Post 4 Juniors play for Area title

CREIGHTON - Despite owning an automatic berth to this weekend’s Nebraska Class C Junior American Legion Baseball Tournament as the host, the Hartington Post 4 American Legion Juniors are making a bid to get there with the Class C Area 1 championship trophy in tow.

Post 4 rode a 7-0 win over Adams Post 221 Monday to advance to the finals of the tournament. They were scheduled to take on Albion Cornerstone Bank in the title game.

Albion lost to Crofton in the opening round which means they had to beat Hartington twice to win the title.

Both teams will advance to the state tournament which opens July 20 and runs through July 24 at Felber Park in Hartington.

Hartington defeated Creighton-Bloomfield in the opening round 11-3 and bettered Crofton 9-1 before advancing to the finals with the win over Adams.

“Pitching has been the name of the game for us all year,” Post 4 manager Don Whitmire said. “Coach (Andrew) English has been working real hard with the pitchers and calling great games and the pitchers are delivering. I think what really helps our pitcher’s confidence is knowing we have a tremendous defense behind them and no matter the situation, we are a ground ball away from two outs. We had two big double plays against Adams which shut down innings.”

In addition, against Post 221, Adams had runners on second and third with no one out. Winning pitcher, Bodie Hochstein got a big strikeout then catcher Sam Wiebelhaus grabbed a foul ball behind the plate to end the threat. Hochstein went the distance, allowing just five hits in his seven innings of work, issuing only two walks and striking out 12. He also sparkled at the plate, finishing the night 3-for-4 with a double.

Meanwhile, the Post 4 offense got all of the runs Hochstein would need in the first inning, plating four.

Breiton Whitmire opened the game with a single into center field then stole second base after a strikeout.

Hunter Bensen singled past the third baseman to score Whitmire before Koby Detlefsen was hit by the Adams’ pitcher.

Grady Haberer, who finished 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBI’s, rifled a line drive into center field to plate Bensen and Detlefsen.

After an infield fly made it two outs, Keyton Arens hit a ground ball back to the pitcher, which the pitcher mishandled allowing Wiebelhaus to score after he was also hit by a pitch to get on base.

Adams threatened in the fourth, but the first of the two double plays Whitmire mentioned erased back-to-back singles after a strikeout by Hochstein.

Breiton Whitmire opened the Hartington sixth with a double and Hochstein chased him to third with a hard ground ball in the hole at third base.

After a strikeout, Detlefsen rapped a single into right field scoring Whitmire, and leaving Hudson Whitmire, a courtesy runner for Hochstein, on third base.

Haberer singled to right field with two outs, driving in Hudson Whitmire and Detelfsen to get to the final score.

Hochstein coaxed a fly ball to open the Adams’ half of the sixth but the next batter singled and Hochstein gave up a walk.

Post 4 turned its second double play to end the inning and Hochstein registered three strikeouts in the seventh to end the game.

Hartington went up on Crofton 2-0 as the teams headed into the fourth. Crofton scored a run in the top of the fourth, but Post 4 responded with two in its half of the frame.

Hartington added three runs in the fifth and stopped the game by the 8-run rule in the sixth with two more runs to get to the 9-1 final.

Creighton-Bloomfield jumped on Post 4 with three runs in the top of the first inning, but Hartington scored four in the third to take the lead and never looked back on the way to 11-3 final, again in a game halted by the run rule.

Breiton Whitmire and Arens each scored three times in the game, Maverick Heine scored twice and Bensen and Wiebelhaus crossed the plate once each.

“I am really liking the swings we are taking at the plate, everyone seems to be peaking at the right time and every game has been someone else with a big hit,” Coach Whitmire said. “We are playing well, but we still have business to attend to finish the Area and maintain our focus and intensity through state. It is an absolute joy watching these boys play.”

Hartington American Legion Post 4 Juniors defeat Adams Post 221 Juniors 7-0 H40000030-7130 A00000000 -051 WP: Bodie Hochstein LP: B. Bernhardt.

2B: Bodie Hochstein, Breiton Whitmire (H); E. Buss (A).

Hartington American Legion Post 4 Juniors defeat Crofton 9-1.

C000100X-142 H101232X-9112 WP: Koby Detlefsen LP: G. Schieffer.

2B: Bodie Hochstein, Breiton Whitmire, Grady Haberer (H); L.

Heimes (C). 3B: Hunter Bensen (H).

Hartington American Legion Post 4 Juniors defeat Creighton-Bloomfield Juniors 11-3.

C300000X-322 H004313X-1161 WP: Gavin Klug LP: Wilmes.

2B: Breiton Whitmire (H); Gilsdorf (C-B).