The Montezuma Braves rode the 13-strikeout pitching of Eddie Burgess and some excellent situational baseball to a 3-1 win over Sigourney in the opening round of Class 1A district play.
The game was played Friday evening, July 11, after about an hour’s delay in starting because of bad weather in the area.
Montezuma returns to action at home on Tuesday evening, July 14, when the Braves host BGM at 7 p.m.
Burgess struck out two batters in each of the first three innings, then fanned all three in the fourth frame of a scoreless game.
The Braves broke through to score single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth.
Burgess flied out to the fence in left in the third, and Cam Johnson did the same with a shot to center field in the fourth.
But after Brayden Arendt bunted for a single in the fourth, he stole second base, then scored behind a single by Cole Watts.
Sigourney scored its run in the fifth. A hit batter, a balk and a passed ball put a Savage on third base with no one out. Burgess then breezed his eighth and ninth batters of the game, then walked one.
Next came the second of three balks called against the big Braves right hander, this one plating the run. A wild pitch advanced the runner, but the 10th strikeout by Burgess left the runner stranded at third base.
With the score now 1-1, Kodie Strong led off the Montezuma fifth with a single, then stole second. Burgess singled to right, sending Strong to third.
Burgess stole second, then Owen Cook grounded out to shortstop, scoring Strong to put the Braves up 2-1.
With one out in the Sigourney sixth, a hit and an error put a runner on second. But Burgess, who mixed breaking balls with a spot-up fastball all night, ended the threat with back-to-back strikeouts.
The Braves executed again to get a run in the sixth. Cam Johnson drew a five-pitch base on balls, then stole second. Arendt laid down a bunt, but the pitcher’s throw sailed past the first baseman, scoring Johnson to make it 3-1.
Arendt advanced to second on the play, then stole third. But Watts and Joey Kercheval struck out, and Sigourney pitcher Cade Striegel got Preston Hirsch to bounce out to him on the mound.
The Savages got an infield single with a throwing error added to start the seventh, then a wild pitch moved the runner to third. Then came a walk and Sigourney had the potential tying runs on second and third with no one out.
Third baseman Arendt ranged into short left field to grab a pop fly for the first out and the runners had to hold. The Braves issued an intentional pass to load the bases and keep the double play in order.
Burgess then produced his 13th and final strikeout, before getting the final batter to fly out to Kercheval in left.
Each team had five hits and one error. Sigourney left 10 runners on base to just five by Montezuma.
Burgess pitched all seven innings for the win, his first of the season. He walked three in addition to his 13 strikeouts.
Cade Striegel pitched all six innings for the Savages, walking two and striking out seven Braves.
Burgess was two-for-three at the plate with two stolen bases.
Arendt, Watts and Kodie Strong each had one hit. Watts drove in one run with his fifth inning single, and Cook plated one with his rollout in the fifth.
The victory lifted the Braves to 6-6 on the season.
Sigourney finished at 10-6, but two of the losses were to Montezuma. The Braves won a June 15 game by a 15-3 score.
UP NEXT – Montezuma hosts BGM on Tuesday, July 14. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.