Ryan Colombo pitched seven strong innings, and scored both of his teams runs in the Topeka Senator’s 2-1 win over the Junction City Brigade in the 2014 Summer Classic….the Mid Plains League tournament at Rathert Field.

Colombo surrendered just four hits and walked one batter during his pitching stint. Hitting in the leadoff position he went 2-4 at the plate, with two singles.

Brigade assistant coach Seth Wheeler stated Colombo is one of the better players in the Mid Plains League. “He’s a good body, has a good arm, has good plate discipline. On the bump he throws three pitches for strikes from different arm angles, and that’s going to make it really tough on our guys, especially our right handed hitters. They struggle with him. ”

The Brigade will meet Baldwin City in the next round at 7 p.m. Friday.  The Senators will meet the Topeka Golden Giants at 4 p.m. Saturday in the tournament.  In the other game in the tournament on Friday the Topeka Golden Giants defeated the Midwest Athletics 5-2.

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The Brigade played the Topeka Senators without their head coach Shane Sieben. He was serving a one game suspension handed down by the League Commissioner.

Sieben confirmed it involved the decision by the Brigade to forfeit a game at Baldwin City last Sunday because of the lack of pitching, and a desire to avoid hurting any pitchers, or use any position players on the mound without first checking with their college coaches.

Sieben said his team had played eight games in four days, and the coaches for both Junction City and Baldwin City had decided on Friday not to play on Sunday. Sieben added the Commissioner responded on Saturday by telling the teams they would play.  But Sieben reported that while he was willing to make up the contest, the Brigade did not have the pitching and would not play on Sunday. On Tuesday the coach learned he had been suspended for one game.

Sieben will be back with the Brigade Friday night in the tournament.

The general manager for the Brigade Cecil Aska said that he and the Board of Directors for the Brigade supported the decision by Sieben. “You would end up having to field a team that wouldn’t be up to the standard that we think we would need to have out there on the field representing Junction City. ” Aska also noted the outcome of the game would not have affected anything ( league standings ).