American Legion: Post 167 ousted from District 24 Tournament
With their backs against the wall, Harrisburg Post 167 faced off against Carmi - for a second time - in the District 24 Tournament, but this time the stakes were much bigger.
It was win or go home and despite a 12-3 victory over Post 224 Sunday, Harrisburg didn't have the same luck the second go round as Carmi delivered the knock out blow Tuesday night in a 8-4 win at FNB Field on the campus of Frontier College.
The decisive punch came in the fourth inning when Carmi took advantage of two Harrisburg errors, plating two runs and taking a 5-4 lead.
Carmi never relinquished the lead as Andy Brinkley went the distance for Post 224.
Errors have been an achilles heel for head coach Cody Hall and Harrisburg Post 167 all summer.
It reared its ugly head at the most inopportune time Tuesday.
"Defensively we didn't make the plays when we needed to and on the mound, we just didn't make the pitches we had to make," Hall said. "I thought our offense was really good, we had a good approach, but it just wasn't meant to be."
Harrisburg drew first blood, plating a run in the top of the second inning when with two outs, Josh Turnage reached on a Carmi errors and Cameron Wendler walked. Ethan Ashby followed with an RBI single past second to score Turnage.
Post 167 tacked on two more in the third when Jordan Gould led off with a single and scored on a Justice Hill liner to left field. Dallas Reynolds, who also singled, scored on a Carmi error, their second of the game.
Carmi tied the game at three with three runs in the bottom of the third. Travis Black had an RBI single for Post 224 and Oakley Dial scored on an Easton Stewart liner to to centerfield, all coming with two outs.
Harrisburg regained the lead with an run in the fifth after a Turnage poke into left field and a error in left field allowed Dylan Schwartz to score.
That was all the scoring for Harrisburg, who turned it over to the bullpen after Turnage, who started the game, went 3 2/3 giving up three runs on four hits, while striking out three and walking three.
From there, Austin Hefner went 1 1/3 innings, while Bronson Stanley worked the sixth, going 2/3 of an inning and Schwartz went 1/3 of an inning.
In all, Hall said the ending was bitter-sweet for his team that had won two straight to open the Tournament. Following Sunday's win over Carmi, Post 167 fell to Metropolis 4-1 Monday night.
Gould gave up four hits in his outing against Metropolis, while Metropolis starter and Goreville native Brant Glidwell tossed a two hitter, striking out 10 on the night.
"I was very proud of the effort we brought to the field everyday," Hall said. "I was pleased with the effort and intensity in every game and practice. I consider myself very blessed with what we had this summer."
Michael Dann covers prep and college sports for the Harrisburg Register, Eldorado Journal & The Gallatin County Democrat. Follow him on Twitter: @spydieshooter.