Seniors Need Just Five Innings To Top Plainview

The Neligh Seniors made quick work of Plainview on Friday night, ending the game early thanks to the mercy rule.

Neligh sprinted out to a 6-0 lead after two innings with its first four batters picking up singles — Beau Murray, Jayden Arehart, Conor Ramold and Hunter Reestman all started 1-for-1 with the first three crossing home plate in the first inning.

The second inning was more of the same as Arehart batted in Andrew Jacobsen. Both he and Murray scored again in the second as Neligh went up 6-0. But errors plagued the Seniors in the fourth as Plainview scored five times as Neligh started to look like it was the just the third game of the season.

“We have a couple players not here again tonight, so when you bring guys in from the outfield, that changes things,” coach Dan Murray said. “We will look like a complete different team next week. We still have to bring the fire, and tonight we didn’t have it. It was better than the last night, but it’s still not where we need it to be.”

Neligh responded and looked unstoppable again in the bottom of the fourth inning, pounding out seven runs to pull ahead by eight — the magic number needed to end the game in the fifth.

“The thing all three of us coaches are pounding into them is attitude is everything,” Murray said. “If you show up flat footed, you’re going to play flat footed. We need to step it up a little bit, and we will. We’ll be there.”

Ramold was for 3-for-3 with three singles and was hit by a pitch, advance to base every time he picked up the bat. The senior-to-be at Pope John scored twice. Murray earned the win from the mound with nine strikeouts.

Neligh will be back in action Tuesday as the Seniors host Creighton before traveling to Plainview on Thursday, Crofton on Friday and Creighton on Sunday.

Plainview 000 50 - 5
Neligh 330 7x -13
WP: Beau Murray