LEGION BASEBALL: Speakers survive state opener
Jul. 26—GALESBURG — The first game for the Post 210 Senior Speakers in the Illinois American Legion Tournament was the battle that was expected.
In the end, the Speakers were able to win that battle against Rock Island with a 7-6 win.
Post 210 coach Brent Hart was not surprised with the game and the outcome.
"We weren't super crisp the whole game, but we have a whole lot of dog in us and we don't want to lose," Hart said. "It is the third time we have played them and all of them have been walkoffs and two went into extra innings, so we expected a battle coming in. Coach (Jake) Scudder does a great job in getting the team ready to roll and having a gameplan coming in."
The game was decided in the seventh with an passed ball that brought in Grant Morgan.
"It is not how we drew it up, but we will take it," Hart said. "The guys in the bottom of the order did a great job getting on base so the top of the order guys do their jobs. We pinch-ran Grant Morgan for Braxton Waller and he made the most of his opportunities and showed some aggression."
Danville scored first on a bunt by Landon Haurez, but Rock Island tied the game in the fourth and took the lead with two runs in the fifth.
Drew Pinkston drove in a run in the fifth inning on a double before the fireworks started in the sixth.
In the top of the sixth, Rock Island was able to get three runs across the play for a 6-2 lead. But in the bottom of the inning, Haurez had a two-RBI single and then Blake Norton tied the game with a double that brought in Haurez and Drew Wichtowkski
"I felt like (Gavin) Parkerson was getting slow behind the plate and some pitches got hit harder than they were suppose to and I felt he had two strikeouts in that inning instead of a hit and a walk. The good thing, our guys didn't hang their heads and hopped back into it."
Parkers on got the win with three strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings in relief of Ethan McMasters, who went 1 2/3 innings with two strikeouts.
Wichtowski had three hits, while Haurez had two hits and three RBIs, Norton had two RBIs and Pinkston had two hits and a RBI.
The Speakers are 33-3 and will face Wheaton on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. Wheaton won their game 1-0 on Wednesday against Aviston.
"There are a state powerhouse, they have great arms and they play baseball well," Hart said. "Coach Jerry Miller does a great job of getting them together, There is nothing new these guys haven't seen already.
