Grant Renken drove in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning.
He then protected that lead on the mound to lift the 52s Patriots (Millard South) to the American Legion Class A title.
The Patriots defeated host Five Points Bank (Omaha Creighton Prep) 4-3 to claim the championship for the first time since 1988. It also was redemption for the 52s, which were throttled by the Junior Jays in the recent area tournament.
“We kind of got our butts kicked in that tourney,” Renken said. “We had a really hard practice when that was over, and we’ve turned it around since.”
Coach Greg Geary’s squad went 5-0 after that practice to capture the American Division of the state tournament. Five Points Bank, which defeated the Patriots 8-0 and 14-0 in the A-1 area tourney, went 5-0 to win the National Division.
The 52s will advance to the Central Plains Regional next week as the Nebraska champion. The runner-up Junior Jays also will compete in the regional in Rapid City, S.D.
“Our guys were motivated today, that’s for sure,” Geary said. “We were pretty bad in the area tournament and our guys were on a mission to get this done.”
The Patriots led 3-0 after four innings as Braden Cannon had all three RBIs. He lofted a sacrifice fly in the first inning and had a two-run double to left in the third.
Starter Conlin Grady held that lead before running into trouble in the fifth. The Junior Jays got RBIs from Coby Hatcher, Parker Mooney and Jack Thiele to get it tied 3-3.
Renken came on in relief with runners on first and second and got the final out of the fifth when Grant Sommers lined to right.
The 52s went back ahead in the sixth after one-out singles from Cannon and Max Heard. With two out, Renken grounded an RBI single up the middle to make it 4-3.
“I fouled off two curves and just tried to hang tough,” he said. “The pitch was on the outside corner and I just kind of went with it.”
Renken retired the Junior Jays in the sixth before facing the top of the order in the seventh. Mooney singled with one out but Renken got the next two batters, triggering a dogpile near second base.
It also led to a water cooler splash for Geary, who saw his team boost its record to 36-11.
“Conlin did a great job to start and Grant did an awesome job in relief,” he said. “And Braden did what he does for us all the time, and that’s come through in the clutch.”
Pat Mooney said his 36-11 Junior Jays played well but weren’t quite good enough.
“It was a well-pitched game on both sides,” he said. “I liked the way we battled back but they got the big hit when they needed it.”
Ryan Bauer went three innings for the Junior Jays, followed by Robert O’Malley and Grant Wagner.
Mooney said the consolation prize is that both teams will advance to the regional that begins Wednesday.
“If this had been it for us, that would have been tough,” he said. “We’ve still got more baseball to play.”
52s Patriots (36-11)……………102 001 0—4 5 1
Five Points Bank (36-11)……..000 030 0—3 6 0
W: Renken. L: Wagner. 2B: 52s, Cannon; FPB, Thiele.
Photos: All-Nebraska baseball teams through the years
2022
2022: Front row (from left): Jaxson Cahoy, Millard West; Kale Fountain, Norris; Parker Mooney, Omaha Creighton Prep; captain Cam Kozeal, Millard South; Elliott Peterson, Omaha Creighton Prep; Mason Koch, Millard West. Back row: Ryan Harrahill, Elkhorn North; Jalen Worthley, Lincoln East; Tucker Timmerman, Beatrice; Avery Moore, Millard West; Dalton Bargo, Omaha Westside; Korben Rich, Kearney. Not pictured: Braden Sweet, Millard South; Eli Small, Elkhorn South.
2021
From left: Bellevue West’s Jaxon Jelkin, Bellevue West’s Cam Madsen, Norris’s Kale Fountain, Millard South’s Nate Moquin, Central City’s Kale Jensen, Millard South’s Brayden Smith, Elkhorn’s Drew Christo, Millard South’s Cam Kozeal, Fremont Bergan’s Carter Sintek, Lincoln East’s Keegan Brink, Ralston’s Nolan Sailors, Millard West’s Jaxson Cahoy, Elkhorn South’s Eli Small and Papillion-La Vista South’s Jackson Trout.
2019
From left: Max Anderson of Millard West, Austin Callahan of Fremont Bergan, Cole Evans of Grand Island, Caleb Riedel of Millard West, Alex Wize of Omaha Burke, Cooper Prososki of Bennington, Sam Wibbels of Hastings, Tyson Gerdes of Millard South, Drew Wessel of Millard South, Sayer Diederich of Elkhorn South, Noah Greise of Millard South, Cam Frederick of Lincoln Southwest, Connor Barnett of Papillion-La Vista, and Noah Olson of Omaha Burke.
