AUBURN, NE - In the final game of the opening night of the State B Legion Baseball Tournament Saturday, the host Auburn First National Bank Post 23 Seniors scored early and held on for a 6-1 win over Chadron PVC Post 12 at Tushla Field. Auburn reached the State Tournament thanks to the opportunity to host the American Division, and they made the most of it. 

Jackson Warner got the start on the mound for Auburn, and he got off to a solid start as he worked around a one-out single to put up a zero. Lefty Tobin Landen got the start for Chadron on the bump, and he also worked around a one-out base runner to send the game to the second scoreless. 

After Chadron went down in order in the second, Auburn’s offense did damage in the bottom half. Ozey Hurst led off the inning with a double. Landen was able to get Warner to strikeout but Gavin Bauer drew a walk and then Westyn Amthor came up with an RBI single to get Auburn on the board. Then, Mason Schultz followed that up with an RBI single. Later in the inning, a Noah Erickson walk and a Christian Gage sac fly each pushed another run across as Auburn led 4-0 after two innings. 

In the third, Warner continued to cruise as he got a groundout to start the inning but Haiven Catches was able to reach on a dropped third strike, then a Tobin Meyer single moved him up to second base. After both runners advanced on a wild pitch, Brayden Wright grounded out to allow Catches to score and make it 4-1. 

Auburn answered back in the bottom of the third with a run of their own thanks to a leadoff walk to Hurst, a single from Warner and an RBI single from Mason Schultz later in the inning to make the score 5-1 after three.

Both Warner and Landen got into a groove in the middle innings, as neither team scored again until the bottom of the sixth, when Auburn added an insurance run thanks to a leadoff walk, then a Landon Casey double and a Warner fielder’s choice scored the sixth run of the game for Auburn.

In the seventh, Auburn was able to strikeout the side as they held on for a wire to wire 6-1 victory. Warner went 4.1 innings and allowed just three hits and an unearned run while walking no one and striking out six. Christian Gage pitched two innings in relief and allowed just one hit while striking out four and Schultz struck out the last two batters of the game as Auburn punched out 12 in the win. Schultz led the way from the batter's box with two hits and two RBI’s. Chadron ended up with four hits on the night, while Auburn finished with seven hits. Auburn will be back in action against West Point in a winners bracket game at 7pm, while Chadron will play Seward in an elimination game at 1pm.