Herrin downs Steeleville senior legion

<p class="p1">STEELEVILLE -- Jacob Hartline's bat has nearly been as hot as the weather.

<p class="p1">Hartline went 3-for-4 with seven RBIs, finishing a single short of the cycle, leading Herrin Post 645 to a 14-1 win over Steeleville Sr. Legion Post 480 in five innings on Sunday.

<p class="p1">"I felt like this is the first time in awhile I've ever come this close," Hartline said. "A single short, it's usually a triple or home run short, but (Sunday), I was feeling it."

<p class="p1">A day earlier, Hartline drove in six runs in a 12-5 home win over Pinckneyville-Du Quoin.

<p class="p1">"(On Saturday), the first inning I hit a triple, second inning I had a triple, two RBIs on each of them," Hartline said.

<p class="p1">The Herrin shortstop was asked what it felt like to have 13 RBIs in two days.

<p class="p1">"It feels good, I like to help my team out," he said. "It's not an individual sport, it's a team sport. We've got to go out here and play for our team and put it on the line."

<p class="p1">Herrin trailed 1-0 on a solo home run by Steeleville's Brett Bunselmeyer in the bottom of the first inning, but Post 645 pitcher Aaron Cheatham (2-0) settled down in allowing only three more hits the rest of the way.

<p class="p1">"Several errors in the field have been hurting us," said Steeleville coach Bill Grafton. "We don't have a lot of pitching.

<p class="p1">"Cody's doing the best he can, he's got to keep the ball down, (but) Herrin's a good-hitting team.

<p class="p1">"They're a solid team."

<p class="p1">Post 480 (1-5) committed four errors on Sunday, including three in a four-run fourth inning that gave Herrin a commanding 9-1 advantage.

<p class="p1">"We're still trying to get our team together," Grafton said. "We have kids on vacation, we still have a kid out (Sunday).

<p class="p1">"I thought we would have a little bit better showing than what we've had, just have to keep the ball down."

<p class="p1">Herrin (3-1) added another five runs in the fifth to end the game early.

<p class="p1">"The attitude of this team is greatly enhanced just because they're baseball players," said Herrin coach Jeff Hartline. "They're athletes and they want to be here and they want to win."

<p class="p1">Justin Craig, Kasey Wilson, Austin Carpenter and Ethan Little also had hits for Post 480, with Wilson hitting a first-inning double.

<p class="p1">"I'm lucky to coach not only my son (Jacob), but also two of my nephews," Coach Hartline said. "And (Cheatham) is one of them with (Trenton) Stucker being the other one.

<p class="p1">"This will be Aaron's last year in senior legion ball. He's played senior legion since he was about 14 years old and he brings it every day."

<p class="p1">Orient 14, Steeleville 5

<p class="p1">STEELEVILLE -- Kasey Wilson went 2-for-4 with an RBI, but Steeleville fell to Orient on June 8.

<p class="p1">Brett Bunselmeyer went 1-for-2 with two runs scored for Post 480, while Andrew Grafton, Luke Hartman and Josh Ryder also had hits for Steeleville.

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