Pioneers take down No. 4 Norris behind Holman's complete game

NEBRASKA CITY, Neb. - The wind was swirling at Clemmy Holmes Field Tuesday afternoon, but it didn't play a factor in the outcome as Nebraska City handled No. 4 Norris 3-2 with Keston Holman dazzling on the mound to win its second game against a Top 10 team in Class B this season.

Nebraska City (7-8) took a 3-0 lead into the seventh, but Norris quickly threatened with a leadoff single and a walk to get two runners on with no outs. 

Then Holman induced a much needed 1-6-3 double play to pinch hitter Jordan Monroe to pick up two big outs. 

Holman then froze Titans leadoff man Kaizer Papenhagen with a 2-2 fastball on the outside corner that would've ended the game, but it was called a ball. Instead Papenhagen grounded softly to third and reached on an error as the ball was bobbled by Pioneer third baseman Zac Hawley making it a 3-1 game.

The error sent LSU commit Kale Fountain to the plate. The junior broke the Class B career home run record (24) the night before and another homer would break the Class A record as well as he represented the tying run.

Pioneers coach Kyle Ferguson went back and forth with his coaching staff and his players on what to do with Fountain. Typically, bringing the go ahead run to the plate is a no-no, but that is what Ferguson decided to do--intentionally walking Fountain to get to Crew Moeller. 

Moeller then grounded sharply to third and Hawley couldn't handle it again as Papenhagen would score. It was suddenly 3-2 with runners at first and second with Norris looking to take its first lead. 

But Holman dug deep, continued to pitch and got Bryce Fountain--a Nebraska pledge and younger brother of Kale--to pop out to second baseman Jesus Martinez to end the game.

Holman was terrific for the Pioneers striking out eight Titans in the complete game win and allowed two unearned runs. Ferguson said the plan was to pull Holman around the 70-pitch mark, but the right-hander talked him into a higher pitch count as the game went on.

When Nebraska City took the lead, it changed the plan completely. 

"He looked at me in the sixth inning and said, 'this is my game to finish'," Ferguson said. "It's hard to argue with a kid that put in the work and is pitching a heck of a game and I gave it to him."

Norris (13-8) did threaten in two other innings, loading the bases on two separate occasions. In the fourth, Holman received a sliding catch from his left fielder Jackson Kreifel to end the scoring threat. The junior pitcher received more great defense in the sixth, this time from shortstop Sloan Pelican.

With the bases full of Titans, Pelican dove to his left on a groundball, securing the catch and flipping it to Martinez at second for the force out to get out of the inning. It's those type of winning plays that helped the Pioneers knock off another ranked foe. 

"All the years I've coached I've always hung my hat on defense," Ferguson said. "And today we played absolutely great defense."

Nebraska City mustered only three hits but broke through in the fourth inning scoring three runs. After a single from Holman and a pair of free passes, first baseman Tristan Kingery smoked a 2-run single to left field to give the Pioneers a two-run lead. Ferguson said Kingery came up big with that base knock and recently garnered the nickname 'Mr. Clutch'. 

Colton Snyder eventually scored from third on a wild pitch to make it 3-0. That run proved big late as Nebraska City held on for a one run win.

Ferguson is confident in his team's ability to win games when it pitches and defends the way it did Tuesday, even if the bats aren't there.

"When you play good defense, and I always tell the kids this, it's easier to win a low scoring ballgame than a shootout," Ferguson said. "When we keep it in a two or three run ballgame, I like our chances."

Nebraska City earned its second Top 10 with the previous coming against No. 1 Skutt. Both games were at home on a Tuesday as the Pioneers tough schedule continues to pay dividends. 

"Our kids have been showing up for these big-time games and showing out," Ferguson said. "It's a confidence builder against a tough schedule and its going to pay off in the end I think."