Carmi Rallies Late to Defeat Du Quoin
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Du Quoin's Warriors slipped into the elimination round of the PONY Baseball 13-14 year-old Zone Tournament Wednesday night, dropping a heartbreaking 6-4 decision against the Carmi All-Stars.
With a 21-14 record, Du Quoin plays Murphysboro Friday at 6 p.m.
The tournament is being held at the Benton Community Park.
Carmi- which has won six straight tourney games after a first round regional loss last week- is 27-6.
"That's a team with almost 30 wins and we were within a pitch or two winning the game," Du Quoin coach Richard Hess said. "I'm proud of how we played. We just came up a little short there at the end."
In the second inning, Hess' squad scratched out a pair of runs to take an early 2-0 advantage.
Kody Hess led off the frame with a double and went to third base on Thomas Hamlin's ground out.
Jacob O'Rourke then laid down a perfect squeeze bunt with Hess scoring easily.
The throw to first base sailed into rightfield, sending O'Rourke all the way to third. He would then score on Camden Mercier's bunt hit. The two-run cushion reached 3-0 in the fourth as Du Quoin scored twice on a pair of Carmi miscues.
Single tallies in the fourth and fifth pulled the White County squad closer before Du Quoin added an important insurance run in its half of the seventh.
Back-to-back doubles from Brenden Fred and John Erwin made the score 4-2, but Carmi would force extra frames on a two-out, two-run double against Fred.
"Freddie pitched a great game," Hess said.
"We might have thrown one too many curve balls in that situation. "He held Carmi down about as well as any pitcher could."
PONY rules dictate pitchers be allowed to throw no more than seven full innings over a 40-hour span, so Hess was forced to pull Fred as the eighth inning began.
Mercier relieved and Carmi loaded the bases before a running catch in rightfield by Erwin ended the frame.
In the ninth, Carmi won the game with a two-run homer.
Fred scattered seven hits and whiffed six. He also led Du Quoin with a pair of doubles, going 3-for-4 at the plate.
Hess and Erwin also recorded two-baggers with Travis Chapman adding a single.
Marion- which defeated the host Warriors to win the Du Quoin regional- handled Murphysboro 6-4 in the second game Wednesday.
Thursday's action matches Quincy, Il. vs. St. Louis (Johnny Mac's SLABA) at 6 p.m.
Carmi returns to face tourney host Benton in the 8 o'clock affair.
"We'll come back Friday and try to start another winning streak," Hess said.
Du Quoin has already swept a regular season doubleheader from Murphysboro.
Carmi All-Stars 6,
Du Quoin Warriors 4
DQ 020 100 100- 4 7 1
Ca 000 110 202- 6 10 4
Fred, Mercier (8) and Hamlin. Sailer, Veach (8)and Rankin. WP-Veach LP- Mercier. TOP HITTERS-Du Quoin: Fred 3-4 (2-2B, RBI), Chapman 1-4, Hess 1-4 (2B), Mercier 1-4 (RBI), Erwin 1-3 (2B), O'Rourke (RBI). Carmi: Sailer 2-5 (2B), Veach 3-4 (RBI), Rankin 2-4 (HR, 2 RBI), Matsel 1-5 (2B, 2 RBI), Tucker 2-4 (2B, RBI). RECORDS- Du Quoin 21-14, Carmi 27-6.