WAYNE – Post 43 American Legion Baseball teams in Wayne kicked off back-to-back home games with a mid-week doubleheader against a northeast Nebraska opponent.
From Hank Overin Field in Wayne, Post 43 welcomed in Pender Post 55.
During the Juniors game, both teams stranded runners in scoring position in the opening inning before Wayne scored a run in the home half of the third thanks to a RBI double from Brooks Kneifl scoring Toby Braun. Following a scoreless fourth, Pender would come through with runners in scoring position after two wild pitches were thrown allowing Post 55 to take a 2-1 lead in the fifth. Final saw Pender win their third straight (3-0) while Wayne fell to 2-3 with the 2-1 decision in favor of Pender.
Braun paced Wayne Post 43 with three singles and the lone run scored while Kneifl added the RBI double. Wayne left six runners on base.
James Dorcey suffered the loss in five and a third innings allowing two runs (one earned) off three hits while striking out seven batters and walking three. Braun worked the final inning and two-thirds allowing two hits while striking out two batters.
Pender was led by Zach Hegge at the plate with a pair of singles while securing the win in six innings allowing the one run off four hits. He also struck out 13 batters and walked two.
Other Post 55 batting leaders came from Caleb Trimble who singled and scored, Jacob Bruns and Dillon Olson both singled as Avery Overfelt scored.
Spencer Rabbass worked the final inning striking out one batter.
Juniors:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 5 1 – Pender
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 1 – Wayne
From the Seniors contest, after Pender Post 55 left the bases loaded offensively just like in the Jrs game, Wayne’s Brock Hopkins and Tyrus Eischeid both scored in the bottom of the second where Pender had an error and a dropped pop fly. An inning later, Trevor DeBoer earned a RBI walk scoring Blake Bartos to push Wayne’s lead to 3-0. Neither team would score the remainder the of the game which saw Wayne Post 43 win 3-0 improving to 5-0 while Pender fell to 1-2.
Singles came from Jacob Kneifl, Blake Bartos, Josh Lutt and Max Miller for Wayne Post 43. DeBoer was credited with a RBI while Hopkins and Eischeid both scored. Wayne left eight runners on base.
DeBoer picked up the win in five innings allowing one hit while striking out five batters and walking another five. Reid Korth earned the save in the final two innings striking out two batters and hitting one batter.
Pender’s lone hit came from Zach Hegge who singled as Post 55 stranded seven runners.
Nolan Belt suffered the loss in three and a third allowing three runs off two hits while striking out five batters and walking four. Devin Hegge closed out the final two and two-thirds allowing two hits while striking out two batters and walking two.
Seniors:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 – Pender
0 2 1 0 0 0 X 3 4 1 – Wayne
The Wayne Post 43 Juniors and Seniors will next host Battle Creek on Thursday, July 2 at 5:30/8 p.m.