SIDNEY – Top-seeded Alliance took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the 5th inning, and pitcher Kaden Ferguson set Sidney down in order the rest of the way for a 6-4 win in the American Legion Junior B7 Area Tournament Saturday evening. The win moves Alliance into Sunday afternoons 2:00 p.m. championship semifinal against Chadron at Sidney’s Legion Field.

Sidney, who had only scored three runs while giving up 44 runs to Alliance in their previous four games this season, got of to a fast start on Saturday. Reid Fiscus led of the game by reaching base on an error by Alliance third baseman Ivan Burri. After a flyball out by Kyle Jaggers, Fiscus stole second and then scored Sidney’s first run on Connor Hurt’s two0out double to center field.

With Hurt on the mound for Sidney, Alliance started the bottom of the first with a pair of ground ball outs. After Kaden Ferguson was hit by a pitch, Hurt got cleanup hitter Tony Escamilla to foul out to catcher Zech Roggasch to end the inning.

Rhyder Bayne led off the Sidney second by reaching base on an error by Alliance short stop E. J. Garcia, then advance to third base on a wild pitch and a passed ball. Bayne scored Sidney’s second run of the game on a one-out single to right field by Patrick McCartney. After Zech Roggasch walked, McCartney gave Sidney a 3-0 lead on Reid Fiscus’ single to left field. Following a strike out by Kyle Jaggers, Landon Riddle ripped an RBI single to left field to score Roggasch from second to make the score 4-0 Sidney.

Although Sidney had opportunities the rest of the game, that was all the scoring Sidney would have. Alliance got on the board in the third, scoring three runs on two hits, to cut the Sidney lead to 4-3. Alliance took their first lead of the game in the fifth inning, adding three more runs on four hits.

Alliance ace Kaden Ferguson, who came on in relief with one out in the fourth inning, shut Sidney down in order in the sixth and seventh innings to pick up the win. Connor Hurt suffers the loss for Sidney, giving up six runs on nine hits over5.2 innings.

Alliance will face Chadron at 2:00 p.m. Sunday in a winner’s bracket game. Chadron advance with a 9-1, five-inning win over Gering on Friday. Sidney will square off against Ogallala for the second time in the tournament in the 5:00 p.m. elimination game. Ogallala stayed alive with an 8-7 win over Gering on Saturday.