Thursday, July 24, 2008 11:10 PM CDT
Post 88 is one win away from Division tourney
By BRIAN NIELSEN, Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-tc.com
MATTOON -- Even before thinking of Saturday’s 19th District championship game, Mattoon Post 88 could clinch an American Legion Fourth Division baseball tournament spot today.
Post 88 and Decatur Post 105, the last two unbeaten teams among nine entries in the double-elimination district tourney, are to square off at 2:45 p.m. today at Peterson Park’s Grimes Field.
The winner can return to Grimes Field to play at 11 a.m. Saturday realizing that even if it loses both games to determine a district championship, it would still as a district runner-up get to play in next week’s Fourth Division at Illinois Wesleyan University.
This afternoon’s loser is to play again at 7:45 p.m. with another chance to land one of the district’s two division berths.
“We’re going all out to win that first game,” Mattoon coach Steve Metzger said. “If we just win one of the two games (today), we go to the Division. The difference between first and second is the first-place team in the district gets a first-round (division) bye and can probably start a No. 1 pitcher against someone’s No. 2.”
That is the goal for Post 88, which is 20-19 and facing a 25-7 Decatur team that won two of three regular season meetings.
Decatur defeated Mattoon in the rain-shortened Firecracker Classic tourney at Grimes where Decatur was awarded the championship trophy as the only team going undefeated in pool play before the canceled semifinals and finals.
Then the two teams split a doubleheader at Decatur.
“I think it’s going to be a good game,” Metzger said. “I think it’s going to be who wants it the most. If our kids play the way they did against Rantoul we have a good chance.”
Mattoon opened postseason play with an 8-0 win over Rantoul on Monday when Cory Ames pitched seven of the eight innings of the mercy-rule game.
The Lake Land recruit Ames is scheduled to start on the mound again today.
“He’s had three full days of rest,” Metzger said. “Cory bounces back pretty well. If I can get four or five innings out of him we have Jeremy Jordan and Tyler Brandenburg who haven’t thrown at all yet this week.
“We have a good staff on the bench ready to come in. Everybody is 100 percent. From what I understand everyone will be there.”
After the Mattoon-Decatur showdown, Mount Zion and Champaign are to play in an elimination game with the winner to play this afternoon’s loser in tonight’s third game.
19th District Tournament
Monday
Game 1: Mount Zion 13, Stewardson-Strasburg 5
Game 2: Champaign 10, Moultrie-Douglas 2
Game 3: Urbana 10, Mahomet 7 (completed Tuesday)
Game 4: Mattoon 8, Rantoul 0, 8 innings
Tuesday
Game 5: Mattoon 11, Urbana 6
Game 6: Stewardson-Strasburg 8, Moultrie-Douglas 5
Game 7: Mahomet 7, Rantoul 2
Game 8: Decatur 5, Champaign 3
Game 9: Stewardson-Strasburg 6, Mahomet 1
Wednesday
Game 10: Decatur 14, Mount Zion 4, 7 innings
Game 11: Mount Zion 7, Urbana 0, forfeit
Game 12: Champaign 8, Stewardson-Strasburg 1
Today
Game 13: Mattoon vs. Decatur, 2:45 p.m.
Game 14: Mount Zion vs. Champaign, 5 p.m.
Game 15: Loser of game 13 vs. winner of game 14, 7:45 p.m.
Saturday
Game 16: Winners of game 13 vs. winner of game 15, 11 a.m.
Game 17: if necessary, 1:30 p.m.
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
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