BASEBALL: Opp's two-hitter leads Pinckneyville-Du Quoin
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[C.J. Opp threw a two-hitter and Kyle Mueller and Adam Barczewski each provided an RBI as Pinckneyville-Du Quoin edged Steeleville 2-1 on the first day of action at the 2012 Harold Harmsen Wooden Bat Classic for Senior American Legion baseball teams.
Steeleville Post 480's lead-off hitter Keith Kettner reached on an error to start the game, but Opp would erase him with a double-play ball to Daron Meyerhoff, then retire the next seven batters that followed.
In the bottom of the first, Posts 2504 & 647 jumped ahead when Bryant Shute walked and later scored on a groundout by Mueller.
Another free pass - this time a hit batter - would lead to Pinckneyville-Du Quoin's other run in the third. Zach Phillips reached on the HBP then ended up scoring on a sacrifice fly by Barczewski.
2504/647 had just five hits in the game - two by Brett Warchol (2-3) and one each from Shute (1-2, R, BB), Mueller (1-3, RBI) and Brandon George (1-2, 2B, BB).
Opp allowed back-to-back hits to lead off the fourth, then a wild pitch brought in Kettner for Post 480's only run. Opp walked Klayton Bunselmeyer later in the inning, but then sent down the last ten hitters in order, finishing with ten strikeouts.
The Wooden Bat Classic continues on Thursday evening after rain made conditions unplayable on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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