Gering goes for third straight Area title

The Platte Valley Companies senior legion baseball season has had some peaks and valley's. The two-time defending Area 7 champs got off to a 6-1 start, but a stretch o8-15 followed to drop the team's record below .500 to 14-16.

The 16th loss was a 22-5 drubbing at Casper. There were many factors that played in to the less than desirable record. The schedule was tougher this season. There were a number of players that missed some action for other activities, and they just weren't producing up to capabilities.

Coach Doug Jones never gave up on the crew and down the stretch they have gone 11-3. The strong finish has put them in position to accomplish a team goal of a Class B state title.

They will play Alliance for the fourth time this season tonight at 5 p.m. at Oregon Trail Park. A win against the Spartans will send Gering to its third straight state tournament. A loss would force a second game tonight.

The series history favors Gering. They have won two of the previous three meetings. However, Alliance did win 7-6 in Gering the first week of June. That was three days after Gering pulled out a 4-2 win against the Spartans at the Chadron Tournament. At the end of June Gering traveled to Alliance and won big, 15-2.

Gering, despite the strong finish, did stumble in a big game at home against Chadron that gave the First National Bank team the top seed for the Area Tournament, and they got whipped 13-3 by Wheatland in their regular season finale.

Being the second seed has probably worked to the team's advantage. They got some extra rest between games that Chadron did not get as the top seed.

Gering has rebounded from the ten run loss to Wheatland by topping its two foes in the Area Tournament by a combined score of 15-to-3, topping Ogallala 6-1 and Chadron 9-2.

It appears as if PVC is poised to make another trip back east.

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