BASEBALL: Pinckneyville Jr. Legion gets pitching, but not enough offense

Pinckneyville got solid pitching performances from Hayden Carter and Grayson Buza, but couldn't get the offense they needed to pull out in win in either of their Junior American Legion baseball games on Sunday at the Wooden Bat Tournament in Steeleville. Post 2504 fell to Steeleville 5-1, then dropped a contest with Benton 4-2.

Buza allowed just seven hits to Steeleville, but two errors and some timely hitting by Post 480 led to two runs in the third and one run in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

Pinckneyville picked up their only run after Carter reached on an error in the fourth, then scored on an RBI ground-out by Brady Louis.

Gabe Yearian had Pinckneyville's two hits in the game, including a triple in the third inning.

Yearian (2-3) also had a pair of hits against Benton later in the day, including a first-inning single before scoring the first run of the game. Jackson Brand (1-2, BB) also scored after a base hit, and Post 2504 led 2-0 after one.

But Benton chipped away a run in the second, tied the game in the fourth, then moved ahead with runs in both the fifth and seventh.

Carter gave up just five hits, but took the loss on the mound.

Justin Bauersach (1-3) also had a hit for Pinckneyville.

Post 2504 (0-3) hosts McLeansboro on Wednesday, June 4 in their home opener, a doubleheader beginning at 6:00 p.m. at Rigdon Field.