The North Platte First Nationals Junior Legion put together one of the best state tournament runs in recent memory over the past five days in Fremont. After falling 3-1 vs. Millard North in their opening round game, North Platte fought off elimination with four straight wins to reach the state title game against the defending state champion Grand Island. It took extra innings to defeat Millard South in the semi-finals, their second straight extra inning win, before setting up the state championship match-up with Grand Island.
Grand Island struck first with a run in the top of the first inning, but the First Nationals answered right back in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 lead after one. It remained 2-1 in favor of North Platte into the fourth inning when Grand Island put up six runs to take the lead for good. Grand Island added another pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning. In the bottom of the seventh, North Platte’s rally came up short with just one run scored as Grand Island held on to win their second consecutive Class A Junior Legion State Championship with a 9-3 victory.
North Platte finishes the year with a 36-13 record and a state runner-up finish, their best finish since the 1994 state championship team. It’s their sixth overall state runner-up or better finish at the state tournament.
North Platte Juniors Best State Finishes
1994 – State Champions
1989 – State Champions
1973 – State Champions
2015 – State Runner-Up
1993 – State Runner-Up
1970 – State Runner-Up
Game 6 – Final Box Score – State Championship (Wednesday)
Grand Island 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 – 9 R, 11 H, 2 E
North Platte 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 – 3 R, 5 H, 3 E
WP: Mount
LP: Wroot
Notes: For Grand Island Billy Mount pitched a complete game giving up 5 hits and 3 runs while striking out 13. At the plate for Grand Island Casey Burnham was 2 for 4 with an RBI and 2 runs scored, Tucker Krzycki was 3 for 4 with 2 RBI, Trey Randall was 2 for 3 with 2 RBI and a run scored. For North Platte Braiden Ruffin was 1 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored, Kade Wroot was 2 for 4.
Game 5 – Final Box Score – State Semi-Finals (Wednesday)
North Platte 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 – 11 R, 12 H, 5 E
Millard South 1 | 3| 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 – 10 R, 10 H, 5 E
WP: Vieyra
LP: Wagner
Notes: For North Platte Braiden Ruffin was 3 for 5 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored, Kade Wroot was 3 for 6 with 2 RBI and a run scored, Caden Comer was 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored. Peyton Vieyra pitched the final 3 2/3 innings giving up 2 hits and 1 run to earn the win. For Millard South Joe Folkers was 2 for 6 with an RBI and 2 runs scored, Kyle Perry, Dylan Wagner and Marcus Vera all had 2 RBI.
Game 4 – Final Box Score – Elimination Game (Tuesday)
North Platte 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 – 11 R, 10 H, 6 E
Grand Island 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 – 7 R, 5 H, 6 E
WP: Comer
LP: Sextro
Notes: Caden Comer pitched 3 shutout innings in relief allowing 0 runs and giving up 1 hit and striking out 1 to earn the win. He also had a hit with an RBI and scored twice. Braiden Ruffin was 3 for 5 and scored 3 runs, Austin Orr was 2 for 5 with 2 RBI and scored 2 runs, Trev Chase was 2 for 4 with a run scored. For Grand Island Casey Burnham was 2 for 5 with an RBI and scored 2 runs, Cole Evans added a hit with 2 RBI.
Game 3 – Final Box Score – Elimination Game (Monday)
North Platte 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 – 3 R, 5 H, 1 E
Lincoln Southeast 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 – 1 R, 5 H, 0 E
WP: Comer
LP: Jurgens
Notes: North Platte’s Caden Comer pitched 6 1/3 innings allowing 1 run on 5 hits and 3 strike outs. Cade Wroot threw the final 2/3 of an inning to get the save. For North Platte Trev Chase was 2 for 2 with 1 RBI and Austin Orr was 1 for 2 and scored twice. For Lincoln Southeast Aiden Bennett was 1 for 3 with an RBI and Crew Charlton was 1 for 3 and scored the only run.
Game 2 – Final Box Score – Elimination Game (Sunday)
Omaha Central 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 – 0 R, 4 H, 1 E
North Platte 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 – 3 R, 5 H, 2 E
WP: Sawyer
LP: Eubanks
Alec Sawyer pitched a complete game allowing 4 hits, 0 runs and striking out 5. Austin Orr was 1 for 1 with an RBI, scored a run and walked once. Jacob Harvey had 2 RBI. For Omaha Central, Yogi Eubanks pitched a complete game allowing 3 runs of which only 2 were earned and struck out 1.
Game 1 – Box Score – First Round (Saturday)
Millard North 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 – 3 R, 5 H, 2 E
North Platte 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 – 1 R, 2 H, 2 E
WP: Ritzdorf
LP: Wroot
Notes: For Millard North Jordan Ritzdorf threw a complete game 2 hitter to get the win. He gave up 1 unearned run, with 10 strikeouts. At the plate for Millard North Josh Heller was 2 for 2 with a solo home run. For North Platte, Kade Wroot threw 4 and 2/3 innings gave up 2 earned runs struck out 5 and suffered the loss. At the plate Trev Chase was 1 for 3 with a run scored.