Hockey / Sinclair Dominates as Pioneers Defeat Sodbusters

Sinclair Dominates as Pioneers Defeat Sodbusters

Date:  Source: Western Nebraska Pioneers

(Photo credit: Preston Goehring/Scottsbluff Star-Herald)

 

By Miles Klotz

 

GERING, NE - Jack Sinclair dominated over seven innings and the Western Nebraska Pioneers offense backed him up en route to a 10-2 shellacking of the Hastings Sodbusters in Saturday’s series finale at Oregon Trail Park Stadium.

 

Sinclair, making his fifth start of the summer for the Pioneers (25-11), was in control from start to finish of his season-long outing. Besides a few bloopers and a double leading to a pair of runs scoring for Hastings (15-23) in the fourth, Sinclair was dazzling, getting outs both on the ground and in the air while showing pinpoint command.

 

He only struck out four batters, which tied a season-low in one start, but Sinclair had zero walks and only worked two of the 24 batters he faced into three-ball counts. Sinclair’s dominance earned him his third win of the season. Behind him, Alex Jorgensen and Luke Bradley combined for two innings of shutout relief with 2 strikeouts and zero walks. It was the first game all season in which Pioneer pitching did not allow a single base on balls.

 

Offensively, it was more of the same for the Pioneers, who have seen their offense burst out since the All-Star break. The Pioneers benefited off of five Hastings errors in the first three innings, leading a five-spot on the scoreboard in the third, but still had ten hits on the day and saw seven different players score runs. Sodbusters starter Matt Hess was knocked out in the third inning after allowing six runs (two earned) on four walks and four strikeouts with three hits.

 

Andrew Bates led the way offensively with two doubles and two runs driven in for Western Nebraska. Hobbs Nyberg and Jack Pauley also had doubles, while Brandon Bohning (3-for-5, 1 RBI) and Luther Woullard (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) also had multi-hit ballgames.

 

The Pioneers, now with an 8-game lead in the division, will take on the Souris Valley Sabre Dogs in a pivotal two-game series beginning on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 5:35 PM MST with Jonny Petsch scheduled to start for the Pioneers.