The North Platte First Nationals hosted Canon City, Colo. and JC Brager during a rainy weekend and went 2-2.
North Platte (10-8) and Canon City were supposed to meet on Friday night at Bill Wood Field, but because of the rain the game was postponed until Sunday morning. The First Nationals and Canon City also played on Saturday. North Platte played JC Brager on both Saturday and Sunday as well.
The First Nationals began Saturday with a 4-0 shutout win over Canon City. North Platte led 1-0 in a pitchers dual until they scored three runs in the fifth inning to pull away. Darian Allberry led the way at the plate by going 1-3 with a double and two RBI. Ty Brockmoller was dominant on the mound by throwing a complete game shutout. Brockmoller gave up just five hits and struck out seven batters without walking anyone.
The second game of the day for North Platte was the opposite as they got shutout by JC Brager 7-0. The game was shaping up to be a pitchers dual before JC Brager scored six runs in the top of the fourth inning. The First Nationals were only able to muster one hit against JC Brager’s Noah Kulhanek, who pitched a complete game shutout. Levi Nekuda took the loss on the mound for North Platte after giving up seven runs, six earned, on eight hits in three plus innings pitched. Devan Hovden came in, in relief for the final four innings and gave up five hits, but no runs.
The First Nationals returned to winning Sunday morning against Canon City, 9-1. Jack Kenny led the way at the plate for North Platte going 2-2 with a double and two runs scored. Brockmoller and Alex Harms each had two runs batted in during the game. Allberry was the overall star as he three a five-inning complete game from the mound. Allberry gave up one run on six hits and struck out five batters. He also went 1-2 at the plate with an RBI and two runs scored.
The final game of the weekend for North Platte was another loss to JC Brager, 10-8. The First Nationals had an 8-7 lead in the top of the seventh inning before JC Brager scored three runs to take the lead and get the win. Drew Callaghan and Marcos Silos both had a big game at the plate for North Platte. Callaghan went 3-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Silos was 3-4 with three RBI. Riley Vierya pitched a complete game for the First Nationals. He gave up 10 runs, seven earned, on 12 hits.
North Platte’s next game is Tuesday, June 10 at Hastings. The First Nationals will play a Cornhusker League doubleheader against Hastings with the first pitch of game one scheduled for 5:30 pm.
The North Platte Juniors team also had a 2-2 weekend. The Juniors played in Kearney and started 2-0 with wins over Lincoln Southeast, 7-2, and Elkhorn South, 10-0. North Platte lost the final games of the weekend to Creighton Prep, 7-4, and Omaha Gross, 6-4. The First Nationals Juniors are now 12-3 on the season and next play Tuesday, June 10 at home against Hastings in a doubleheader that starts at 5:30 pm.