PEMBERVILLE — Sidney Post 217 competed again in the Pemberville Invitational over the weekend and came away with the tournament championship.
Sidney played seven games in the tournament and won six of them. The only loss came in the first game of the finals to Pemberville. But Post 217 came back to take the second and claim the championship.
Sidney opened on Thursday against Fostoria and came away with a 5-0 shutout. Pitcher Isaiah Beaver allowed just three hits in pitching a gem.
Sidney scored twice in the third on a walk and consecutive singles by Dan Borchers, Jace Barga and Cam Jenkins.
Then in the fifth, Post 217 added three more on walks to Kyle Subler and Barga, and a three-run homer by Dakota Bollinger.
• Sidney then beat Mill Creek of Pennsylvania and pulled out a 3-2 win in nine innings.
Sidney pitchers Jacob Peters and Erik Neeley allowed just two hits while walking four and hitting a batter. They also struck out four.
Mill Creek scored twice in the fourth, but Sidney came back to tie it with two in the sixth. After Barga reached on an error, Bollinger and Cole Proffitt both singled to load the bases. Drew Wehrman then delivered a two-run single to knot the score.
It came down to the bottom of the ninth, and Jenkins started it with a single. After a walk to Austin McLain and a Barga single, Bollinger drove in he winning run on a fielder’s choice.
• The two teams played again right away, and Sidney came away with a 5-1 victory on another solid pitching performance, this one by Borchers. He allowed just five hits while fanning three and walking none.
Sidney scored once in the third on a single by Kyle Subler, a passed ball, and a single by Josh Koppin. An inning later, Owen Leugers made it 2-0 with a solo home run.
After Mill Creek scored one in the bottom of the fourth, Sidney added a run in the fifth on walks to Subler and Barga, and a Bollinger fielder’s choice.
Another run came home in the sixth on a single by Hunter McMurray, a passed ball and a single by Subler.
The final run came home in the top of the seventh when Koppin singled, stole second and scored on a single by Leugers for his second RBI.
Saturday
Sidney played two more games on Saturday, starting with Ashland. Sidney won 3-2 behind the pitching of Leugers, who struck out nine and allowed just two hits.
One of those hits was a two-run homer in the top of the first, however, putting Post 217 down 2-0 early.
But Sidney scored twice in the bottom of the third to tie it up. Barga singled, Koppin sacrificed him to second, and Proffitt then coaxed a walk. Wehrman then plated both later in the inning with a base hit.
Sidney pushed across the eventual winning run in the bottom of the fourth when McLain singled, Barga reached on an error and Jenkins singled.
• The two teams came back and played again, and Sidney won a slugfest by an 11-10 final.
Sidney pitching was roughed up for 13 hits. Post 217 finished with 12 hits.
Sidney fell behind 1-0 in the top of the first but answered with five in the bottom of the inning. Barga, Peters, Wehrman, Borchers and McMurray all had singles in the inning.
Ashland came back with three in the top of the second, but Post 217 struck for six more runs in the bottom of the second to finish its scoring for the day.
Peters was hit by a pitch to start it, then Proffitt again drew a walk. Wehrman then doubled, Braden Goodwin coaxed a walk, Borchers douibled, McMurray singled, and Barga reached on an error.
Sidney had to hang on from that point, taking an 11-9 lead into the top of the seventh and withstanding two singles and a wild pitch to escape with the win and advance to the championship round.
“We had a big lead but led them chip away and make a game of it,” said Legion coach Jim Koewler.
Sunday
Sidney went in as the winner’s bracket champion, meaning Pemberville had to beat them twice.
Post 217 lost the first game 6-3 despite taking a 1-0 lead in the first on a Barga single, a Bollinger sacrifice, and a Borchers single.
Pemberville scored the next six runs before Sidney plated two in the seventh on singles by Proffitt, Jenkins and Subler, and a sacrifice fly by Barga.
Pemberville scored once in each of the first two innings for a 2-0 lead, but Post 217 came back and scored three times in the bottom of the third.
Bryant McCarty singled and McMurray walked ahead of a Barga double. Bollinger walked, Proffitt delivered with a sacrifice fly, and Leugers singled in the final run of the inning.
Sidney added two more in the fifth on five straight walks, then added three in the sixth on a walk to Proffitt, a single by Jenkins, a walk to Goodwin and singles by Koppin and McCarty.
“They had to beat us twice and they got the first one,” said Koewler. “But the kids came back strong to win the second game. Dan Borchers really did a job for us. He pitched a complete game on Friday and came in and gutted out three big innings to help us win the tournament.”
Sidney took a 16-8 record into Tuesday night’s home game against Troy.
Previously
Prior to the Pemberville tournament, Sidney played four other games.
Post 217 lost at Troy 7-2, managing just three hits. Leugers had a double and wound up scoring one of the runs.
The game was just 3-1 going to the seventh inning before Troy pull away over the final three frames.
“We walked too many guys in critical situations,” said Koewler. “And they usually wound up scoring.
• Sidney played a doubleheader at Ohio Wesleyan against Marysville and came away with a sweep.
Post 217 won the first game 15-5 on the run rule. Tyler Sanford and Austin McLain did the pitching for Sidney.
In the first for Sidney, Kyle Noble doubled and Kyle Subler, Tyler Sanford and Peters all singled for two runs. In the second, Sidney scored two more with Goodwin getting a double and Borchers a single. Goodwin had two doubles and a single in the game and Noble two singles.
In the second game, Sidney won 8-4, with Bollinger and Peters doing the piotching and allowing seven hits.
Sidney got three in the bottom of the third. Bollinger singled, Subler doubled, and Barga and Proffitt both singled.
Sidney scored once in the fifth on an error, and then added four in the sixth. McLain, Barga, Noble, Proffitt and Borchers all had singles in the inning.
• Sidney played Napoleon in a single game on June 11 at Custenborder Field and won 12-9 thanks to spraying 18 hits all over the diamond.
Napoleon scored three times in the top of the first and added one in the second, but Sidney came back with four in the bottom of the second to knot the score.
Wehrman doubled, Borchers singled, and Goodwin delivered a sacrifice fly. After a walk to Peters, Subler doubled, McLain plated a run with a sac fly, and Boillinger drove in a run with a single.
After Napoleon scored in the fourth, Sidney scored four more in the fifth. Wehrman again started it, this time with a walk. Goodwin doubled, Peters and McLain singled, and Bollinger doubled.
Sidney added four more in the sixth to complete its scoring. McCarty doubled, Wehrman singled, Borchers singled, Goodwin had a sac fly, Peters singled and McLain had a sacrifice fly.
“This was a big win for us,” said Koewler. “Napoleon was second in the state tournament last year and has a large portion of their team back.”
• Sidney also took on Springfield Armory in a doubleheader at Springfield.
Springfield won the first game 4-1, Sidney managing just four hits. Singles by Subler, McLain and Leugers plated the only run in the third.
Sidney came back to win the nightcap 8-4, with Isaac Ruhenkamp and Erik Neeley scattering six hits.
Sidney got a run in the second on a Leugers double and a Borchers single, but Springfield scored four times in the second.
It stayed that way until the fifth, when Post 217 plated four runs. McCarty and Subler singled, McLain sacrificed them over, and Goodwin was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Proffitt then doubled, Leugers singled, and Bollinger doubled to take a 5-4 lead.
Sidney then added three more in the sixth on a McLain single, a walk to Goodwin, a singled by Proffitt and a double by Borchers.
“It was Ruhenkamp’s first start and he did a whale of a job,” said Koewler of his starting pitcher.
