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MALCOLM - After a 1-0 opening-round win in the Nebraska Class C American Legion Tournament on Saturday morning, the Hartington Post 4 Junior American Legion erupted for 16 runs in a 16-5 win over Loomis in the second round on Sunday in a game halted by the 8-run rule in the fifth frame.
Hunter Bensen was a triple shy of the cycle in the contest after a towering home run in the first inning which jump started the Post 4 hitting attack which pounded out 10 hits in the game.
“I knew it was gone the second I hit it,” said Bensen. “It felt great coming off the bat and I just knew it was gone.”
Bensen finished the afternoon 3-for-4 with a single, double and the homer, drove in four runs and scored twice.
“It was really great to see us hit the ball,” said Hartington skipper, Don Whitmire. “We pitched three different guys tonight, we’re right where we want to be right now in this tournament.”
Hartington jumped on Loomis from the beginning.
Loomis scored a couple of runs in the top of the first inning, but Post 4 answered with four in the bottom of the stanza.
“We answered right away and kind of put them on their heels,” said Whitmire. “Then we just really took off, it was great to see.”
Hartington added eight runs in the second, three in the third and one in the fourth to move on.
Hudson Whitmire opened the Hartington half of the first with a double.
“He came back from a 1-2 count and hit a double,” Don Whitmire said. “He kind of set the pace for us at the plate.”
Tate Fischer, the starting pitcher for Post 4, worked a walk then Bensen sent the first pitch he saw into the trees past the center field fence and Hartington was up 3-2 with no one out.
Easton Hochstein manufactured another run for Hartington when he drew a walk the circled the bases on a failed pick off attempt by the Loomis pitcher.
“We came into the game wanting to be aggressive in everything we did,” said Whitmire. “Everyone did a great job staying that way the entire game.”
Loomis gave Post 4 one of its two losses for entire summer, taking a 7-4 win back on June 20 when Hartington went south on a three-game road trip.
Wayne Rolling Hills Supply Post 43 gave Hartington the other loss, a loss Post 4 avenged in the North Division finals of the Ralph Bishop League Tournament.
“We don’t worry about what happened back then,” said Whitmire. “We’re just worried about tomorrow and what we’re doing then.”
Hudson Whitmire opened the second getting aboard after being plunked by the Loomis pitcher.
Back-to-back doubles by Fischer and Bensen scored two runs then a couple of walks and a Easton Hochstein single plated four more to make it 8-2.
Drey Puppe scored on a Micah Cattau sacrifice fly ball then another walk and a ground out scored two more runs.
When the dust settled on the Hartington portion of the second, Post 4 was up 12-2.
“This is exactly what we needed,” said Bensen. “Now we have confidence every time we come to the plate. This will definitely help us the rest of the way.”
The “rest of the way” includes a date with two-time Class C American Legion Champion, Malcolm on Monday. Malcolm is 30-1 on the season and eliminated the Post 4 Juniors last summer in the state tournament hosted by Hartington at Felber Park.
“This should give us confidence for the next step,” said Whitmire. “It will be a lot of fun and I think we’ll be ready.”
LOO20210XX-552 HAR 4 8 3 1 X X X - 16 10 1 WP: Tate Fischer LP: Jace Schukar. 2B: Tate Fischer (2), Hunter Bensen, Hudson Whitmire, Micah Cattau (H); Banks Hammond (L). HR: Hunter Bensen (H); Graham Trompke (L).
