Lyons sweeps Hillsboro; Zone V tourney starts Saturday
Lyons uses mistakes to steal pair from Hillsboro, 12-5, 7-3
BY RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
Fortunately for the Hillsboro American Legion Post 366 baseball team, the zone tournament is coming up this weekend.
Had Sunday's doubleheader at Lyons been a week later, 366 would be playing spectator for the remainder of its own tournament as the top-seed.
Hosting Lyons got a boost from Hillsboro miscues in both games as the host swiped a pair from a dazed and shorthanded 366 squad.
With regulars Robert Verbic, Curtis Gutsch, Todd Stahlecker, Jerod Metcalf, Ben Walker and Andy Brubacher missing from the lineup, Hillsboro had to make do with some reserves.
Lyons jumped out to a 4-0 start after the first inning and hung on for a 12-5 in the opener.
It was a day where little went 366's way, and that was evident in the finale when Hillsboro blew a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth.
Take away the fifth innings of both Sunday's games, and it might have been a different outcome for Hillsboro.
Steven Chisholm had a four-run no hitter through four innings blow up as he gave up a quartet of hits and three walks.
With Walker absent from first base, two errors at first again left 366 facing a 7-2 incline to close out the fifth inning.
Hillsboro added a run in the top of the seventh, but Lyons outlasted 366, 7-3.
Sunday's opening starter Kris Jones had seen limited action on the mound this past spring for Hillsboro High School.
But Lyons roughed up Jones right off the bat in Sunday's opener, leaving Hillsboro reeling for the remainder of the game.
Jones walked four batters before Shawn Hughbanks' services were needed after one-third inning.
Already with a 4-0 lead, Lyons struck again in the bottom half of the second, scoring three more runs on a trio of hits.
Once again, 366 had its back to the wall as it was one run short of being on its way to being done in after five innings.
Caleb Marsh and Jones prolonged the game for 366 with a pair of RBI singles to pull Hillsboro to 7-2.
Lyons stretched its lead to 8-2 in the bottom of the third before Hillsboro made it a game again with a three-run fourth.
With Tyler Goldsby and Dustin Jost both on board from a pair of singles, Marsh nailed a two-run triple to chop the lead to 8-4.
Lyons gave up Hillsboro's fifth run on a wild pitch, and 366 had a little more breathing room.
Hughbanks ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth, giving way to Marsh before sewing the game shut in the bottom of the fifth.
Trailing 9-5 now, Marsh gave up a two base hit that highlighted Lyons' three-run fifth.
Jones was charged with the defeat.
Post 366 enters this weekend's tournament staggering at 15-4 overall.
Hillsboro squares off against eighth-seeded Lindsborg Saturday night in the first round of the Hillsboro zone tournament.
The game is scheduled to begin 30 minutes after the 6 p.m. clash between Pratt and Lyons.
Chapman
Post 366 closed out its home portion of its schedule July 10 in a rematch against visiting Chapman.
Chapman took a 2-0 lead after the first inning before the floodgates opened in 366's bottom half of the first.
Hillsboro ended the regular season at home with only one loss after crushing Chapman, 17-3.
Post 366 took control of the game immediately, doubling over Chapman 4-2, closing out the first.
Chapman got caught in current in the bottom of the second after Hillsboro erupted for eight runs to blow the game wide open, 12-1.
Chapman was only able to last seven innings after being run-ruled.
