Tuesday, June 30, 2009 6:58 AM CDT
Toledo opens Junior Firecracker play with 3-1 Monday victory over Kansas
BY BRIAN NIELSEN, Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-tc.com
MATTOON -- After breaking up a scoreless duel with a fourth-inning hit, Tyler Corder helped keep Kansas Post 539 scoreless in the sixth.
The Toledo Post 764 center fielder’s running catch robbing Nick Duffle was the best of several impressive plays behind Brendan Ritchie’s 3-1 win over Kansas in Monday’s opener of the Firecracker Classic Junior American Legion baseball tournament at Grimes Field.
“I can’t say enough about our defense,” Toledo coach Wendell Kemper said. “My three outfielders, Rico Sontas, Tyler Corder and Hayden Tinsman, had some outstanding catches.”
Backed by errorless defense, the submarine-throwing Ritchie held Kansas scoreless until the seventh inning when Joe Fricke’s sacrifice fly brought home a run. Then Toledo second baseman Devin Henderson caught Jordan Richardson’s line drive to end the game.
Later in the day Kansas lost a 5-3 decision to Danville Post 210.
In the tourney opener, two hit batsman started Kansas’ comeback attempt in the seventh, but Ritchie stayed in control, finishing with a six-hitter and two walks to go with eight strikeouts.
“He’s a good submariner,” Kemper said. “Coach (Jim) Miller (Toledo’s senior Legion coach) had been working with him.”
Toledo had to pull some escape acts starting with the first inning when Kansas’ first two batters reached base before Ritchie got a fly out and two strikeouts.
Kansas then left bases loaded in the second inning and stranded 10 in the game.
Duffle, Kansas’ pitcher, had no-hit Toledo through three innings with Post 764’s only base runner reaching on an error.
Wyatt Matteson led off Toledo’s fourth with a double and scored on Corder’s one-out single to left center field.
Hayden Tinsman had a double to start the Toledo fifth in which two errors helped two more runs score.
Those turned out to be enough for Toledo, which had split an earlier doubleheader this season against Kansas.
Toledo has games scheduled for today at 11:30 a.m. against Teutopolis and Danville at 8:30 p.m. to determine where in plays in Junior Firecracker finals.
Kansas, 0-2 in the tourney, has one more Pool A game facing Teutopolis at 1:45 p.m. today at Grimes Field.
“We’re getting opportunities; we’re just not getting the timely hit,” Post 539 coach Brad Reid said after his team stranded seven runners in the loss to Danville. “We got some good pitching out of Jordan Richardson this game and Nick Duffle in the first game. We’re playing pretty good defense. We’re just not getting the timely hit. The kids are playing hard and hustling.”
Before coming to Grimes to play Kansas, Danville won 7-1 over Teutopolis Post 924 so stands 2-0 in its pool going into tonight’s final pool game against Toledo.
Kansas 000 000 1 - 1-6-3
Toledo 000 120 0 3-4-0
Winning pitcher: Brendan Ritchie 7 innings, 6 innings, 1 earned run, 8 strikeouts, 2 walks. Losing pitcher: Nick Duffle 6 innings, 4 hits, 3 runs, 1 earned run, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
Kansas: Aaron Bence single; Nick Duffle single; Calvin Bertram 2 singles; Jordan Richadson single; Clayton Cooper single; Joe Fricke sacrifice fly
Toledo: Wyatt Matteson double; Tyler Corder single, double, RBI; Hayden Tinsman double
Danville 004 010 0 - 5-9-0
Kansas 100 010 1 – 3-5-1
Winning pitcher: Alec Neal 7 innings, 5 hits, 3 earned runs, 5 strikeouts; 5 walks. Losing pitcher: Jordan Richardson 7 innings, 9 hits, 5 runs, 3 earned runs, 4 strikeouts, 4 walks
Danville: Zach Miller single. RBI; Wes Rush single; Jordan King double, single; Tyler Brennan 2 singles, RBI; Brock Drews 2 singles; Justin Denhart single
Kansas: Levi Ebert double; Jordan Richardson double, RBI; Aaron Bence single; Ryan Sheppard single; Jordan Hays triple
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
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