Post 217 wins three straight

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Sidney Post 217 pitcher Owen Leugers gets set to deliver a pitch against Pemberville Saturday at Custenborder Field in the first game of a doubleheader. Sidney won both games.

Staff report

Sidney Post 217’s American Legion baseball team bounced back from a 12-inning game on Friday night to sweep a doubleheader Saturday at Custenborder Field over visiting Pemberville.

Sidney played at Greenville on Friday and came away with an 8-5 win in a 12-inning marathon.

Post 217 tied the game in the 8th, Greenville tied it in the 10th, but Sidney came up with three in the 12th that Greenville was unable to match.

Kyle Subler singled and Braden Goodwin reached on an error by the third baseman. Hunter McMurray, Jace Barga and Dakota Bollinger then all singled to make it an insurmountable lead.

Subler led Sidney’s 13-hit attack with three singles. Bollinger, Cole Proffitt, Austin McLain and Goodwin all added two singles each.

“After 30 plus games, one thing I have learned about this group is that they never give up and seem to find a way to win,” said Sidney coach Jim Koewler. “I think this shows the competiveness in these players whether they are on the field or on the bench supporting the others.

Dan Borchers and Bryant McCarty shared the pitching duties and combined for seven strikeouts and just two walks.

“Bryant has done a good job of doing whatever has been asked of him, whether it’s starting a game or relieving. He is also swinging a good bat when inserted in the lineup at a position. Several other players have also accepted their roles and this is what makes us such a strong ball team.”

On Saturday, Sidney routed Pemberville 11-1 in the first game, with Owen Leugers giving up just three hits in a game shortened by the run rule. He fanned five and walked only one.

Pemberville actually took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but Sidney tied it in the bottom of the inning on a walk to Barga, a Bollinger single, a wild pitch and a fielder’s choice off the bat of Proffitt.

Sidney got two more in the third on a walk to Bollinger, singles by Kyle Noble and Drew Wehrman, and two Pemberville errors.

Sidney tacked on three more in the fourth inning, with McCarty, Barga and Bollinger all getting base hits and Pemberville committing another error.

Sidney then ended it in the sixth with five runs on two walks, singles by Bollinger, Wehrman and Borchers, and a double by McCarty.

McCarty was 3-for-4 with a double and Bollinger had three singles in four trips. Wehrman added two singles.

In the nightcap, Sidney won 4-2 behind the pitching of Jacob Peters and Cole Profitt, who combined for eight strikeouts and a five-hitter.

Sidney had just four hits, but made them count.

After falling behind 1-0 in the first again, Sidney pulled even in the second when Subler and Noble both walked, pulled off a double steal, then Tyler Sanford put down a suicide squeeze to score Subler.

Sidney scored three more in the sixth, with McLain, Proffitt and Borchers all getting singles, Subler drawing a walk, and Noble hitting a ball that was booted by the centerfielder.

“I played a lot of younger kids that haven’t seen a lot of playing time and was pleased with what I saw,” said Koewler. “We have a nucleus of young players that will be able to return next season. We only had four hits, but they were timely ones, with three of them in the sixth.”

Sidney will play its final regular-season game Tuesday at home against the Miami Valley Wolverines at 6:30 before entering district play starting Thursday at Piqua and Greenville.

Koewler said Piqua and Greenville play tonight (Monday), and Sidney must await the outcome of that game to find out who and when they open tournament play.

Post 217 was scheduled to play a doubleheader Sunday at Ottawa, but it was rained out.

Sidney is now 24-9 on the season.

Upcoming games

Tuesday — home vs. Miami Valley Wolverines, 9-inning game, 6:30

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday — District Tournament at Piqua and Greenville (Sidney, Piqua, Troy, Greenville). Winner to State Legion Tournament July 29 to Aug. 2 at Beavers Field, Lancaster.

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