Emporia A-16s show improvement in doubleheader losses to Salina
By Jesse Newell
Monday, June 18, 2007
The Emporia A-16s didn’t beat Salina in either of the teams’ games on Saturday.
But, this time, at least the 16s kept it a bit closer.
After getting shut out in its first two matchups against Salina just two weeks ago, Emporia kept things more competitive in 5-1 and 18-7 losses on Saturday.
“We wanted to show them we were better and that we could play with them,” Emporia A-16s infielder Bryan Little said. “I think we did that.”
Emporia stayed in Game One thanks to a solid pitching performance from Little.
The left-hander didn’t allow a big inning, giving up single runs in the first three frames before holding Salina scoreless in the next three.
“I had some confidence out there,” Little said. “I was feeling good. They couldn’t hit me that well.”
Meanwhile, Emporia threatened but never could break through offensively.
The 16s received hits from Derek Neilsen and Dylan Smith in the first but failed to score. In the second, Little and Chase Speer led off with consecutive hits, moving to second and third on a wild pitch with one out.
Salina’s Brett Callahan recorded a strikeout and groundout to get out of the inning unscathed.
The A-16s put across their only run in the fourth. Josh Posey and Trevor Turney singled, and Neilsen later drove a run in with a two-out hit to left.
A strikeout left the bases full, though, and Emporia stranded its seventh runner of the first four innings.
Little allowed two more runs in the seventh but still was able to finish what he started.
He allowed seven hits overall.
“He had no high school baseball this year, so now he’s getting his arm back in shape,” Emporia A-16 coach Aaron Lechien said. “He’s only going to get better from there. He’s a bulldog.”
Little also was able to keep his cool through six walks and four Emporia errors.
“In the past when something has gone wrong, he would have blown up,” Lechien said. “He’s matured quite a bit. Now, he has the attitude I like.”
“I try to stay calm,” Little said. “Sometimes I get ahead of myself, but when I get in a rhythm, it seems to work.”
Neilsen was the offensive highlight, going 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Emporia struggled in Game Two, as its three pitchers walked a combined 10 batters.
“The guys stepped in and at least competed,” Lechien said. “They weren’t just winging it. They had a plan out there. It would have been easy to quit, but these guys don’t.”
Salina contributed 10 hits, scoring five in the first, four in the second and five more in the third.
Posey led Emporia offensively, going 2-for-3 with and RBI and run scored. Neilsen added a hit and two runs scored, and Smith contributed a single, run and RBI.
The A-16s will play at Junction City on Tuesday.
Saturday at Emporia
Game One
Salina 5, Emporia 1
Salina 111 000 2 — 5 7 1
Emporia A-16s 000 100 0 — 1 7 4
W — Brett Callahan. L — Bryan Little.
2B — Salina: Tyler Benton. SB — Salina: Tanner Vinson 2, Jesse King.
Emporia A-16 highlights — Derek Neilsen 2-4, RBI; Josh Posey 1-3, R; Chase Speer 1-2, sac.
Game Two
Salina 18, Emporia 7
Salina 545 22X X — 18 10 1
Emporia A-16s 015 10X X — 7 6 2
W — Zach Downey. L — Dylan Smith.
2B — Salina: Ethan Vinson. SB — Salina: Tanner Vinson 2, Conner Martin, Ethan Vinson, Brett Callahan, Jesse King, Zach Downey.
Emporia A-16 highlights — Josh Posey 2-3, RBI R; Derek Neilsen 1-2, 2R, 2BB, SB; Dylan Smith 1-2, RBI, R, BB; Bryan Little 1-2, R, BB.