Chadron FNBO Seniors Shutout Alliance 1-0 To Win B-7 Title And Advance To State Tourney.

By Con Marshall and John Axtell

          The Chadron Bill Dowling Post 12 FNBO Senior Nationals won the American Legion Class B-7 District Tournament championship Monday by squeezing past the Alliance Spartans 1-0 in Chadron.

       The win sends the Nationals to the Class B State Tournament for the first time since 2007, but most of this year’s Senior Nats went to the State Junior Tournament 2 years ago.

The Senior Tournament begins Saturday in northeast Nebraska at Pierce. 

        Chadron scored the game’s only run in the top of the 4th inning, when Tobin Landen’s single to center field drove in pinch-runner Bricen Wright from 2B

        Both pitchers went the distance and each gave up just 6 hits – all singles. Winning pitcher Caden Buskirk struck out 6 and walked just one while Kaden Ferguson of Alliance fanned 7 with no walks, but he did and plunk 3 Nationals with pitches.

        Alliance left the bases loaded in both the 1st and 4th innings and threatened to tie or take the lead in the bottom of the 7th when a pair of singles put 2 men on base with 1 out.

       A line drive to the left side of the infield looked sure to score at least one run, but Chadron SS Broc Berry turned in the defensive play of the game, diving and snagging the scorcher.  Chadron Coach Kyle Sanders called the play “one of the best I’ve ever seen.”

       The Nationals had 6 players with singles while Alliance got 2 singles each from Ashton Ross and Espen Lanik.

       Chadron went 3-0 in the tournament despite scoring just 6 runs, but that was more than enough because the Nationals gave up only 2 – beating Gering 2-1 in the opener, Alliance 3-1 in the semifinals, and again 1-0 in the title game.

      All 3 Chadron pitchers threw complete games with Broc Berry giving up 1 earned run, Kobe Bissonette yielding 1 unearned run, and Buskirk throwing the shutout. Berry was the Nats leading hitter as he finished 7-11 with 3 doubles.

      Chadron is only 15-14 on the season, but this is about the only time all season they’ve had all their eligible players available at the same time.