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HARTINGTON — A couple of wins over the O’Neill Green Ponys and the O’Neill Gold Ponys in league action book-ended three wins in a tournament to improve the Hartington Pony League 14 and under baseball team to 13-0 on the season.
Hartington opened the week with a pitcher’s duel with O’Neill Green that saw the Hartington Ponys take a hard-fought 2-1 win on June 5.
Hartington won three games in the tournament, 5-1 over Pender in the opener, 8-3 over the Lennox (SD) Orioles and 11-0 over the O'Neill Irish then finished the week with a 14-6 win over the O’Neill Gold in league play on June 9.
Both teams came out swinging in the game with the O’Neill Gold on June 9 in O’Neill.
Hartington posted five runs in the first inning as did O’Neill, but the Hartington Ponys blew the game open in the second frame by plating nine big runs.
O’Neill Gold answered with a single run in the third, but Hartington pitching held firm and the Hartington Ponys won for the 13th time this summer.
Blake Bensen smacked a double in the contest and Rylan Fischer hit a home run.
In the final game of the tournament, the Hartington Ponys blanked the O’Neill Irish 11-0.
Blake Bensen went the distance on the mound tossing four innings and allowing just one hit in the shutout.
Hudson Whitmire, Rylan Fischer, Rex Lippert, Parker Leise and Maddox Haberer all had hits in the game with Whitmire and Fischer recording doubles.
The Hartington Pony League got past the Lennox Orioles from South Dakota, by the 8-3 final score.
Hartington sprinted to a 4-0 advantage with a run in the first frame and three in the second. The Hartington Ponys added a single run in the fifth, but the Orioles responded with three in the bottom of the inning.
Hartington picked up three insurance runs in the top of the sixth and Parker Leise picked up the save with the benefit of a line drive double play by the Hartington defense in relief of winning pitcher, Grant Klug.
Klug, Keiser, Lippert, Fischer and Haberer each had a hit in the game with Keiser and Fischer belting doubles.
Hartington got in front of Pender 5-0 with single runs in the first three innings and two in the fourth before coasting to the 5-1 win paced by Fischer’s one-hitter on the mound.
Fischer pitched all six innings, allowed the one hit and struck out nine O’Neill batters.
Keiser scored twice in the game; Leise, Haberer and Cade Kleinschmit each crossed the plate for Hartington.
In the win over the O’Neill Green on June 5 the teams were locked in a pitcher’s duel heading into the sixth inning tied at 1-1.
Kleinschmit and Bensen walked to open the Hartington half of the sixth then both stole third and second respectively to get into scoring position.
Kleinschmit scored on a wild pitch to get the walko and the 2-1 win. Fischer scored back in the second frame and was 2-for-2 at the plate in the contest.
The Hartington Pony League is set to host Ponca on June 11 before hosting Verdigre on June 12.
The team will have a busy weekend with scheduled games with the Sanford Sport Academy Black 14U at 10:30 a.m. in Sioux Falls and the Beresford Area 14U at 2:30 p.m. on June 14. The team will move on in action on June 15.
HAR 5 9 0 0 X X 14 10 1 O'N 5 0 1 0 X X 6 3 1 WP: Keaton Keiser LP: UK. 2B: Blake Bensen (H). HR: Rylan Fischer (H). Hartington Pony League defeats O'Neill Irish 11-0. O'N 0 0 0 0 X X - 0 1 2 HAR 6 5 0 X X X - 11 5 1 WP: Blake Bensen LP: C. Banks. 2B: Hudson Whitmire, Rylan Fischer (H).
Hartington Pony League defeats Lennox Orioles 8-3. HAR130013-851 LEN000030-364 WP: Grant Klug LP: L. Olseth S: Parker Leise. 2B: Keaton Keiser, Rylan Fischer (H); L. Kolthoff (L). HR: L. Olseth (L).
Hartington Pony League defeats Pender Ponys 5-1. PEN000100-113 HAR11120X-551 WP: Rylan Fischer LP: B. Godinez. 2B: Rylan Fischer (H). Hartington Pony League defeats O'Neill Green 2-1. O'N 1 0 0 0 0 0 - 1 3 1 HAR010001-242 WP: Hudson Whitmire LP: P. Classen. 2B: Rylan Fischer (2) (H).
