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WAYNE — A dramatic ending resulted in a league title for Hartington last week.
The Hartington American Legion Post 4 Juniors baseball team trailed the entire game with the West Point Junior Bombers in the Ralph Bishop League Tournament finals at Hank Overin Field July 6, that is until Hartington’s last at bat.
A Tate Fischer single up the middle chased home Sam Wiebelhaus and Gavin Klug to put Post 4 in front for the first time, 8-6, in the bottom of the sixth inning and Easton Hochstein and Hunter Bensen made the score stick in the seventh as Hartington claimed the league tournament crown.
“These kids just keep competing no matter what is going on,” said Post 4 coach Don Whitmire. “One of them always steps up when we need them and we get the job done.”
Earlier in the tournament, the Hartington Juniors avenged a June loss to Wayne Post 43 with a 7-1 win on July 3 in the North Division finals to advance to the title game. That game was also played at Hank Overin Field.
One of the players that stepped up for Hartington in the championship contest was Hochstein.
He came on in relief of starting pitcher Micah Cattau with his team trailing, 5-1.
“I knew if we were going to have a chance to beat these guys, I just had to get in there sand throw strikes,” Easton Hochstein said. “I didn’t try to strike everyone out, I just threw strikes and relied on our guys to make the plays. They did and we won.”
The Bombers led 4-0 heading into the bottom of the second inning after scoring two runs in the first and two in the second, Hartington scratched out a run in the second, but West Point added another score in the third to go up 5-1.
Post 4 added a run in the fourth, then scored three in the fifth and sixth frames to post the win.
Fischer opened the Hartington fifth with a line-drive single to left field then Bensen doubled into center leaving runners on second and third.
Grady Haberer stepped to the plate and singled to left scoring Fischer and Bensen.
Haberer advanced to second on a passed ball, then Drey Puppe hit a hard line drive to right field which was caught, but it was deep enough, Haberer scored after advancing to third on a wild pitch.
Keaton Keiser scored the Post 4 run in the second and Puppe laced a triple up the middle in the bottom of the fourth, scoring on a Cattau single.
It took a big third inning and a great performance from Fischer on the mound to lift Hartington over Wayne in the division final.
Post four plated five big runs in the third to break a scoreless tie while Fischer was on his way to tossing a complete game, five -hitter.
“Tate hasn’t started a lot of games for us this season because I’m always kind of saving him to come in for either the Seniors or Juniors when we get in trouble,” said Whitmire. “He pitched a great game here. He’s a competitor and a fighter. He throws strikes and our defense backed him up.”
“I just go out there and throw strikes,” said Fischer. “I know my guys will back me up and they sure did tonight.”
Hudson Whitmire got on board to open the third frame for Hartington thanks to a Rolling Hills Supply error and wound up on second base.
After a fly out, back-to-back walks by Bensen and Haberer loaded the bases with one out.
Puppe singled on a line drive to right field which scored Whitmire and Bensen.
Another walk reloaded the bags after a Hartington strikeout and a Sam Wiebelhaus double past the left fielder cleared the bags and Post 4 was up 5-0.
Hartington would add two runs in the sixth to get to the 7-1 final score.
Post 4 is set to host the Class C Area 1 Tournament beginning July 11.
Hartington is the top seed in the tourney and will take on Ponca in the opening round at 8 p.m. on July 11 at Felber Park.
Hartington Post 4 Junior Legion def. West Point Junior Legion Bombers 8-6. WP2210010-670 HAR010133X-894 WP: Easton Hochstein LP: B. Popken S: Hunter Bensen. 2B: Hunter Bensen (H); B. Popken (W). 3B: Drey Puppe (H). Lineup AB R H RBI BB SO H. Whitmire 3 0 0 0 1 1 Tate Fischer 4 1 3 2 0 0 HBensen 4110 0 1 GHaberer 411 2 0 1 Drey Puppe 4 1 2 2 0 0 Micah Cattau 3 0 1 1 1 0 E. Hochstein 2 0 1 0 1 1 S. Wiebelhaus1 1 0 0 0 0 Gavin Klug 0 1 0 1 2 0 TEAM 25 8 9 8 5 4 Hartington Juniors def. Wayne 7-1. HAR0050020-782 WAY0010000-152 WP: Tate Fischer LP: E. Endicott. 2B: Sam Wiebelhaus(H); Brodey Munter (W). 3B: Hunter Bensen (H). Lineup AB R H RBI BB SO HWhitmire 4 1 0 0 10 Tate Fischer 5 0 2 0 0 1 HBensen 3 2 1 1 11 GHaberer 3 1 1 1 11 Drey Puppe 4 1 2 2 0 1 EHochstein2 0 0 0 21 Micah Cattau 1 0 0 0 2 0 SWiebelhaus4 0 2 3 01 Gavin Klug 4 0 0 0 0 2 TEAM 30 7 8 7 7 8
