Some late-inning heroics lifted the Huskers to a 5-4 Game 1 win over the Blue Bears. Braxton Bowman came through with a go-ahead, two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. The visitors got a lead-off triple in the top of the seventh, but pitcher Porter Matthews was up to the challenge and he struck out two batters, sandwiched around a walk, and induced a pop-up to himself for the third out.

Bowman also doubled in the series opener and walked once for the Huskers, who got a pair of base knocks and RBIs from Gehrig Hansen. Dakota Calverley pitched well in two innings in relief for the hosts, who held the visitors scoreless for the final six frames.

The Huskers pushed across eight runs from the fourth through six innings to rally their way to a 9-3 triumph in Game 2. Davis Hoffman, Tate Higham and Calverley spearheaded the offensive charge as all three doubled, plus Hoffman chipped in with two runs and a RBI and Higham with two hits, a RBI and a walk. Bowman finished with one run, two hits, two RBIs and one free pass for the Huskers, while Beckham Ericson scored twice, singled once and walked once.

Gehrig Hansen pitched six innings for the Huskers and limited the Blue Bears to three runs on four hits.

Meanwhile, the Wolverines pitched 12 scoreless innings and only gave up seven hits in their twinbill against the Gunners. Cache dispatched of Ogden, 7-0, in Game 1, and then rolled to a 10-0 five-inning triumph in the nightcap.

Jackson Christensen was on the mound for six complete innings in the series opener, scattered four hits and struck out five, while Freddie Wayment was dominant in Game 2. Wayment went the distance, gave up two base knocks, fanned 11 and limited his pitch count to 66 — 50 of which resulted in strikes.

Maddux Jensen doubled, singled, scored a run and drove in another in Game 1 for the Wolverines, who got three hits and a run from Cole Christensen, a double from Cooper Wilson and two runs from Bubba Purser.

Jensen also fared well offensively in Game 2 as he doubled, singled, drove in three runs and scored once. Jett Jensen scored a trio of runs for the visitors, while Wilson accounted for one run, two hits and two RBIs, Jace Hansen for one hit, one RBI and two walks and Purser for a pair of hits.

The Wolverines returned to action in a Friday evening doubleheader against the visiting Snow Devils and coasted to a 13-3 Game 1 win in six innings. Coverage of the nightcap will be found online at hjnews.com as part of this story later on.

Cache pushed across runs in every inning but the first and produced 12 hits by nine different players. Colton Clark contributed with two runs, one hit, two RBIs and one walk for the Wolverines, while Jett Jensen chipped in with one hit and two RBIs, Maddux Jensen with one run, two hits, two RBIs and one walk, Wilson with one run and two hits, Christensen with one run, two hits, one RBI and one walk, Cole Liechty with one run, one hit, two RBIs and two walks and Purser with two runs, one hit and one RBI. Purser and Jett Jensen both doubled.

Chance Christensen doubled, singled and scored two of his team’s three runs for North Cache.

Likewise, it’s been a successful week for the Trappers, who extended their winning streak to six, in the process. Blacksmith Fork swept North Cache in a competitive twinbill, and then won its first two games at a four-day tournament in California that will conclude Sunday.

The Trappers plated five runs in the home half of the fifth en route to a 5-1 Game 1 triumph over the Snow Devils. Brody Johnson came through with a two-run single in that big inning, and Ben Welch with a run-scoring triple. Welch also walked twice, while Johnson singled in another one of his at-bats.

Sam Rowser went the distance on the bump for the Trappers and only yielded one unearned run on four hits and one walk.

Aidan Demetriades doubled in the series opener for the Snow Devils, while Tucker Stokes singled and scored a run and Isaac Daniels singled and drove in a run.

It came down to the wire in Game 2 as Jackson Pearce sprinted home for the winning run in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the seventh on a wild pitch. Pearce tripled for the hosts, who got one run, two hits and one RBI from Mason Smith, a double and two RBIs from Levi Jensen and two hits from James Hornsby. Additionally, Smith sat down five batters in his two innings of relief on the bump.

Christensen was a menace at the plate for the Snow Devils and he doubled, singled twice, scored a run and drove in another. Stokes and Cayson Watterson accounted for a run, hit, RBI and free pass apiece for the visitors.

It was pretty much smooth sailing for Blacksmith Fork in a 9-1 Thursday victory over the Santa Rosa Vipers, followed by a 10-5 Friday triumph over Davis Sports Academy. Smith and Dawson Simper teamed up on the mound to hold the Vipers to one hit.

Ethan Nielsen led the offensive charge for the Trappers against the Vipers as he tripled, singled twice, drove in a run and scored twice. Welch, Johnson and Pearce all doubled for Blacksmith Fork, plus Pearce also singled, scored twice, drove in a run and walked once.

Blacksmith Fork went off for nine runs in the first three frames against Davis Sports Academy. Welch went 3 for 3 at the plate with a double, two RBIs and one run. Johnson and Nielsen accounted for three free passes apiece, and Smith produced two runs, one hit and a pair of free passes for the Trappers, who got seven strikeouts in six complete on the bump from Rowser.