Sports

After a string of four straight losses, leading up to action in the Pierce tournament this past weekend, the Sutton Juniors gained back some much needed momentum in the opening two games in Pierce. They beat O’Neill and Columbus Lakeview by a combined 28- 1, as Sutton crushed O’Neill 17-0 in the opening round in three innings, before gaining a four-inning win over Lakeview, 11-1.

Sunday’s tournament final, however, would see the tournament hosts take down Sutton 10-4, as Sutton ran their record to 5-6 with the two-win run.

Saturday’s first two rounds would see Sutton post 11 quick runs in the top of the first inning against O’Neill and never look back. Sutton ran the game to a 17-0 lead after two complete innings, while both teams were held scoreless in the third and final inning.

Drew Goracke went the distance on the mound for Sutton, striking out five, while holding O’Neill scoreless and giving up just two hits.

A recent 2021 graduate of Rice University, Kristian Stengel has accepted a fulltime position as a business development coordinator with the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) Global Partnerships Department.

After suffering a knee injury his senior year of high school, Stengel began looking at colleges and a major that would interest him and cater toward his love of sports. This led him to a Sport Management major at Rice University in Houston, TX.

During his freshman year at Rice, Stengel said he wanted to take “full advantage of everything that I had available with the Sports Management Program,” which led him to several internships. At the beginning of his freshman year, Stengel had become a massive fan of UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA), and dreamed of one day working with UFC in some capacity. UFC is the world’s premier professional MMA organization.

Ben Okraska (4) takes out this Wyoming defender during action in the 2021 Shootout Battle at the Border in Chadron, June 4. The Nebraska squad earned its second straight win over the Wyoming all-stars to even the border war series at five wins each.

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Joe Hinrichs (71) wrapped up his high school career, representing Sutton High School in the 63rd annual Nebraska Shrine Bowl. LEFT: Elliot Bottorf, a 2002 Sutton graduate and son of Don and Linda Bottorf, finished off a busy year, helping to organize the annual Shrine Bowl game in Kearney. Bottorf serves as the vice president on the Shrine Bowl executive committee, and represents the Tangier Shrine out of Omaha on the executive committee member to the Omaha-based Shrine.

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The Fairfield Juniors and Seniors both earned wins over Sutton on Fairfield’s home field Tuesday, June 1, as the juniors’ game gave Fairfield a six-inning 13-6 victory, while in the seniors’ county battle, Fairfield used a three-run sixth inning to claim an 8-7 win.

Fairfield’s Shon Kluver recorded eight strikeouts to help the Fairfield Juniors gain the seven-run win over Sutton. Kluver walked just four while allowing the six Sutton runs and eight hits.

Fairfield opened the game with a 3-0 lead after the first, but a three run top half of the second by Sutton tied the game for a short time. Fairfield battled back for two runs in the bottom of the second to gain a 5-3 lead, one that Fairfield wouldn’t give up as the host guys in blue went on to outscore Sutton 8-3 in the final four innings to gain the win.

Clay County had several Memorial Day services happening Monday morning to honor and remember veterans laid to rest. LEFT: LeRoy Soucie plays Taps during Fairfield’s Memorial Day service May 31. CENTER: Members of the Edgar Legion march in to post the flag at the beginning of Edgar’s Memorial Day service. RIGHT: Harvard Legion members salute their departed veterans with a gun salute Monday at the Harvard Cemetery.

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A two-game split with the BDS and Doniphan Senior legion baseball teams kicked off the 2021 baseball season at DLD Park for the Sutton Seniors. BDS spoiled Sutton’s home opener with a 10-6 May 23 win over Sutton, before the locals were able to bounce back on May 26 to claim a weather-shortened, 2-0 win over Doniphan.

Sutton’s four-run loss to BDS would see the visiting seniors outhit Sutton 15-7, with Thomas Bonde leading Sutton with a pair of singles in four trips to the plate, while Jesse Herndon was a perfect 2-2 at the plate in gaining two singles.

Drew Goracke, Quenton Jones and Ty Skalka added to the mix, as all three play ers gained a single each in the loss.

BDS would open with a 6-0 lead at the end of the fourth inning before Sutton could get their offense in gear, as Sutton scored three runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings to set the game at a 7-6 BDS lead after five innings of play.

The Sutton Junior legion baseball team welcomed back longtime Sutton High School and legion baseball coach Steve Spongberg with a pair of season-opening wins, as the Sutton crew combined to outscore BDS and Doniphan 35-0. Their May 23 win over BDS came by way of a 14-0 score, while on May 26, Sutton recorded a 21-0 win over Doniphan.

Drew Goracke held down the pitching duties in the 14 run win over BDS in the season opener, striking out 11, while giving up just two walks and two hits.

Thomas Bonde and Aiden

Jones led the hit parade for Sutton, combining for five of the teams’ eight hits, as Bonde had a double and two singles, while Jones gained a pair of singles in the win.

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Sandy Creek graduate Rodney McDonald had his final run as a Cougar, before officially turning into a Sandy Creek Alum, as McDonald took on the field at the Kearney Country Club May 18 and 19, in action during the Class C state championships in Kearney.

Opening day action would see McDonald turn in an 18-hole 78, where a pair of birdies on the back nine helped McDonald improve on his front nine 41. The Clay Center standout carded a 37 on the back nine during the first day to finish the opening round with his 78.

Day two proved to be more of a challenge, as McDonald shot identical scores of 44 on both the front and back nine holes to wrap up the two-day event with a 166, which tied him for 13th place with Yutan junior Jake Richmond.

Two 2021 Harvard graduates will represent Cardinal Nation for the last time in the annual 6-Man All-Star game between Nebraska and Wyoming 6-man standouts.

The game is set for this Friday night at Chadron State College on Elliott Field at Don Beebe Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. Central Time/7 p.m. Mountain Time.

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