled twice.
Ryan Loberg singled and scored twice; Aiden Kesting singled; Mason Nelson accounted for a RBI and two runs scored as Sy Chase scored twice.
Gage Kimmel (71 pitches) started the opening three innings allowing seven runs off five hits while striking out six batters and walking two.
Chase (42) worked two innings allowing four earned runs off four hits while striking out two batters, walking two and hitting one. Gamble (15) closed out the final inning striking out two batters.
From Pender Red, Wayne Blue dropped a 7-6 decision to end their season at 6-6.
Mason Rhods singled twice and scored twice while Harley Poland and Hudson Kramer both singled, drove in a run and scored.
Bradley Hanson singled and drove in two runs; Julian Contreras singled and drove in a run; Cohen Woehler singled and scored as Ayser Titiml scored.
Kramer (68 pitches) started the opening four innings allowing five runs (four earned) off five hits while striking out eight batters, walking three and hitting one.
Titiml (23) worked two innings allowing an earned run off one hit while walking one batter. Contreras (5) didn't record an out allowing one hit.
