Hartington Juniors remain unbeaten
HARTINGTON — The Hartington Post 4 Junior Legion baseball team remained unbeaten on the 2023 campaign with three big wins last week.
The Juniors improved to 7-0 on the year with decisive wins over Gayville, S. D. 18-2 on June 6; 8-1 over Wayne on June 7 and over Sioux City, 10-1 on June 12 here in Hartington.
Against Sioux City, an eight-run third inning blew open a 1-1 game in the bottom of the frame and with a run in the bottom of the fourth, the 8-run rule was in effect in the fifth.
Post 4 held Sioux City from scoring in the top of the fifth and that sealed the game.
In the third, Brady Hochstein walked on four pitches before Breiton Whitmire was hit by a pitch. Koby Detlefsen singled past the short stop scoring Hochstein and sending Whitmire to third.
Detlefsen stole second base and Whitmire scored on the play then Jaymison Cattau rapped a single to center which advanced Detlefsen to third. Sam Wiebelhaus came up to the plate and slapped out a short fly ball which scored Detlefsen then Cattau stole third base.
Quinn Hochstein was inserted to run for Wiebelhaus and Cattau would score during a Cole Rosener at bat on an errant pick off attempt. Rosener eventually struck out then Brayden Reifenrath popped out to center field after Quinn Hochstein stole second.
Hochstein swiped third and scored on an error by the center fielder before Keyton Arens was plunked by the Sioux City pitcher.
Arens stole second then Taylor ripped a ground ball past third which sent Arens to third with two outs.
Arens stole home to make it 7-1, while Taylor stole second on the next pitch.
Brady Hochstein walked for the second time in the inning Whitmire smacked a double to center field to send home Hochstein to make the score 9-1. The inning ended on a strikeout.
The Juniors added a run in the bottom of the fourth when Ryan Lammers singled and eventually came around to score by stealing home.
Hartington used a four-run third to move ahead of Wayne at Hank Overin Field on June 7.
The teams each scored a run in the first inning before the third-inning burst by Hartington.
Whitmire scored on a wild pitch, Detlefsen scored on a single from Cattau, Cattau scored on a play at second base and Wiebelhaus scored on a single by Maverick Heine. When the dust settled on the half-inning, Post 4 held a 5-1 lead.
Hartington added a run from Jared Rutar in the fourth and tacked on a couple of insurance runs in the sixth to seal the 8-1 final score.
Against Gayville, the visitors scored first, but Post 4 took control of the game in the bottom of the inning with nine big runs.
Hartington added three in the second and closed out the game in the third with six more runs to make the 18-2 final.
The Hartington Juniors were set to put their undefeated record on the line with games in Pierce on June 13 and Wakefield on June 14 in Ralph Bishop League play.
They will be in Tekamah on June 16 and take on Wakefield again on June 17.