2018
From left: Lincoln Southeast’s Logan Van Treeck, Roncalli’s Alex Rodgers, Omaha Burke’s Hunter Waugh, Creighton Prep’s Dylan Phillips, Millard West’s Colby Gomes, Creighton Prep’s Owen Richter, Millard South’s Kyle Perry, Creighton Prep’s Evan Laney, Elkhorn South’s Will Reetz, Norris’ Zach Argo, Grand Island’s Shay Schanaman, Norris’ Austin Schultz, Grand Island Cole Evans and Millard South’s Drew Gilin.
2017
Front row, from left: Austin Schultz, Norris; Shay Schanaman, Grand Island; Dylan Phillips, Creighton Prep; Drew Gilin, Millard South; Josh Culliver, Creighton Prep; and Isaiah Peterson, Lincoln Southwest. Back row, from left: Perry, Millard South; Max McGuire, Lincoln Southwest; Joe Roecker, Elkhorn; Cam Taylor, Bellevue West; Colby Gomes, Millard West; Noah Sacco, Millard North; Nick Henrichs, Omaha Westside; Garrett Kocis, Millard West.
2016
Back row (left to right): Brett Vosik, Creighton Prep; Cole Stobbe, Millard West; Brandon Bena, Creighton Prep; Spencer Lear, Millard West; Zach Argo, Norris; Joey Machado, Creighton Prep; Nick Nelsen, Blair. Front row: Calvin Rudolph, Millard South; Wyatt Divis, Lincoln Northeast; Jacob Uhing, Elkhorn; Logan Foster, Lincoln Southwest; Jonah Ulane, Millard South; Mojo Hagge, Omaha Skutt; Drew Smith, Elkhorn.
2015
From left, Seward’s Ben Klenke, Papillion-La Vista’s Jack Kalina, Papillion-La Vista South’s Grant Suponchick, Papillion-La Vista’s Grant Van Scoy, Lincoln Pius X’s Michael Helman, Omaha Westside’s Matt Waldron, Southwest’s Logan Foster, Omaha Westside’s Mike Waldron, Millard West’s Cole Stobbe, Omaha Westside’s Alex Nielsen, Millard North’s Bryce Rogokos, Elkhorn’s Drew Smith and Millard South’s Nate Mallott.
2014
Clockwise from left: Omaha Skutt’s Jake Barton, Papillion-La Vista South’s Grant Suponchick, Norris’ Byron Hood, Omaha Creighton Prep’s Dillon O’Doherty, Omaha Westside’s Mike Waldron, Omaha Roncalli’s Alec Bohm, Lincoln Pius X’s Michael Helman, Omaha Westside’s Devin Stueck, Bellevue West’s Cole Patterson, Lincoln North Star’s Brook Bolles, Norris’ Jakson Reetz, Millard West’s Logan Jacik, Omaha Westside’s Jake Meyers and Omaha Westside’s Drew Fitzmorris.
2013
Front row, from left: Papillion-La Vista South’s Josh Kiger; Millard West’s Ryan Merrill; Millard South’s Jake Huscroft; Lincoln North Star’s Tyler Coufal; Wahoo’s Quinn McGill; Omaha North’s Brendan Jensen; Omaha Creighton Prep’s Jeff Albrecht. Back row, from left: Omaha Westside’s Mike Waldron; Norris’ Jakson Reetz; Lincoln East’s Jake Hohensee; Waverly’s Sam Tewes; Lincoln Southwest’s Brayden Young; Norris’ Byron Hood; Omaha Westside’s Jake Meyers.
2012
Back row, left to right: Jordan Schroer, Lincoln Northeast; Taylor Elman, Omaha Creighton Prep; Nate Griep, Millard West; Casey Sayles, Omaha North. Second row: Matt Warren, Omaha Skutt; Brayden Young, Lincoln Southwest; Marcus Ethen, Millard West. Third row: Danny Regan, Millard South; Kevin Connolly, Omaha Creighton Prep; Jack Wilson, Millard North; Jake Placzek, Papillion-La Vista. Front row: Austin Groth, South Sioux City; Danny Suiter, Lincoln Southwest; Colby McPike, Lincoln Northeast.
2011
From left top row: Justin Paul, Papillion-La Vista South, Albert Johnson, Papillion-La Vista South, Kyle Kubat, Om. Creighton Prep, Nate Griep, Millard West, Tanner Lubach, Lincoln Southwest, A.J. Ladwig, Millard West, Tyler Lane, Papillion-La Vista South, Casey Gillaspie, Millard North, Adam Morey, Millard West. Bottom row from left: Blake Headley, Millard South, Taylor Doggett, Lincoln Southeast and Quentin Urban, Millard South.
