Post 366 goes 3-0, will represent District 7

LP366bbMatz.jpg
LP366bbMatz.jpg

Having drawn a walk leading off the second inning Saturday against Buhler, Adam Matz slides and scores on a single by Aaron Bina. It was the third run of Hillsboro?s 12-2 victory.

With a 12-2 win over Buhler in the finale of the Babe Ruth District 7 baseball tournament Sunday in Marion, the Hillsboro Legion Post 366 baseball team qualified for the state tournament this weekend in Independence and will face District 4 champion Marion in the opening round.

Hillsboro thrashed Buhler 12-2 Saturday. On Friday, Post 366 overcame a 2-run deficit and defeated the Salina Aces 7-4.

Salina led 2-0 after the first inning, booking a 1-2-3 bottom half against the top of Hillsboro?s order. But Hillsboro struck back with three runs in the bottom of the second.

A 1-out triple by Jacob Edwards started the rally, with Dylan Liles driving in the first Post 366 run with a well-placed bunt toward the third base line. With Liles on first, Chris Couts struck out but reached base on the passed ball. A series of fielding breakdowns allowed both runners to score during Dylan Delk?s plate appearance.

Starting pitcher Tyler Ediger, en route to a complete game victory, struck out the side in the top of the third.

Jacob Fish and Ediger both singled in the bottom of the third, and both scored on an Edwards single. Edwards singled again leading off the bottom of the fifth, advanced on an infield hit by Liles and scored on a passed ball during Couts? at bat. A subsequent groundout scored Liles, and Ediger allowed just two runners the final two innings.

Hillsboro?s momentum carried over into Saturday?s game against Buhler, as Edwards smashed a 2-run double in the top of the first inning.

Dylan Delk struck out the first two batters he faced, and went on to book six strikeouts in a five-inning complete game.

Edwards struck again in the top of the second, after Aaron Bina drove in Adam Matz, who worked a walk to start the inning. Then, with Fish also on base, Edwards sprayed a triple down the right field line to make it 5-0, Hillsboro.

Post 366 added a run on Fish?s RBI double in the third, and tacked on two more in the fourth and four in the fifth. A 2-out single by Fish set the table for a double by Bina, followed by singles from Cole Svoboda, Ediger and Edwards.

With Buhler backed up against the mercy rule, Delk booked the first two outs of the bottom of the fifth without incident. Then a walk followed by an error followed by a Zac Langford single broke his bid for a shutout. But Delk coaxed a foul popup out of Buhler?s best hitter to end the contest early.

Buhler?s elimination of Salina Saturday set up a Sunday rematch, but pitcher Adam Matz provided Hillsboro?s third straight complete-game victory.

Buhler hung on for six innings, but was unable to slow another Post 366 offensive outburst, which began with Rustyn Kerbs?s full count home run to right field in the second inning.

?It was a great swing, and he really hit it well,? coach Jordan Lago said.

Matz struck out six batters and never trailed, leading 3-2 after three innings and 9-2 after four. Bina, Svoboda, Edwards and Liles had two hits apiece. Pinch hitter Jace Francka led off the sixth inning double that sparked a game-ending 3-run rally, and Couts notched a pinch single later in the inning.

Coming?Hillsboro will face Marion at noon Friday in Independence, with the winner to play the winner of Abilene vs. Columbus Saturday. The other teams in the double-elimination tournament are Wellington, Galena, Cimarron River and Independence.

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