Terry Douglass, Central Nebraska Today
GRAND ISLAND — Broxton Barrientos hit a grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning to power Grand Island past Lincoln Northeast 7-4 Friday on senior night for the Islanders at Ryder Park.
The win gave Class A No. 6-rated (Omaha World-Herald) Grand Island a split in the triangular after falling to No. 5 Papillion-La Vista South 9-3 in the day’s first game. The Titans beat Lincoln Northeast 8-4 in the other contest.
Barrientos finished 1 for 3 with five RBIs against the Rockets. Ian Arends was 3 for 3 with a walk, Gavin Haubold hit a two-run homer in the third inning and Sam Dinkelman had a hit and walked three times for the Islanders (7-3).
Ethan Coslor pitched two scoreless innings of relief to earn the win, allowing two hits and striking out two. Grand Island starter Gabe Ruiz gave up two earned runs and struck out four while scattering six hits over five innings.
Jaxon Volkmer (2 for 3 with a double) and Payton Perez (2 for 3) led Lincoln Northeast (8-5). Colton Sims, Nolan Bartholomew and Barrett Batt all drove in runs for the Rockets, who took a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning.
In the opener, Papillion-La Vista South (12-3) built a 6-0 lead after two innings and cruised to the win. Brycen Botos was 3 for 4 at the plate with a home run and six RBIs and also pitched three innings and was credited with the win on the mound for the Titans.
Arends was 2 for 4 with two doubles and a RBI for Grand Island. Brock Cushing was 2 for 3 and Gage Gannon had a hit and a RBI for the Islanders, who had a modest three-game winning streak snapped.
Grand Island, which next plays at Kearney on Monday, is scheduled to finish its regular season exclusively on the road. That includes 10 games and two tournaments.
GRAND ISLAND TRIANGULAR
At Ryder Park
Papillon-La Vista South 9, Grand Island 3
Papio South (11-3) 241 100 1—9 11 2
Grand Island 001 101 3—3 6 0
W—Brycen Botos. L—Gage Gannon. 2B—Grand Island, Ian Arends 2. HR—Papillion-La Vista South, Botos.
Grand Island 7, Lincoln Northeast 4
Lincoln Northeast (8-5) 200 110 0—4 8 0
Grand Island (7-3) 030 004 x—7 9 3
W—Ethan Coslor. L—Will Carlson. 2B—Lincoln Northeast, Jaxon Volkmer.
HR – Grand Island, Broton Barrientos
