GI Home Federal Walks Off North Platte For A7 Title

Photo Credit: Mark Rein

(Scottsbluff, NE) - The mission on Tuesday afternoon in Scottsbluff was to defeat North Platte twice if Grand Island Home Federal wanted to claim the A7 area tournament baseball championship. That was accomplished after a 20-4 win in game one to give North Platte their first loss of the tournament as GI forced the winner-take-all all game to come back and win by a final score in game two 6-5. In game two GI would trail 5-3 after the top of the seventh inning. The game-winning moment came from Broxton Barrientos in the bottom of the 7th inning on a three-run home run on the first pitch of the at-bat. Grand Island would get to work in the bottom of the 7th with Ethan Foley getting on base and being hit by a pitch. Ian Arends then followed things up with a single to put runners at second and first. That then brought Barrientos to the plate. The first pitch would be crushed to left field for a home run ending the game in walk-off fashion. It was quite the day for Barrientos as in game one vs North Platte he would have three two RBI doubles. In game two before the three-run home run, Barrientos would have two more doubles along with a walk. 

Grand Island (36-10) now advances to the Class A state American legion baseball tournament in Elkhorn that will start on Saturday, July 27th. The opponent and first pitch time is to be announced. Listen to state tournament coverage on KRGI 1430/105.5 & krgi.com. 

Below listen to post-game comments from Coach Kirby Wells and the Barrientos home run call from Matt Williams. 

Final: Feds 20 NP 4
WP: Zachery Mader 3.0 IP@GageGannon1 2.0 IP@BroxtonB_23 3H, 3 2B’s 6RBI’s 4R@Gabriel151516 2H, RBI, 2R@sack_grayson 2H, 3RBI’s, 3R@GageGannon1 2H, 3RBI’s@ethanbrett_5 1H, 4R@ecoslor8 2H, 2RBI’s, 2R@verplank_9 2H, RBI@Gavin_Haubold RBI, R pic.twitter.com/kN1JYe2aEy

— GI Legion Baseball (@LegionGi) July 24, 2024

Final: A-7 District Championship
Home Federal 6 North Platte 5
WP: @GageGannon1 4.0 IP 3K’s@BroxtonB_23 3H, 2 2B’s Walk-Off 3 Run HR@sack_grayson 2H, RBI, R@IanArends_2 2H, R@GageGannon1 1H@ecoslor8 2B, 2 RBI’s @CoslorRyan 1H pic.twitter.com/DSaaET8MU0

— GI Legion Baseball (@LegionGi) July 24, 2024