Hartington Juniors move to 6-1 with three more wins
HARTINGTON - The Hartington Post 4 American Legion baseball team played a couple of Ralph Bishop League games this past week and won them both to improve to 6-1 on the season.
Post 4 defeated Wisner-Pilger/ Dodge-Howells 7-4 here at Felber Park on June 12 then hit the road to take on West Point on June 17 where they won 6-3.
“Overall it was a good week,” Hartington coach, Don Whitmire said. “It was the end of a stretch in which we played 14 games in 14 days so it was nice to have a few days off over the weekend.”
Hartington did all of its scoring in the first four innings before relying on a strong pitching performance from Koby Detlefsen to carry the team to victory.
Detlefsen went the full seven innings in the game and allowed just three runs on three hits while striking out six batters.
Post 4 opened the game with three straight singles by Breiton Whitmire, Bodie Hochstein and Koby Detlefsen.
Detlefsen’s single sent Whitmire home and left Hochstein on third. Detlefsen advanced to second on an errant throw.
After a Hartington strikeout, Sam Wiebelhaus lifted a fly ball to to left field which was deep enough to score Hochstein and make the score 2-0.
In the second, Whitmire was hit by a pitch and stole second before Hochstein rapped a single into left field to score Whitmire and pushed the advantage to 3-0.
Easton Hochstein singled after a Wiebelhaus walk to begin the third frame. Tate Fischer loaded the bases when he got aboard on a West Point error.
After a couple of strikeouts, Whitmire was plunked by the West Point pitcher, forcing home Easton Hochstein.
Detlefsen singled in the top of the fourth, Hunter Bensen doubled and Wiebelhaus singled to left field to chase home two runs and put Post 4 up 6-0.
Detlefsen was cruising along with two outs in the sixth when things got a little hairy. Back-to-back singles and double scored three runs, but Detlefsen got the third out on a fly ball to right fielder, Tate Fischer.
Against Wisner-Pilger/Dodge-Howells, it was a big fifth inning and a big night at the plate for Whitmire that helped Hartington post the win.
Micah Cattau singled with one out in the fifth for Post 4 then stole second base.
Nolan Heimes smacked a double into left field scoring Cattau then a single by Keyton Arens scored Heimes.
Breiton Whitmire laced one of his three hits in the game past the shortstop to put runners on the corners.
Bodie Hochstein walked to load the bases before Detlefsen hit a sinlge into left field to Arens and Whitmire and put Post 4 in the lead, 6-3.
Detlefsen eventually scored the final Hartington run on a ground ball out later in the inning.
Whitmire went 3-for-3 in the game with three runs scored, Detlefsen was 1-for-2 with a couple of RBI’s.
The Post 4 American Legion Juniors are set to travel to Pierce on June 20 before hosting Arlington on June 21 in loop play.
Hartington will take on the Columbus Reds on June 22 in a 1 p.m. game then play Plainview Post 148 at 5:30, both games in Felber Park. Hooper Scribner will come to Hartington on June 26.
Hartington Post 4 Juniors defeat West Point 6-3. H21120000-6101 WP0000300-353 WP: Koby Detlefsen LP: Popken. 2B: Easton Hochstein, Hunter Bensen (H); Reeson (WP). Hartington Post 4 Juniors defeat Wisner-Pilger/Dodge-Howells 7-4. WP/DH 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 - 4 4 2 HART100150X-7125 WP: Bodie Hochstein LP: John 2B: Bodie Hochstein, Breiton Whitmire,