By ALLEN SEYBERT
A hot start gave Youngsville Post 658 just enough of a cushion to hold off a pesky Warren Post 135 team, 8-7, in Senior American Legion Baseball League play Tuesday at Davis Street Field.
Article Photos
Photo by Carl Leichtenberger
Leaping grab
Youngsville Post 658 leftfielder Brodie Turner tracks down a fly ball off the bat of a Warren Post 135 batter during a Senior American Legion Baseball League game Tuesday at Davis Street Field. Turner had an RBI?hit and Post 658 won the game, 8-7.
With the Post 658 victory, both teams now stand at 5-2 on the season.
Youngsville - the visitors on the scoreboard despite playing on its home field - stormed out of the gate, taking a 4-0 lead before Post 135 even came to the dish. Aaron Hoover and Jake Marino led off the contest with singles to get Youngsville going and Josh Lewis moved both up a base with a sacrifice bunt.
Cory Craig was able to bring home one run with an RBI groundout before Sawyer Dininny, Brodie Turner and Broc Horn had run-scoring hits in succession. Horn was Post 658's starting pitcher and cruised into the third inning as Youngsville built a 6-0 lead after two and a half innings.
In the third, Post 135 took advantage of two Post 658 errors and two walks before Dan Maeder came through with a two-run single to make it 6-2. A third run would score on a Post 658 error late in the inning.
Post 135 would continue to chip away at the Post 658 lead into the seventh inning and the Warren club trailed 8-6 entering the bottom of the seventh with Craig now on the mound for Youngsville.
Maeder and Michael Murone started the inning with singles, setting the table nicely for Post 135. However, Craig buckled down and struck out the next two batters to put Post 135 down to its last out. After a pair of walks forced home one run and put the potential tying run on third, Craig got his third strikeout of the inning to preserve the Post 658 win and earn the save.
Horn was the winning pitcher, going five and a third innings while allowing six runs on five hits. He walked four and struck out eight. Craig earned the save, allowing just one run in an inning and two-thirds. He struck out five and walked a pair.
Youngsville is back in action Thursday when it visits Sugar Grove Post 758 at Russell's Werner Park.
Yville Post 658 411 020 0 - 8 11
Warren Post 135 003 102 1 - 7 8
2b-Cory Craig (Y), Broc Horn (Y), Hank Morrison (W). WP-Horn. LP-Michael Murone. Save-Craig.