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HARTINGTON — Hartington Post 4 put together the kind of week every American Legion baseball team wants once league play begins.
Post 4 opened Ralph Bishop League action with three straight wins, mixing timely hitting, strong pitching and late-inning offense to stay unbeaten on the young season.
Hartington defeated Plainview 12-5 Monday at Felber Park after edging Wayne Post 43 4-2 May 29 at home and rolling past Pierce 8-0 May 27. The local team drilled Tri County 20-0 to open the season May 26.
The three wins pushed Hartington to 4-0 overall and gave Post 4 an early boost in Ralph Bishop League play.
Hartington had to work its way out of trouble in the win over Plainview. Plainview jumped out to an early lead and had Post 4 trailing 4-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning.
Hartington responded with three runs in the fourth to tie the game, matched Plainview with a run in the fifth and then broke the game open with a seven-run sixth inning.
The big sixth started when Gavin Klug worked a walk and Hudson Whitmire followed with a single.
Breiton Whitmire reached on a Plainview error, allowing Klug to score, and Tate Fischer followed with a single past third base to bring home Hudson Whitmire.
Hunter Bensen kept the inning going with a single up the middle to score Breiton Whitmire.
Koby Detlefsen then reached on another Plainview error, allowing Fischer to score.
Grady Haberer reached on catcher’s interference to load the bases, and Post 4 kept taking advantage of every opening Plainview gave it.
Bensen scored on a wild pitch, Detlefsen scored on a catcher’s error and Haberer later came home on a Klug groundout to stretch the lead to 12-5.
Breiton Whitmire closed the door in the seventh, retiring Plainview in order with two strikeouts and a line-drive out to left field.
Hartington finished with 10 hits in the win.
Fischer went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Bensen went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Detlefsen finished 2-for-3 with a double, three RBIs, a run scored and a walk.
Sam Wiebelhaus added a hit and drove in two runs, while Hudson Whitmire scored twice.
Post 4 had opened the week with a dominant performance at Pierce.
Breiton Whitmire took the hill and threw four no-hit innings, striking out 10 before giving way to Bensen in the fifth inning.
Bensen finished the combined no-hitter, striking out three and walking one.
Wiebelhaus supplied the biggest swing of the game with a home run and two RBIs.
Breiton Whitmire and Haberer each scored twice, while Fischer, Detlefsen, Easton Hochstein, Wiebelhaus and Bodie Hochstein all added to the offensive effort.
Hartington followed that win with a hard-fought 4-2 victory over Wayne in a matchup of two Ralph Bishop League North Division teams.
Post 4 wasted little time getting on the board, scoring three runs in the first inning.
Back-to-back singles by Breiton Whitmire and Fischer started the rally before Bensen drove a triple into the right-field corner to score both runners.
Detlefsen brought Bensen home on a groundout, giving Hartington a 3-0 lead.
Wayne plated two runs in the fourth, but Post 4 added an insurance run in the fifth and held on for the win.
Detlefsen earned the win on the mound, while Brady Hochstein came on in relief to record the save.
Hartington was scheduled to return to action June 3 at South Sioux City before coming home for a tournament featuring Dakota Valley, Parkston, Renner and Seward.
PLV (1-1) 1 0 3 0 1 0 0 - 5 5 6
HAR (4-0) 100317X — 12 10 4 WP: Breiton Whitmire. LP: Chase Thomas.
2B: Wyatt Schroth (P); Koby Detlefsen (H).
Hartington leaders: Tate Fischer 2-3, 2 runs, RBI; Hunter Bensen 2-4, 2 runs, RBI; Koby Detlefsen 2-3, double, 3 RBIs, run, walk; Sam Wiebelhaus 1-3, 2 RBIs, walk; Hudson Whitmire 1-2, 2 runs.
Hartington 4, Wayne 2 WAY (4-1) 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 - 2 6 1 HAR 30001 Ox —4 WP: Koby Detlefsen. LP: Adrian Contreras. Save: Brady Hochstein.
3B: Hunter Bensen (H). HR: Drew Reinhardt (W).
Hartington leaders: Tate Fischer 2-3, run, RBI; Hunter Bensen 1-3, triple, run, 2 RBIs; Koby Detlefsen RBI; Grady Haberer 1-3.
Hartington 8, Pierce 0 HAR (4-0) 1 5 2 0 0 - 86 1 PIE(0-4)00000 -00 1 WP: Breiton Whitmire. LP: Bode Sweeney.
2B: Easton Hochstein (H). HR: Sam Wiebelhaus (H).
Hartington leaders: Breiton Whitmire 2 runs, 2 walks; Tate Fischer 1-3, run, RBI; Hunter Bensen 1-3; Koby Detlefsen 1-2, run, walk; Grady Haberer 2 runs; Easton Hochstein 1-2, double, RBI; Sam Wiebelhaus 1-1, home run, 2 RBIs.
