BASEBALL: Jr. Legion #1's split in winner's pool at Steeleville
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Pinckneyville-Du Quoin's No. 1 junior team nearly came away with complete sweep at the 2012 Junior American Legion Wooden Bat Tournament at Steeleville this past weekend, but ended up with a split in the winner's pool on Sunday when they let a 4-1 lead slip through their fingertips against Murphysboro, losing 5-4.
P-DQ Posts 2504 & 647 would rebound later in the afternoon to upend Chester 5-2.
Cole Bigham and Nolan Luke drove in runs during a three-run second against Murphy, then Daulton Bigham doubled in the third before scoring on an RBI base hit by Kody Hess to make it 4-1 Pinckneyville-Du Quoin.
A.J. Smith struggled with his command, walking eight batters, but allowed just five hits and got himself out of several jams - until the top of the fifth. Smith walked four batters in the inning and two more singled, tying the game at 4-4.
Walks also bit reliever Cole Bigham, who threw a 1-2-3 sixth before walking in the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh, his third free pass of the inning. He was tagged with the loss, allowing one earned run on one hit and three walks in two innings pitched.
Offensively, Luke (2-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI) and Justyn Rushing (2-4) both had two hits for 2504/647. Smith (1-3, BB), Hess (1-2, SAC, RBI), D. Bigham (1-4, 2B, R), C. Bigham (1-3, R, RBI), Brenden Shepard (1-3, R) and Lucas Carter (1-2, BB, R) also had hits against Murphy.
Cole Bigham would find his control against Chester in the day's second game, going five innings, striking out one and giving up seven hits and three walks for two earned runs to get a victory.
Adam Banach threw two scoreless one-hit innings of relief, walking two and striking out three.
Pinckneyville-Du Quoin took control of the game in the fifth when they led by just one before RBIs from Caleb Dahn and Banach brought in Shepard and Hess to make it 5-2.
Posts 2504 & 647 had just six hits, but drew seven walks and three hit batsmen. P-DQ got one hit each from Rushing (1-2, 3B, 2 BB, 2 R), Smith (1-3, HBP), D. Bigham (1-2, RBI), Shepard (1-2, R, BB), Dahn (1-2, 2B, HBP, RBI) and Brayden Cowley (1-1) against Chester.
Both Junior Legion teams for Pinckneyville-Du Quoin are now off until Wednesday when the No. 1's host Sparta and the No. 2's are at Murphysboro.
The Senior Legion squad opens their schedule at Dowell on Tuesday.
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