SEWARD – Following a game called off due to weather last week, the Wayne High baseball team closed out a four-game, five-day schedule with a weekend invite.
From Plum Creek Park in Seward, WHS competed in the four-team Seward Invitational Saturday afternoon.
Despite five errors in their first game, Wayne High opened with a 4-2 victory over Branched Oak (Raymond Central/Malcolm) before adding another six errors but falling 11-3 to the host Seward and seeing their five-game winning streak snapped. WHS is now 9-5 on the season while Seward, who won both their games are now 13-4.
Central City/Fullerton/Centura (12-4) defeated Branched Oak (9-7), 8-3 in the consolation game.
In the opening game with Branched Oak, WHS scored single runs in the first and third before giving up one run in the fourth. Wayne High added two more runs in the fifth while Branched Oak produced one run in the top of the seventh. Final favored Wayne High, 4-2.
James Dorcey singled twice, drove in a run and scored while Jacob Kneifl singled and scored twice for Wayne High. Reid Korth singled and scored as Brooks Kneifl and Max Miller both singled.
Brooks Kneifl (115 pitches) picked up the complete game win in seven innings allowing two runs (one earned) off five hits while striking out six batters and walking two.
Game One
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 5 2 – Branched Oak
1 0 1 0 2 0 X 4 6 5 – WHS
From the championship game with Seward, the host Bluejays scored a run in the first and two more in the third to lead 3-0. Both teams scored twice in the fourth before Seward added three runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings. WHS added one more run in the top of the seventh but fell, 11-3.
Dorcey singled twice and drove in a run while Brooks Kneifl tripled, drove in a run and scored for Wayne High. Korth singled twice and scored, Kaleb Moormeier doubled and scored as Victor Kniesche accounted for a RBI.
Dorcey (69 pitches) suffered the loss in three and two-thirds allowing five runs (two earned) off one hit while walking five batters. Jaxon Mrsny (59 pitches) worked two and a third innings allowing six runs (three earned) off three hits while walking two batters.
Game Two:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
0 0 0 2 0 0 1 3 6 6 – Wayne
1 0 2 2 3 3 X 11 4 3 – Seward
WHS baseball will open another busy week starting at Norfolk on Monday, April 26. Varsity first pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. followed by JV at 7 p.m.
The team will also visit GACC/Scribner-Snyder/West Point-Beemer on Tuesday, April 27. The varsity game will be carried on Big Red Country ‘KTCH’ 104.9 and waynedailynews.com with pregame coverage set for 4:10 p.m. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. from Neligh Park in West Point. JV is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday night.
Game One:
Seward defeated Central City/Fullerton/Centura, 10-4.