Highland gives up five runs in ninth to lose to Herrin in American Legion 5th Division senior baseball tournament

A throwing error with the bases loaded and one out in the top of ninth scored the winning runs as Herrin rallied from four runs down to hand Highland Post 439 an 8-7 loss and drop Post 439 into the loser’s bracket at the American Legion 5th Division senior baseball tournament held at Bill McKee Field on Tuesday.

“I don’t know what to say,” said Highland coach Harry Painter. “Up four runs in the ninth. So it’s unfortunate, but things like that happen and we’ll have to deal with it. The great game of baseball comes and gets you once in a while. We had won six games in a row and everything seemed to be going right until the top of the ninth when the wheels fell completely off.

“We had three walks, a hit batter and an error on a perfect double play ball to end the game. We’re much better than that. The baseball gods just spit on us I guess.”

Highland (16-8) will now face New Baden Post 321 (24-5) in an elimination game at 2 p.m. to open Day Three of the tournament.

Highland had rallied from a 3-1 deficit going into the bottom of the fourth to take a 7-3 lead into the top of the ninth.

Jake Ramsey had relieved Mike McGill with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh inning and needed just one pitch to get out that jam. He then pitched around a one-out walk in the eighth.

In the ninth Ramsey walked the leadoff batter Aaron Cheatham on five pitches and then hit pinch-hitter Maclane Parks and gave up a single to Braden Miller to load the bases with no outs.

Ramsey continued to have trouble with his control and hit Blake Starkweather on a 3-2 pitch to force in the first run and bring Chris Dickman in to face Dalton Bush with the bases still loaded and no outs.

On a 1-1 pitch Dickman threw a wild pitch to score the second run before Bush hit a blooper to center to pull Herrin to within a run. Griffin Welz relieved Dickman and struck out Steven Anderson on four pitches before walking Jon Marc Warren to reload the bases with one out.

Mitch Enyart then hit a tailor made double play ball to win the game, but the second baseman threw high to the plate allowing the tying run and the winning run to score.

Enyart, who had given up a run in the eight after relieving starter Miller walked Dillon Hallemann to open the bottom of the ninth. The right-hander fell behind Dickman, but struck him out on a 3-2 low fastball. Matt Augustin then bunted Hallemann to second to bring Welz to the plate with the tying run at second and two outs.

On the first pitch Welz hit a high fly ball that Warren caught in center to advance Herrin in the winner’s bracket to play the winner of the late game between Metropolis Post 306 and Harrisburg Post 167.

Highland drew first blood with a run in the bottom of the first. With one out Will Greenwald beat out a ground ball to deep short. Austin Gusewell joined him on base with nubber past the third base bag. Jordan Smith hit a bouncer that went off the shortstop’s glove allowing Greenwell to score.

After stranding the bases loaded with one out in the first Herrin loaded the bases with no outs in the third. McGill uncorked a wild pitch on a 2-2 pitch to Aaron Cheatham allowing Jon Marc Warren, who was hit to open the inning, to tie the score.

Herrin took the lead in the fourth inning. McGill walked the leadoff batter Blake Starkweather and one out later Steven Anderson hit a bouncer that went off the second baseman’s glove score Starkweather.

Consecutive base hits by Warren and Enyart loaded the bases for Herrin for the third time. It looked like Herrin would blow this chance when Jacob Hartline hit a comebacker to force Anderson at home plate. However, Cheatham delivered with a hopper through the hole at short to score Warren. McGill stopped the bleeding by striking out Stucker.

Highland retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth with four unearned runs on three errors. The leadoff batter Dillon Hallemann reached third on a throwing error by the third baseman. Two outs later Griffin Welz lined a 1-0 pitch off the third baseman’s glove to score Hallemann.

Blaine Ray followed with a bloop single to right to tie the game. Cody Bentlage then hit a high pop fly that the second baseman dropped clearing the bases to give Highland a 4-3 lead. Greenwall followed with a bloop single to left center to up the lead to 5-3.

Herrin loaded the bases again in the seventh with two outs chasing McGill. Ramsey got out of the jam with a ground ball to second.

In the first game, New Baden eliminated the Orient Express 8-1 behind a complete game by Jordan Kraljev. Dominick Johnson had three hits with Patrick Gaul and Nick Martin finishing with two hits and two RBIs each.

In the other game Teutopolis Post 924 beat Sparta Post 396, 10-7, but later it was discovered that Teutopolis used an ineligible player and was disqualified from the tournament allowing Sparta to re-enter to play the loser of the late game at 4:45 p.m.

This story was originally published July 19, 2016 at 10:49 PM with the headline "Highland gives up five runs in ninth to lose to Herrin in American Legion 5th Division senior baseball tournament."