BASEBALL: Pinckneyville-Du Quoin rallies back to beat Orient

A four-run eighth inning helped Pinckneyville-Du Quoin complete a dramatic comeback after trailing 12-5 as Posts 2504 & 647 rallied past Orient 14-12 in Tuesday's nine-inning Senior American Legion baseball game at Rigdon Field in the Perry County Fairgrounds.

P-DQ had taken a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the third inning after hits by Nolan Luke, Alex Howard (double) and Jackson Brand, but Orient responded with six runs in the top of the fourth to take command. That ended Caleb Dahn's day on the mound in favor of Tyler Rulevish, who surrendered a two-run homer in the top of the fifth before holding Post 1961 scoreless over the final four frames.

That effort enabled the big comeback to begin in the bottom of the sixth, when 2504/647 plated three runs, getting hits from Jacob Valier and Clayton Houghland. Five walks led to two more Pinckneyville-Du Quoin runs in the seventh, cutting the lead to 12-10.

Valier struck again in the eight, cranking a two-out, two-run double to tie the score. He and A.J. Smith later crossed the plate - with Smith stealing home - to give the home team a two-run edge heading to the ninth, where Rulevish pitched around a one-out walk to pick up the victory.

Pinckneyville-Du Quoin worked a whopping 19 combined walks and hit batters at the plate against Orient.

Valier (3-4, 2 BB), Luke (1-4, 2 BB), Houghland (1-4, BB), Howard (1-3, 2B, 2 BB), Trent Hicks (1-3, BB) and Jackson Brand (2-4, 2B, BB) had hits for 2504/647.

Pinckneyville-Du Quoin is in action at home again on Wednesday, hosting Herrin for a doubleheader. They'll travel to Steeleville on Thursday.