Wednesday, August 8, 2007 11:02 PM CDT
Post 88 cant hold early lead
AMERICAN LEGION STATE TOURNAMENT
BY BRIAN NIELSEN Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-tc.com
MATTOON - Early good news lasted only so long for Mattoon Post 88 in the American Legion baseball state tournament.
A six-run lead in the second inning was wiped out by Danville Post 210 by the fifth inning of Wednesday night’s first-round game and then held off Mattoon’s own comeback bid for an 11-9 decision. For a box score of the game that ended at press deadline see the Web site wwww.jg-tc.com.
By the time University of Illinois pitcher Blake Fairchild made his unexpected return to the pitcher’s mound in the seventh inning, Danville had Mattoon headed into today’s elimination game against defending state champion Arlington Heights set to start at noon at Grimes Field.
At least Post 88, which was ousted in district play but had an automatic Wednesday morning, got the good news that Fairchild who earlier was thought to be lost for the American Legion baseball state tournament because of injury, was cleared by his University of Illinois doctor to play immediately.
Then even without rushing Fairchild back into the starting lineup of the night’s tourney game, Post 88 struck for five runs in the first inning against a Danville team that had won all four regular season meetings.
Post 88 scored more runs in Wednesday’s first inning than it did in any of this year’s previous four games against Danville.
Josh Wilson set the early tone lining the game’s first pitch for a base hit.
Trevor Buford walked and Lyle Seaman reached on an error to load the bases.
Ryan Willison singled to right to bring home the first run and then Ryan Bradley ripped a triple over the right fielder’s head bringing home three more runs.
One out later, Ryan Burson made it 5-0 with a run-scoring ground out.
The momentum continued in the second inning when Colt Davis hard shot off the pitcher’s leg went for a single.
Davis got to second on an errant pickoff throw and scored on Seaman’s two-out single to make it 6-0 had Danville replacing starting pitcher Taylor Dennis, who brought a 1.56 ERA into the state tourney, with Zach Dieu and his 2.23.
Post 88 had a first-inning error negated when catcher Lyle Seaman threw out a base-stealing attempt at second base.
But after Danville’s Ty Montgomery led off the bottom of the second reaching on an error, Jordan Barney made Post 88 pay blasting a home run over the left field fence, the first hit off Post 88’s Matt Miller cutting Mattoon’s lead to 6-2.
Danville continued to chip away at the lead in the fourth when Ryan Scrogham singled, got to second on a balk and one out later moved to third on Brandon Jones’ bunt single.
Jones stole second, Scrogham scored on a wild pitch that moved Jones to third and Jake Jurczak’s infield single.
A throwing error on Jurczak’s hit allowed him to run all the way to third base so Danville appeared ready to tie the game.
That still looked to be the case when Post 88 third baseman Ryan Willison fielded Avion Forthenberry’s bouncer but throw high to the plate.
But Seaman leaped high to get the throw and with a sweeping tag prevented the tying run.
That only delayed Danville’s continuing its run in which it came from behind in all five of its wins for a Fourth Division championship last week.
In the fifth inning, Scrogham drew a one-out walk, Barney had a high infield chopper go for a hit and after a double steal Kasper, the No. 9 batter in Danville’s lineup, got his second straight hit this time a double that put Post 210 ahead.
Jurczak followed with another double to raise Danville’s lead to 8-6.
Post 88 got one run back in the top of the seventh when Wilson was hit by a pitch, stole second, took third on an errant throw and scored on Buford’s ground out.
The Eastern Illinois recruit Miller, who threw 131 pitches through six innings, was replaced on the mound by Fairchild, who was the victim of an unearned run without allowing a hit in the bottom of the seventh.
Seaman might have kept things from getting worse by throwing out a would-be base stealer for the second time in the game.
Post 88 coach Steve Metzger only had Fairchild go one inning in his return from a weight room injury and Danville managed two runs in the eighth inning off Ryan Snowden with the help of a dropped third strike and run-scoring singles by Chase Samford and Scrogham.
Trailing by four runs going into the ninth inning, Post 88 kept things interesting.
After one out consecutive singles by Wilson, Buford and Seaman brought home a run and chased Dieu from the mound after his 6 2/3 relief innings.
Ryan Willison greeted reliever Kyle Koerting with a single cutting Post 88’s deficit to 9-7.
Koerting then responded with a strikeout and an outstanding play by Scrogham at third base on Miller’s sharp bouncer ended the game.
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
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