2010
Kneeling, left to right: Reed Svoboda, Lincoln Northeast; Kyle Kruger, Millard West; Mike Siwa, Om. Burke; Albert Johnson, Papillion-La Vista South; Cody Kottich, Om. Bryan; Brett Bass, Millard West. Standing left to right: Logan Ehlers, Nebraska City; Mike Pritchard, Om. Creighton Prep; A.J. Ladwig, Millard West; Caleb Palensky, Papillion-La Vista South; John Sorensen, Papillion-La Vista; Brad McKewon, Millard South; Joey Jones, Papillion-La Vista; Paul Rosales, Om. Gross.
2009
Back row from left, are Millard West’s Brandon Bass, Millard West’s Tyler Niederklein, Omaha Westside’s Chris Williams, Columbus’ Kurt Farmer, Lincoln Southeast’s Josh Scheffert, Lincoln Southwest’s Adam Peters, and Omaha Bryan’s Aaron Beil. Front row from left are Creighton Prep’s Mike Pritchard, Omaha Creighton Prep’s Ryan Briggs, Nebraska City’s Logan Ehlers, Omaha Westside’s Jory Goldstrom, Millard South’s Ty Kildow, Omaha Northwest’s Kyle Kinman, and Papillion-La Vista South’s Brian Donohoe.
2008
First row, from left: Millard West’s Steve Jensen, Omaha Gross’ Brandon Winkelmann, Millard South’s Ty Kildow, Grand Island’s Kash Kalkowski, Millard North’s Brett Koehn, Millard North’s Blake Brisson and Lincoln North Star’s Jake Benne. Second Row, from left: Ralston’s Derek Landis, Omaha Creighton Prep’s Derek Nelson, Omaha Creighton Prep’s Joe Holtmeyer, Omaha Creighton Prep’s Zane Hinkel, Papillion-La Vista South’s Kendall Wehrle, Lincoln Southeast’s Jake Kuebler and Lincoln Southeast’s Josh Scheffert.
2007
Standing (left to right, clockwise), John Reiss, Papillion-La Vista; Mark Waldron, Omaha Creighton Prep; Casey Hauptman, Millard South; David Hulsebus, Millard West; Ben Kline, Omaha Central; Kent Urban, Lincoln Northeast; Ty Kildow, Millard South; Kash Kalkowski, Grand Island; Jonas Dufek, Millard West; and Matt Freeman, Elkhorn. Sitting (left to right, clockwise) are Zach Willand, Papillion-La Vista South; Travis Parker, Lincoln Northeast; Drew Daubman, Omaha Westside; and Taylor Weisbeck, Papillion-La Vista.
2006
Front row (from left), Bobby Lackovic, Omaha Skutt; Bryant Cotton, Omaha Central; Shaun Hoover, Millard West; Sam Murphy, Omaha Westside; Marcus Palimenio, Omaha Westside; Mark Waldron, Omaha Creighton Prep. Back row, Charlie Shaver, Elkhorn; Ian Dike, Lincoln Southwest; Kent Urban, Lincoln Northeast; Danny Hunter, Papillion-La Vista; Casey Hauptman, Millard South; Wyatt Kirwan, Omaha Westside; Pat Krebs, Omaha Creighton Prep. Not pictured, Brandon Kirsch, Papillion-La Vista South.
2005
Clockwise from upper left: Omaha Westside’s Tyler Knust, Omaha Burke’s Tony Martin, Omaha Burke’s Erik Bird, Millard South’s Derrick Kendrick, Millard North’s Robbie Knight, Millard North’s Conor Gillaspie, Omaha Central’s David Cleveland, Millard North’s Jason Jewell, Millard West’s Jon Reed, Omaha Westside’s Darin Ruf, Millard North’s Sam Merrill, Omaha Westside’s Sam Murphy, Bellevue East’s Tyler Cloyd and Omaha Skutt’s Zach Herr.
2004
Left to right, sitting: Tony Martin, Omaha Burke; Tyler Goodro, Omaha Creighton Prep; Scott Kaskie, Papillion-La Vista; Sam Merrill, Millard North; Connor O’Neill, Omaha Westside; Kevin Dooley, Papillion-La Vista; Matt Bowers, Omaha Roncalli; Dustin Koca, Omaha Westside. Kneeling: Jared Erspamer, Millard South; Tim Huber, Omaha Creighton Prep; Ryan Wehrle, Papillion-La Vista. Standing: Drew Schwab, Omaha Westside; Steve Winkelmann, Omaha Gross.