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HARTINGTON - The Hartington Post 4 American Legion Seniors ran into some quality pitching in dropping a couple of games over the past week. The two losses, both on the road, followed a win over Wisner-Pilger/Dodge-Howells here at Felber Park.
The Post 4 Seniors lost to Wakefield 5-0 on June 13 in a game played at Eaton Field in Wakefield and lost 6-5 to West Point on June 17.
Hartington got out to a 3-0 lead over West Point and led 4-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning.
West Point scored three runs in its half of the fifth to tie the score 4-4.
Post 4 regained the lead in the top of the seventh but West Point tied it again in the bottom of the inning, forcing an extra inning.
Hartington failed to score in the top of the eighth and West Point used four walks in its half of the extra session to score the winning run.
Breiton Whitmire was a thorn in the side of West Point pitching, finishing the night 4-for-5, scored three runs and drove in another. His hits included a double and a triple to go along with two singles.
He also took a turn on the hill pitching 2.1 innings, allowing only one run on one hit while walking none and striking out one in relief of Dylan Taylor who pitched four solid innings, scattering four hits in his stay striking out four. Hunter Bensen took the loss coming on for the final out of the seventh and pitching the eighth.
“We’re starting to come around,” Post 4 manager, Don Whitmire said. “The success they have been used to experiencing is not the same, meaning they are learning the value of quality at bats and doing the small things versus just hitting every pitch thrown at them.”
In Wakefield, Hartington ran into one of the top pitchers in the area in Jesse Lundahl. Lundahl pitched seven innings of two-hit baseball with 11 strikeouts on the evening and allowing only three walks.
Detlefsen did manage a double in the contest but Lundahl kept the Post 4 batters at an arms’ length.
Cole Rosener paced Hartington against Wisner-Pilger/Dodge-Howells with a great performance of his own on the mound.
Rosener went five innings, allowing four hits, one run and recorded 13 strikeouts while walking only two.
WPDH scored first with a run in the first frame, but it was all Post 4 from there.
Hartington tied it up in the second then took the lead for good in the third with five runs to go up 6-1.
Post 4 added four runs in the fourth and Rosener took it from there, sitting WPDH down in order in the bottom of the fifth to post the win.
“We have a lot of athletes who like to compete,” Whitmire said. “I’m excited for the upcoming games and our progression.”
Post 4 has three consecutive home Ralph Bishop League games coming up on June 19 against Battle Creek, June 21 against Arlington and June 26 with Oakland-Craig.
West Point Seniors defeat Hartington Post 4 Seniors 6-5. H10201010-571 W00013011-652 WP: Dinslage LP: Hunter Bensen. 2B: Bodie Hochstein, Breiton Whitmire, Dan Puppe (H). 3B: Breiton Whitmire (H); Haas (W). Wakefield Seniors defeat Hartington Post 4 Seniors 5-0. H0000000-022 W211100X-560 WP: Jesse Lundahl LP: Easton Hochstein.
2B: Koby Detlefsen (H); Anderson, Lundahl (W). Hartington Post 4 Seniors defeat Wisner-Pilger/Dodge-Howells 10-1. W10000XX-143 H0154XXX-1050 WP: Cole Rosner LP: Ott 2B: Hunter Bensen (H). 3B: Hunter Bensen (H).
