Legion baseballers split with Andover
Hillsboro comes from behind
to win opener, falls 6-5 in finale
BY RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
For the majority of the season, it's always been the opposition that has faced being run-ruled by the Hillsboro American Legion Post 366 baseball team.
Come Monday night in Hillsboro against the Andover Jaguars, arguably the stiffest opponent 366 has faced all season, the shoe was on the other foot.
Through three and a half innings of the opening game, it looked as if 366 was on its way to being run-ruled after five innings as they dug themselves a hole.
Andover erupted for four runs in the top of the fourth inning, seemingly blowing what had been a 2-1 game into an 8-1 rout.
Even a 9-1 lead proved to be unsafe as 366's hitting came to life in the bottom of fourth, eventually nipping Andover, 10-9.
Hillsboro didn't have enough miracles left in its bag of tricks in the nightcap as Andover used three 366 blunders to thwart a sweep, 6-5.
Andover's come-from-behind win in the finale marks 366's first home loss of the season, leaving them at 14-2.
Too many more games like Monday's and 366 coaches Lyman and Kane Adams and Tim Hein might consider taking an oxygen tank to the games.
For the first four and a half innings of the early game, Graham Ratzlaff seemed to be 366's only chance at mounting any offense.
Ratzlaff turned one of his best performances of the season, going 3 for 3 in opener. He supplied a one-run single which pulled 366 to 9-7 in its big fifth inning.
The heavy-hitting Jaguars jumped on top in the second inning, using a ground rule double and an RBI single to take a 2-0 lead off Robert Verbic.
Shawn Hughbanks cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the second with an RBI single.
After that, Andover's starting pitcher Aaron Pung, cooled off the 366 bats, allowing one hit the next two innings.
The skies started to cloud up on 366 with Verbic giving up a two-run homer on the first pitch to Jon Craytor in the top of the third, leaving Hillsboro in a 4-1 rut.
The walls seemed to come crashing down on 366 in the top of the fourth, even with ace Jerod Metcalf on the mound in relief.
Tony Lee ripped a two-run single and 366 spotted the Jaguars their seventh run on an error.
A sacrifice fly made it an 8-1 game, and 366 was one run away from being finished for the first time this year in five innings.
The Jaguars got the needed run in the top of the fifth on another error at third base.
But 366's Todd Stahlecker wasn't worried.
He got Hillsboro's six-run fifth inning rally started, leading off with a stand-up double.
Dustin Jost prolonged the game for Andover, following up Stahlecker's double with an RBI-two-base hit.
Just as the mistakes plagued 366, Andover had its own problems, supplying Hillsboro with its third, fifth and eighth run of the fifth inning.
Curtis Gutsch and Ratzlaff each drove in RBI singles and Jared Fish added an RBI of his own.
Six hits and three Jaguar-errors and 366 was right back in the game, trailing just 9-8.
Unlike both he and Verbic were able to do early, Metcalf got the pitching back under control in the sixth inning, limiting Andover to one hit.
Kris Jones nailed a game-tying single in the bottom of the sixth and Metcalf scored the go-ahead run on a deep double that barely missed sailing over the left field fence.
Hillsboro hung on for the 10-9 win.
The mistakes were again abundant in the nightcap, but proved to be more fatal for 366 than the Jaguars.
Andover helped Jost make in from third with Bryan Baxter making a throwing error.
Ratzlaff put 366 ahead, 2-0, popping a two-out RBI single before Hillsboro's bats again went cold.
Reportedly throwing over 100 pitches the previous night, Baxter dashed any 366 hopes of fatigue.
For the next three innings, Hillsboro was unable to muster any offense and Andover knotted the game up at 2-2 in the fourth.
Gutsch started the game on the mound for 366, lasting four innings before Metcalf's services were needed again after Gutsch gave up the go-ahead run on a single.
Hillsboro was again playing catch-up, a game that Hughbanks broke even with Andover at 3-3 with a tying single.
The miscues finally got the best of 366 in the top of the sixth as Andover used a trio of errors that left Hillsboro in a hole too deep to get out of.
History looked as if it would again repeat itself with Stahlecker leading off the bottom of the seventh with a three-base knock.
Hughbanks pulled 366 to 6-4 with an RBI before Andover surrendered the fifth run on a wild pitch.
Jones represented the tying run with 366 down to its final out.
With the winning run at the plate, 366's hopes of another comeback were stopped short with Jones getting nabbed at second.
Hillsboro hosted Chapman last night and travels to Lyons this Sunday for a 4 p.m. meeting. Results of Wednesday's action were unavailable at press time.
Buhler
Hillsboro completed its sweep of Buhler July 2 at Hillsboro, picking up a pair of 13-5 and 11-1 victories.
Fish fired a three hitter from the mound in the opener, notching his first win of the season.
Stahlecker went 4 for 4, decking a trio of doubles for a game-high four RBIs.
Verbic went 3 for 4, driving in a pair of RBIs, including a double.
Jost picked up the win on the mound in the nightcap, tossing a no-hitter through three innings.
Fish finished 2 for 3 with a pair of RBIs while Verbic was 1 for 3 and three RBIs.
