SOFTBALL: Falcons' offense fails to click at Wood Bat State Tourney

Scoring just six runs in four games, the Pinckneyville Falcons' 2013 season came

to a close with a 1-3 showing at the Illinois ASA Wooden Bat State Tournament in Casey, Ill. over the weekend with their lone victory coming after a walk-off RBI by Bryant Shute in the seventh inning of an elimination game against Wessels Coors Light on Saturday.

The lack of runs wasn't necessarily due to a lack of hits - Pinckneyville averaged over six per game - but more from a lack of timely hits. Double-play balls and stranded base runners haunted the Falcons for most of the event, not to mention the typically free-swinging team had to adjust to using wooden bats at the plate.

"The wooden bats keep the defense more honest," said Pinckneyville player-coach Eric Saunders. "It's harder to find gaps. It's a different kind of game for us - a lot of bunting and small ball, we're not the best at that at times, we like to take hacks. We can do that, but with wooden bats it's a lot tougher."

Bryant Hale, who tossed nineteen innings for the Falcons over the weekend, was stuck with the 2-1 loss in Pinckneyville's tournament opener on Friday evening against Vandalia Freight. Hale gave up two earned runs on seven hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

The Falcons had six hits, one apiece from Shute (1-3), Saunders (1-2), Hayden Hicks (1-3), John Kiselewski (1-3, R, 2B), Garrick Hale (1-2, RBI, BB) and Drew Dudek, but also left six men on base.

Things got even more frustrating offensively for Pinckneyville in their noon game on Saturday, a 6-2 loss to the Belleville Stallions. The Falcons racked up nine hits off of Steve Godar, but stranded seven runners and hit into three double-plays.

Kiselewski took the loss in the circle (6 ER, 7 H, 4 BB, 2 K), but provided all of Pinckneyville's offense with a pair of solo homers in three at-bats. Saunders (1-1, 2B, 2 BB), G. Hale (1-2), Dudek (2-3, 2B), Rick Kasban (1-3, 2B) and C.J. Opp (1-1) also had hits.

Playing elimination games the rest of the way, the Falcons were nine outs from heading home 0-3 before a late comeback and a pair of RBIs from Shute carried them past Wessels on Saturday afternoon, 2-1.

Kasban singled and scored on Shute's double in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game before Dudek singled in the seventh, stole second and later scored on Shute's walk-off hit. B. Hale had his stuff working on the pitching rubber, allowing just four hits and a walk with one strikeout.

Kasban (2-4, R) and Shute (2-3, 2 RBI, 2B, BB) both had two hits, Hicks (1-3), Kiselewski (1-3, 2B), G. Hale (1-3) and Dudek (1-2, R, SAC) each had one.

Hale was handed the ball again in Pinckneyville's third Saturday game after Kiselewski suffered a hamstring injury against Wessels, and some early troubles led to a 4-0 lead after three innings by Altamont Home Center. The Falcons eventually fell 5-1, failing to catch a break as their opponents converted on several highlight-reel defensive plays.

"They made some nice plays behind their pitcher," Saunders said. "We had chances in a few innings and just couldn't get the runs across. You've got to give them credit for making plays."

This time Pinckneyville left eight men on base, going scoreless until an error plated Taylor Beninati after he walked in the seventh inning. Hale finished up with eight hits and four earned runs allowed, two walks and three strikeouts.

"Bryant pitched his tail off all weekend," said Saunders, "for the last month, we just haven't been able to get the runs across for him. We had a lot of wasted opportunities."

Kasban (1-4), Shute (1-4), Hicks (1-3), G. Hale (1-3), Dudek (1-3) and Lyle Winter (1-3) had the Falcons' six hits against Altamont.

Saunders summed up the season by saying he's happy with the way the team improved throughout the summer.

"We're close, we've got a mix of some guys that have played a long time and some nice young players with a lot of potential," Saunders said. "I think we finished 16-24, which doesn't really show what kind of progress we made. Bryant Hale took the reigns for us the last month and a half, I like what he did for us. He didn't complain, he gutted it out, he's got a lot of potential. This whole team does, hopefully they'll all be back and we can build on this and make some noise next year."

Rockford defeated the Stallions 5-3 in the championship game on Sunday.