Legion team soundly handles Andover
Baseball team tops Jags 7-3
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
Call it Christmas coming early for the Hillsboro American Legion Post 366 baseball team.
If you're with the Wichita Rattlers and you've got a few days off before heading northeast Tuesday to New York, what do you do?
If you're James Bina, make a stop in Hillsboro to lend a hand to the Post 366 team playing host to the shorthanded Andover Jaguars.
Going two for four, Bina sent a 2-2 pitch deep for a solo homer his first at-bat to help lead 366 past Andover, 7-3.
The victory lifts 366 to 9-5 on the year.
Finding a game has been pretty difficult for Hillsboro the past week.
June 26's opponent, Osage City had its season come to an early end due to a shortage of players and June 28's opponent Chapman, didn't have any pitchers to throw.
What was originally slated for a doubleheader Monday, instead turned into a nine inning game due to the Jaguars having several players at the Wichita State baseball camp.
The Jaguars could have used more depth as 366 gave Jaguar pitcher Aaron Pung all he could handle.
Andover had its chances though.
Having the bases chucked four times, the Jaguars didn't have the hitting they needed to capitalize on their opportunities.
Post 366 starter Jerod Metcalf escaped danger the top of the first inning after surrendering a trio of hits with the Jaguars leaving the bases loaded.
Bina's home run in the bottom of the second, 366's first of nine hits for the game, got Hillsboro off to a quick start and it never looked back.
Post 366 put three more runs on the board in the bottom of the third with the Jaguars giving up a one-run fielder's choice.
Finishing two for three with a game-high three RBIs, Grahamn Ratzlaff drove in two with a two-out single.
Wanting to save Metcalf and 366's pitching staff for a busy week, coach Brady Marsh used Dustin Jost in the top of the fourth and fifth innings.
Jost fired a no-hitter through two innings while Ratzlaff struck again with a solo blast in the bottom of the fifth to stretch the lead to 5-0.
Steve Chisholm pulled an escaping act of his own, getting out of a one-out bases loaded jam in the top of the sixth.
Chisholm couldn't do it a second time in the top of the seventh, losing the shutout on a bases-loaded walk.
Then came Shawn Hughbanks to relieve Chisholm with the bases still loaded with Jaguars.
Hughbanks walked in the second run before giving up a one-out single, which cut the lead to 5-3, Andover's only hit of the three-run seventh.
Hughbanks made up for it in 366's half of the seventh, putting the finishing touches on Hillsboro's scoring with a two-run single aided by an error.
Trailing 7-3, the Jaguars still had some life left in the top of the ninth.
With the potential tying run at the plate, Hughbanks struck out John O'Leary to preserve 366's victory.
Hillsboro traveled Tuesday to Lyons for a rematch of the split two weeks earlier in Hillsboro.
Post 366 returns to action this weekend beginning Friday with the McPherson Tournament.
