American Legion: A Good Run
By MICHAEL DANN
mdann@dailyregister.com
CARMI - In poker terms, Harrisburg put in all its chips in Tuesday's heart breaking 9-7 loss to Edwardsville.
On Wednesday, against Herrin, it just wasn't in the cards for Post 167.
Herron used a pair of multi-run home runs to dispose of Harrisburg 10-0 at the Fifth Division American Legion Tournament Wednesday at Carmi.
Harrisburg American Legion head coach Doug Emery said it was disappointing to see his teams season come to an end so abruptly, but he couldn't have been more proud of the effort.
"They played great and I can't ask any more from them. They played hard and I'm proud of them."
Coming into the tournament, one that is nine innings, Emery knew that pitching was going to be a concern. That concern came to fruition against Herrin.
Austin Hefner took the loss, going 3 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs on eight hits, while walking three and hitting two batters.
Bryce Emery, who also saw action on the mound Monday and Tuesday at the Fifth Division Tournament, relieved Hefner and gave up three runs.
"Pitching is always a concern when you have to play these nine inning games. You have to have the pitching and I believe that if we could have pulled this one out today, I think we would have had the pitching (tomorrow). It's just one of those things that it just wasn't in the cards for us today."
After Herrin scored two runs in the third inning, Herrin's Blake Starkweather put Post 645 up 5-0 with a three-run home run off Hefner.
Jeremy Gregg then put Herrin up 7-0 with a two-run home run in the fourth inning and Post 645 put the game away in the seventh when Luke McCormick plated a run on Herrin's third straight hit to start the inning. Starkweather then placed a ball perfectly over the third base bag that scored Jacob Hardline and Luke McCormick to short game Harrisburg.
Post 167 only had six hits on the day as Patrick Bittle and Britton Riden each had two. Matthew Phipps and Emery each had one.
Emery acknowledged afterward that Tuesday's loss to Edwardsville really took the wind out of his team's sails.
"That was a tough loss and you could just see it in the kids. They just weren't in it today and I know what that's like, I've been there. It's just hard to snap back from games like that."
Harrisburg ends the season at 14-7 after winning the 24th District Tournament in its first back after a 10-year hiatus and Emery believes most - if not all - of his players will be back next year.
"We'll have everybody back if they want to play next year, but this was a fun group. Winning the district was a huge accomplishment, beating a team like Carrier Mills, who is loaded, was a nice feat and were able to beat Metropolis. It's a well balanced league and a good district. Just getting into this Division Tournament was an accomplishment for us."
Michael Dann covers prep and college sports for the Harrisburg Daily Register. Follow him on Twitter: @spydieshooter.