Pitching helps Post 439 stay alive

The Highland American Legion Post 439 Junior No. 1 baseball team’s pitching picked up its offense to help the team win three of four playoff games to stay alive until at least Wednesday in the District 22 Junior Legion Playoff Tournament held at Borshe Park in Valmeyer.

First, on Friday, Highland blanked tournament-host Valmeyer 1-0. Next, on Saturday, Post 439 fell to Fairview Heights 4-1 before bouncing back on Sunday to nip Bethalto 2-1 and again on Monday to edge out Belleville 2-1.

Going 3-1 boosted Highland’s season record to 15-9. Post 439 will face Alton at 3 p.m. today, with the winner advancing to take on Fairview Heights in the championship round.

Highland 2, Belleville 1

Post 439 pitcher Steven Diaz was not deterred by his team’s lack of offense, which didn’t make Diaz’s job easy after going scoreless for the first six innings at Valmeyer’s Borshe Field. But Diaz rose to the challenge to get the job done by keeping the Belleville hitters off balance. He threw a strong complete game, surrendering just one unearned run, one walk and six scattered hits while striking out two.

Highland trailed 1-0 from the bottom of the first inning until its final at-bat in the top of the seventh. But Highland rallied for three of its four hits, including Trent Carriger slugging the decisive blow with a two-run home run. Dillan Hallemann got the game-winning spurt started with a one-out single to center field. Carrier then came to the plate and launched a long fly ball to center that left the yard and allowed Highland to survive for yet another day. Diaz hit a two-out single to center but was left stranded.

Post 439’s only other hit came when David Lutostanski singled to left with two outs in the third, but he was later caught stealing.

In the second, Hallemann drew a walk to lead off but was caught stealing, and Ian Fraser walked with two outs, but he was left on base.

Highland also won despite committing three errors.

Highland 2, Bethalto 1

Highland starter Jake Ramsey didn’t need much offensive help when he was on the bump. He showed his mettle with six strong innings to help propel Post 439 to a big win in an elimination game. Ramsey only yielded one earned, three hits and three bases on balls while punching out three.

Mike McGill tossed a perfect seventh with one strikeout to nail down the save. McGill also led Highland’s offense, going 2-for-2 and driving in one run.

In the third, Bethalto pushed across its only run in the third on an RBI single off Ramsey. But Post 439 matched it in the home half on an RBI single to center from Montana Gilbert to score Hallemann, who singled to right with two outs and moved into scoring position on a single to left by McGill.

McGill then knocked in the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly to center in the bottom of the fifth to allow Diaz to tag and score. Diaz set the table by lining a double to left and advancing to third on Hallemann’s ground out.

In addition, McGill singled in the first and stole second but was left stranded, and Brandon Rehkemper singled in the fourth but was caught stealing.

Fairview Heights 4, Highland 1

Post 439 was shut down by Fairview, mustering only three hits and one walk while striking out 10 times in seven innings, while Hallemann was the game’s losing pitcher after being touched for four runs (three earned) on nine hits and four free passes in 5 1/3 innings. He fanned three.

A bright spot was McGill throwing a perfect 2/3 of an inning in relief of Hallemann.

Fairview Heights never trailed and scored one run in each of the first, second, third and sixth frames, while Post 439 could only manage a single tally in the third.

Highland’s lone run came on a RBI single by Diaz to score JD Wellen, who courtesy ran for Hallemann (leadoff single).

Gilbert had the only other hit for Highland while Lutostanski coaxed Post 439’s lone walk.

Highland 1, Valmeyer 0

Gilbert silenced host Valmeyer for all seven innings as he fired a two-hit complete-game shutout. He whiffed three.

Hallemann helped Highland break up the scoreless tie in the sixth with a sacrifice fly to center to score Lutostanski, who was courtesy running for Gilbert (one-out single) and stole both second and third bases to set the stage for Hallemann’s game-winning sac fly.

Gilbert went 2-for-2 to account for half of Highland’s four total hits. Diaz and Jack Landmann each had one hit and Jack Landmann added one walk to round out Post 439’s total offense in the contest.

This story was originally published July 22, 2015 at 5:05 AM with the headline "Pitching helps Post 439 stay alive."