SIDNEY — Sidney Post 217 White and Troy Legends split their first two matchups this season. Things stayed even between the two programs on Tuesday, thanks in part to a late evening thunderstorm.
The squads battled to a 7-7 tie in seven innings and had just begun extra-innings play when a thunderstorm forced the contest to be suspended.
It was the last scheduled matchup of the squads this season, but the programs are working to schedule another contest, with the hopes of finishing Tuesday’s game before the newly added matchup.
The Legends built an early 4-0 lead on Tuesday.
Post 217 White starting pitcher Jarin Bertke walked two batters with one out in the first, then Conner Carver hit a line-drive single to left field to load the bases. Garrett LeMaster followed with a pop-up single to shallow left field to score one run and give Troy a 1-0 lead.
Bertke struck out two batters to get out of the inning but got into more trouble in the second. He hit Nathan Woolley with a pitch with two outs in the second, then Cy Baisden hit a double to center field that fell in front of a diving Ryan Schloss.
Bertke then walked Jonny Baileys to load the bases and followed by walking Darius Boeke to give the Legends a 2-0 lead. Carver then hit a line-drive single to left field to score two runs and increase the lead to four.
Bertke struck out LeMaster to get out of the inning, and Post 217 White scored five runs in the bottom of the second to take a 5-4 lead.
Aiden Booth hit a line-drive single along the first base line with one out, then Troy Legends starter Keith Orndorff walked Alex Keller. Carson Taylor hit a double that rolled to the left-field fence to score one run, then Darren Hoying followed with a line-drive double to left to score two runs and cut the gap to 4-3.
Orndorff then walked Eric Schmidt, and Schloss then reached on an error after hitting a fly that dropped between three Legends players in center field. Hoying scored on the same error to tie it.
Jake Sanders then hit a fielder’s choice ground out that allowed Schmidt to score and give Sidney a one-run lead.
The Legends reclaimed the lead in the top of the third with two runs.
Schmidt relieved Bertke on the mound. Tucker Miller led off the inning with an infield single, then Woolley drew a walk two batters later. Zach Prouty then hit a ground ball to Keller at shortstop, and Keller’s throw to first bounced off the base and went into foul territory. Miller scored on the error to tie it 5-5.
Jacob Kramer then hit a sacrifice bunt to score Woolley and give the squad a 6-5 lead.
Post 217 White tied it 6-6 in the fourth. Schmidt led off the inning with a single, stole second, advanced to third on a ground out and scored on a fly out.
The squad then took a 7-6 lead in the fifth.
Johnny Nixon led off the inning with a single to right field. After the next two batters hit into routine outs, Carson Taylor drew a walk. Ryan Caufield was then inserted as a runner for Nixon, and he scored from second when Hoying hit a line-drive single to left.
The Legends tied it in the top of the sixth. Miller was hit a by pitch, moved to second when Prouty drew a walk, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a fly out.
Post 217 White went down in order in the sixth. The Legends stranded two runners in the seventh, and Post 217 White again went down in order to send the game to extra innings.
Prouty was at the plate in the top of the eighth when the umpires cleared the field due to lightning. Heavy rain started about five minutes later, and the game was suspended shortly after.
The White squad (12-3) beat Troy Legends 5-4 on June 8 in Troy. The squads met again in the championship game in the Miami Valley Veterans Appreciation Tournament in Troy on June 13, and the Legends (19-3) won 7-3.
