Senior American Legion: Pinckneyville eliminated from 25th
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Defending 25th District Senior American Legion baseball champion Marion (Post #147) rode the gutsy pitching effort of Casey Rautenstrauch to a thrilling 9-8 elimination game win over Pinckneyville (Post #2504) Monday night on Chep Kessel Field at Murphysboro's Riverside Park Stadium.
The loss ended Pinckneyville's season with a 12-11 record. Marion improves to 15-10 and meets the Murphysboro (Post #127)-Orient (Post #1961)loser Tuesday at 5 p.m.
Rautenstrauch worked into the seventh inning before tiring, leaving with a narrow 3-2 lead.
He also belted a long two-run homer to dead centerfield in the Marion half of the frame, pushing Post #127 ahead by five.
With a 3-0 cushion entering the fifth, Rautenstrauch surrendered a pair of Post #2504 tallies before pitching out of a big jam.
A walk to C.J. Opp and Trent Bigham's sacrifice fly pulled Pinckneyville within 3-2. Rautenstrauch then induced Taylor Beninati's infield fly to end the threat.
Marion was on top 7-2 in the Pinckneyville eighth before Landon Chander's two-run single and a throwing error sliced the margin down to just two at 7-5.
Post #147 would score twice more against reliever Drew Dudek and then weathered a fervent Pinckneyville rally.
Bryant Shute reached on an error and eventually came around on two wild pitches. Dudek and Adam Barczewski worked Cody Smith-the third Marion reliever-for consecutive walks. Opp then belted a two-run single to rightfield as the lead was reduced to just a pair of runs.
Smith then buckled down, whiffing Bigham and forcing a ground ball out by Long before Landon Chandler hit into a fielders choice.
"We had runners at second and third a few times but just couldn't push them across," Post #2504 coach Dave Sanders said.
Shute was 3-for-5 at the plate.
Opp pitched the first six innings, allowing nine hits. Six of Marion's safeties against the lefty came in his final two frames of work.
POST #2504 12, Carbondale (Post #514) 0
Shute was razor-sharp in Tuesday's opener as Pinckneyville scored in its first five at-bats to eliminate Carbondale (2-17).
He allowed just five hits and struck out seven while issuing just a first inning walk.
Pinckneyville had 13 hits, scoring twice in the first on RBI hits from Chandler and Bigham.
After a pair of wild pitches pushed Post #2504 ahead 4-0 in the second, Chandler added a two-run single an inning later. Two more runs scored on Carbondale miscues.
Marian Brammeier's two-run double to deep centerfield and a run-scoring hit from Taylor Beninati made the score 10-0 in the fourth.
The final two Post #2504 tallies came after an error and pair of wild pitches.
Chandler, Matthew Nichols, Opp and Bigham all enjoyed two-hit games. Shute, Beninati and Long also hit safely. Brammeire was 2-for-3.
Weather permitting, the tournament is scheduled to end Wednesday. The top two finishers advance into next week's Fifth Division Tournament in Metropolis,
ORIENT UPSETS #2504
Orient (Post #1975) put together a solid nine innings of baseball Saturday afternoon, sending Pinckneyville (Post #2504) to the elimination round of the 25th District Senior American Legion Tournament.
The Express used two big innings-a five-run outburst in the second and a three-run fifth-to hand Pinckneyville an unexpected 9-5 loss.
Now 11-10, third-seed Post #2504 played Carbondale (Post #154) at 2 o'clock Monday.
With a win, Pinckneyville stays around to face Marion (Post #147) in the 5 o'clock game.
Orient, entering the tournament with just four wins, followed its surprising victory Saturday with a 5-4 shocker over #2 Marion Sunday.
Tuesday night, Orient faces #1 Murphysboro in the winners bracket final.
The top two finishers advance to next week's Fifth Division Tournament in Metropolis.
Orient's win over Pinckneyville was highlighted by the pitching of Tyler Mitchell, who worked seven strong innings. The lefty scattered seven hits and struck out nine.
The Express plated four unearned runs against Post #2504 starter Taylor Beninati in third and then stretched the margin to 9-1entering the seventh inning.
Pinckneyville broke through for three runs-but lost a runner at home plate on a controversial play- and cut the lead down to 9-4 as the frame ended.
Matthew Nichols home the first tally but Bryant Shute tried to score from second base on the play was out at home after a wicked collision with Orient catcher Mark Uhles.
A single from C.J. Opp brought home the third run with Adam Barczewski scoring later in the frame on a wild pitch.
In the ninth, Shute's sacrifice fly plated Landon Chandler with the final Post #2504 marker.
Nichols led Pinckneyville with three hits. Shute and Opp each had two hits.