Legion baseball stays perfect at home
Hillsboro sweeps Lindsborg squad
to improve to 11-1
BY RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
Getting to play host for the Zone V American Legion baseball tournament July 20-25 may be the ingredient that Post 366 needs to make it to the next round.
So far, Post 366 has yet to be threatened at home in Hillsboro.
After hosting Lindsborg June 27 in Hillsboro, 366 stayed unbeaten at home, sweeping a pair 7-1 and 11-3.
The pair of victories ups 366's mark to 9-1 on the year.
Post 366 got off to quick starts in both games, outscoring Lindsborg 5-0 in the first innings alone, battering Lindsborg's pitching rotation.
Combined, Hillsboro rolled up 26 hits against the overmatched Lindsborg bullpen.
Hillsboro took a 1-0 lead in the opening game's bottom of the first on a Jerod Metcalf-single which scored Dustin Jost.
Post 366 stretched the lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the third with Steve Chisholm scoring one of his team-high two RBIs with a base-hit.
Going 2 for 4 in the first game, Chisholm also tossed four and one-thirds scoreless innings on the mound for the win.
Ben Walker arguably had his best game of the season in the opener, going 3 for 3.
He got one of 366's four one-run innings started in the bottom of the fourth, leading off, lining a single to center field.
Two batters later, Metcalf made it a 3-0 game with a stand-up double.
Chisholm's shutout evaporated in the top of the fifth with Lindsborg loading up the bases with no outs.
Lindsborg cut the lead to 3-1 with a batter getting beaned at the plate.
That marked the end of Chisholm, who fired a two-hitter and struck out four batters, and the beginning for Metcalf.
Metcalf saw to it that there was no more scoring on Lindsborg's behalf, closing the game up and picking up a save.
He escaped what could have been a pivotal fourth inning as Lindsborg left the bases loaded.
Post 366 broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth with Kris Jones leading off with a single.
Lindsborg spotted 366 a 4-1 lead with Chisholm getting an RBI on a passed ball.
Walker cracked a two-out RBI double and Caleb Marsh pushed the score to 6-1 with a single on one of three- Lindsborg miscues.
Robert Verbic put the finishing touches on Lindsborg in the bottom of the sixth, singling in the seventh run.
Just like it did in the opening game's first inning, Lindsborg's boat began to sink again in the nightcap.
Jones put 366 in the driver's seat in the bottom of the first, jacking a two-run double to deep left field.
Graham Ratzlaff and Chisholm each followed with RBI singles and Lindsborg was in a 4-0 jam, closing out the first inning.
Hillsboro continued to terrorize the Lindsborg pitchers in the bottom of the second, taking advantage of a wild pitch for the 5-0 lead.
Ratzlaff again followed up with an RBI single before Lindsborg had a response in the top of the third.
Verbic's scoreless game gave way in the top of the third with Lindsborg scoring on a one-run fielder's choice.
Trailing 7-1 on just two hits, Lindsborg still gave chase, pulling to 7-3, again forcing 366 to turn to Metcalf.
One more time, Metcalf bailed 366 out of some dangerous territory with Marsh loading up the bases with no outs.
Post 366's half of the fifth inning put the game out of striking distance for Lindsborg.
Marsh led off the fifth with a double, followed by a Jost double and a Jared Fish-RBI single.
Shawn Hughbanks drove in a base-clearing triple which nearly left Lindsborg in jeopardy of being vanquished after five, trailing 10-3.
Needing one more run to sew the game shut on Lindsborg, 366 cashed in on an error at first base that made it an 11-3 final with Jost scoring from third.
Post 366 returns to action tonight, hosting Council Grove for a 6 p.m. start. Hillsboro hosted Buhler Tuesday night but results were unavailable at time of publication.
