On a beautiful 75-degree day, the Griffins took down the Plattsmouth Blue Devils in the second session of the NSAA Class B State Baseball Championships 5-4 on Saturday.
The ace for the Griffins, pitcher, junior Trevor Cox, was on the mound. Over the season, Cox had 52 strikeouts in 41 innings pitched with a 3.00 earned run average. Continuing his domination, Cox pitched six innings striking out seven batters, and only let up one run on two hits this afternoon.
“I thought my performance was solid through the first three innings,” Cox said. “Then I got a little tired with the heat but stayed true to who I was and stayed tough and trust my pitches.”
Cox was pulled after he eclipsed 100 pitches, and freshman Chase Neneman was put in the game.
“Obviously nobody wants to be taken out of a state game when they are pitching well,” Cox said. “But I had all the confidence in the world in my teammates and knew we would pull through.”
In grand fashion, the game came down to the wire following a three-run, top of the seventh inning for the Blue Devils that gave them their first lead of the game 4-3. Shortstop, freshman Chase Neneman forced a walk after starting the at-bat down 0-2. Placing down a sacrifice bunt, pitcher, junior Nolan Green advanced Neneman to second, setting the tying run on second base. With a triple earlier in the game, catcher, sophomore Carson Herrmann went to the plate.
“I was looking for a pitch to hunt,” Herrmann said. “Pitcher fell down, got a good pitch in my zone and decided to make them pay for it.”
Herrmann launched a double into the left field gap scoring the run from second and giving him his second extra-base-hit of the day. Outfielder, junior Curran Boswell hit a pop-up to left field that advanced Herrmann, the winning run to third base.
With two outs and runners at the corners following a walk from outfielder sophomore Jensen Albers, third baseman junior Tanner Erdkamp stepped up to the plate looking for his second walk-off of the season, his first being against Omaha North on April 20.
“I saw some pitches earlier in the game, so I was just sitting back,” Erdkamp said. “[He] hung a curveball and I just sat back and drove it oppo (opposite field).”
Erdkamp roped a game-winning single right past the outstretched glove of the second basemen to clinch the win, 5-4. With the win, the boys advanced in the winner’s bracket and will face off against Elkhorn North on Monday, May 13 at Papillion South High School.
“We have to move and not get too high on this win,” Cox said. “[We] just have to play our game.”