Lincoln East wins Class A state title

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - In front of a packed house at Tal Anderson Field, Lincoln East and Millard West delivered an epic Class A Baseball Championship on Friday night. The Spartans defeated the top-seeded Wildcats, 3-2, in 10 innings. Joey Senstock delivered an RBI double in the 10th inning, which scored Trey Peltz for the go-ahead run. Paul Shortridge closed out the game on the mound for the Spartans.

Lincoln East is the first Class A Champion from the capital city since 1977 (Lincoln Southeast). Spartans head coach Mychal Lanik said his team was motivated to end the drought.

Shortridge pitched four innings of scoreless relief for Lincoln East, who ends the season with a 31-4 record. Carter Mick struck out 12 batters over six innings.

Lincoln East trailed 2-0 after the Wildcats scored one run in both the first and third inning. East tied the game in the fifth. The first run scored on pass ball to get East within one. A few batters later AJ Evasco singled to right field to score Troy Peltz to tie the game at two. Evasco finished the day 1-5 at the plate with an RBI.

Millard West threatend in the bottom of the seventh with bases loaded and one out. Caden Driessen popped out to left field, the winning run tried to tag up but Peltz made the throw home for the out to send the game to extra innings.

In the tenth Joey Senstock, the Nebraska commit, was the hero. With runners on second and first Senstock singled deep to right field, Peltz would come around to score to give East a 3-2 lead that would end up being the game winner.

East was kept in the game by Carter Mick who got the start on the mound. Mick went six innings striking out 12.

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