BASEBALL: Du Quoin tops Pinckneyville, 11-5 in Junior Legion baseball

Five Pinckneyville errors in the bottom of the fourth proved costly for Post 2504, as Du Quoin capitalized with a six-run inning and stayed undefeated in Junior American Legion baseball with an 11-5 home win on Monday night.

Jordan Edwards threw the first six innings for Du Quoin, allowing four earned runs on five hits and five walks, striking out eight. Bryzn Witcher finished things off with a 1-2-3 seventh for Post 647.

Kyle Luke gave Pinckneyville a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, driving in Jordan Koester (error) and Tyler Rice (single) with a base hit. Du Quoin halved the lead against Post 2504 starter Garrett Williams with a run in the bottom of the inning when Luke Metten hit one of his three singles of the game to plate Ashton Smith, who also reached base on a single.

Post 647 jumped ahead with three in the third. Smith walked and scored on Braden Lee's double, then Bryce Clarry cranked a two-run homer to make it 4-2 Du Quoin.

An inning later, Pinckneyville struggled to find outs while committing five errors in the field, allowing Du Quoin to put a six up on the scoreboard despite only two hits in the inning. Post 647 led at that point 10-2.

Pinckneyville tried to rally, as Dustin Bartnicki and Luke hit sacrifice flies in the fifth and Rice drove in Ike Hardin (walk) on a ground ball out in the sixth, but Post 2504 couldn't get out of the hole.

Smith (1-3, BB), Lee (1-4, 2 RBI, 2B), Clarry (1-4, 2 RBI, HR), Metten (3-4, 2 RBI) and Edwards (1-3) had Du Quoin's seven hits. Koester (1-4), Rice (3-4, RBI) and Luke (1-3, 2 RBI) hit safely for Pinckneyville.

Pinckneyville is at Chester on Tuesday for a 6:00 p.m. doubleheader, Du Quoin is off until Wednesday when they travel to Carterville for a single game at 6:00 p.m.