AUBURN - In a game that lasted 3 hours, fifth-seeded Nebraska City Post 8 Juniors out-slugged two-seeded Hickman (Norris) en route to a wild and improbable back-and-forth upset in the first round of the B-1 Junior Area Tournament Friday night at Tushla Field. 

Trailing 8-6 in the top of the seventh, Nebraska City sent 12 hitters to the plate scoring 7 runs on 5 hits. Post 8 chased Hickman reliever Porter Dutter after Nolan Beccard's double put runners at second and third with one out. Reliever Beckett Lund entered the game and walked three batters and hit another. 

Lund allowed 6 runs, 4 of which were earned without recording an out. Jesus Martinez then greeted the third pitcher of the inning, Brodie Hoover, with a 2-RBI double to break the inning wide open. One batter later, Martinez scored after a Sam Rovetto RBI single. 

Nebraska City (3-12-1) nearly scored another run had it not been for a tremendous diving play by Titans shortstop Logan White for the final out.

Trevor Tesarek came on in relief of Keston Holman in the seventh for Nebraska City, inheriting runners on second and third with no one out. Tesarek induced consecutive flyouts before Lund delivered an RBI single to right.

But on the next pitch, Lund--who had stolen three bases already--was caught stealing for the second time on the night by Post 8 catcher Tristan Kingery. Lund failed to slide at second base and was tagged out by Holman for the final out as Nebraska City held on for the 13-9 win.

The Titans (21-11-1) trailed all game long getting down 3-0 after the first and trailed 6-2 into the fifth before striking for 6 runs between the fifth and sixth innings. Landon Cose delivered the 2-run triple in the sixth that propelled Hickman in front 8-6 before the seventh inning collapse. 

The two teams combined for 21 runs on 24 hits, six errors, while leaving 19 men on base. Each team threw four pitchers. Martinez led the offense for Post 8 going 3-5 with a double and 4 RBIs. Beccard added a 3-5 game with two doubles of his own. 

Hickman had four players with two hits or more, including Lund who went 3-4 with an RBI and three stolen bases. Jordan Monroe went 2-4 with a double and 3 RBIs in the loss. 

Holman, who started the game before re-entering for a relief appearance, earned the win going 5 innings while allowing 4 earned runs. 

With the win, Nebraska City will play No. 3 Beatrice (10-13) at 8:00 p.m. Saturday. 

Hickman will play at 2:00 p.m. against No. 6 Crete (2-16) in an elimination game.

Box Score:

Nebraska City: 3, 0, 0, 2, 1, 0, 7...13, 13, 3

Hickman: 0, 2, 0, 0, 3, 3, 1...9, 11, 3

WP: Holman

LP: Lund

SV: Tesarek

Other Scores:

B-1 at Auburn

No. 1 Auburn 8, No. 6 Crete 0 (6 inn.)

Jackson Warner earned the win on the mound scattering 6 hits over five innings as Post 23 handled its business in round one. Catcher Ozey Hurst went 2-4 with an RBI. Auburn pounded out 8 hits, drew 6 walks and had 3 hit batsmen. Shortstop Landon Casey hit a 2-run double in the sixth and scored the game's final run. Auburn plays Fairbury in second round at 5 p.m. Saturday. 

No. 3 Beatrice 8, No. 4 Fairbury 0 (6 inn.)

Beatrice scored three times in the first and five times in the sixth to win in run-rule fashion. Owen Reis shut down Fairbury on the mound to earn the win. Fairbury was held hitless in the game. Beatrice will play Nebraska City Post 8 at 8:00 p.m. Saturday night at Tushla Field in the winner's bracket game. Fairbury will play No. 1 Auburn at 5:00 p.m. with its season on the line. 

B-2 at Plattsmouth

No. 1 Plattsmouth 13, No. 6 Fort Calhoun 4 (5 inn.)

No. 4 Springfield 12, No. 3 Ashland 0

C-2 at Scribner

No. 5 Louisville-Weeping Water defeated No. 2 Battle Creek 

C-3 at Malcolm 

No. 2 Syracuse 8, No. 5 Adams 0 (6 inn.)

No. 3 Elmwood-Murdock-Nehawka 11, No. 4 Tecumseh 3