Rhett Nietert allowed one run over five and a third innings in relief and was also 3-for-4 with an RBI as the Booneville Bearcats topped Elkins 8-5 in the Class 3A Region 1 opener in Lincoln Thursday afternoon.
With their second win over the Elks this season the Bearcats (15-9) move into tomorrow’s semifinal game against Greenland, and have earned a spot in the Class 3A state tournament Greenland will host next week.
After the Elks pushed across an unearned run against Jace Washburn in the first Nietert led off the bottom of the first with a single but was stranded.
In the second the Elks had four straight two-out hits against Washburn to go up 4-0 and force head coach Arron Kimes and the Bearcats to make a change.
Nietert got out of the inning without further damage and, in the bottom of the inning Sadler Miler and Parker Smith singled with one down. With two out Clint Osborne doubled home both and Nietert singled to score Osborne and cut the deficit to 4-3.
Casey Carter reached on an infield single in the third and Hayden Daniel followed with a walk. Miler hit into a force play that became an error and scored the tying run.
Smith put down a sacrifice bunt for the go-ahead run and reached second on an error that would allow a second run to score for a 6-4 lead.
Elkins scored one in the top of the fourth and had runners at second and third after a balk, but Nietert induced a fly to Osborne in right to keep it a one run game at 6-5.
For the next inning and a half there would be only one base runner, which was Nietert, who reached on an error. In the fifth both pitchers used just six pitches.
Cutler Haller singled down the left field line to lead off the Bearcat sixth and Nietert singled with one down. Both runners advanced on an errant pickoff throw that was the fourth Elk error of the day.
Dylan Todd put down a bunt to score pinch runner Tayden Washburn and proceeded toward second when it was unoccupied. He ended up in a rundown long enough for Nietert to score to make it 8-5.
Noah Harrel started the Elk seventh with a diving catch for the first out and after allowing a single, Nietert (5-2) got two more fly balls to close it out.
The Bearcats will now face Greenland, who beat Paris 8-1 in the tournament opener for a spot in the regional championship game.
The bracket calls for the game to be played at noon, but it has been shifted to the 2:30 slot to accommodate a graduation ceremony for Providence Academy, who will now face Charleston at noon.
NIETERT'S RELIEF EFFORT LEADS BEARCATS TO REGIONAL WIN OVER ELKINS
