Seventh-seeded Blair High School lost its first round NSAA Class B State Baseball Championships game Saturday morning at Tal Anderson Field in Omaha.
The Bears (11-12 overall) fell to the defending state champion Elkhorn North Wolves, 7-3, in their first state appearance since 2017. Coach John Roan’s team next plays an elimination game 12:30 p.m. Monday at Papillion-La Vista South. BHS will play Plattsmouth, which fell 5-4 to Gretna East.
“For 6.5 innings, we played really, really, really good baseball. Hit the ball really well,” Roan said. “It’s just that bottom half of the first inning that really, kind of, doomed us.”
The Wolves (18-7) scored four first-frame runs as the Bears committed an error and lost a ball in the sun in right field. Ahead 4-0, the No. 2 seed added a pair of runs in the second inning, too, when Christopher Thiessen hit a two-run homer over the left field fence.
Blair battled back into the game during the fourth frame, however, scoring the program's first three state runs in seven years. With Nate Wachter on base, Brady Brown first hit an RBI triple before J’Shawn Unger hammered another Elkhorn North pitch into the outfield for a second-straight run-scoring triple.
Still down 6-2, the Bears’ Nelson Kosch picked up an RBI, too, cutting his team’s deficit to three runs.
It was as close as Blair would get, though, as the Wolves added a seventh run during the fifth inning. While they advance in the winner’s bracket, Brown's squad faces a win-or-go-home situation Monday at Papio South.
“Going into next time, our team should have the utmost confidence at the plate,” the senior said. “I just feel that whoever’s on the mound, we can take care of business. If we back him up defensively, we’re going to win.”
For the full story and additional photos from this game, check out Tuesday’s Washington County Pilot-Tribune. Up-to-date state tournament coverage will continue to appear online here at enterprisepub.com/sports through the end of the Bears’ postseason run.
