Hartington Seniors play for Area title

CROFTON — The Hartington Post 4 Seniors grabbed a spot in the Area 1 Class C Senior American Legion Baseball Tournament finals here July 29 with a solid 8-2 victory over Creighton-Bloomfield.

Post 4 flirted with a run-rule game but ended up going the full seven innings as Creighton-Bloomfield plated a couple of runs late.

Tate Fischer went the distance on the mound, allowing just three hits, one earned run and striking out three.

“How about Tate on the mound,” Hartington coach Don Whitmire said. “The kid has ice in his veins. He came in and got a big save for us in the Junior state tournament and went the distance here tonight, that’s exactly what we needed. We’re ready for the finals.”

Pitching is always an issue in Legion baseball as pitchcounts are strictly adhered to and scrutinized.

“We’ve got a lot of arms on this team and most of them are still available for the finals,” Whitmire said. “We’ll get the first one tomorrow with Koby (Detlefsen) then get into a dog fight the second game.”

Hartington would have to beat Crofton-Wynot twice in the finals by virtue of a 7-3 loss suffered by Post 4 on July 28.

Post 4 scored five runs in the first two innings to give Fischer all of the support he needed to post the win.

Dan Puppe got aboard in the top of the first inning with a two-out single up the middle and promptly stole second base.

Hunter Bensen rapped a line drive back up the middle for another base hit which scored Puppe and put Hartington up 1-0.

Detlefsen opened the Hartington second with a walk and also stole second base.

Breiton Whitmire doubled into right field to score Detlefsen then Dylan Taylor was hit by the Creighton-Bloomfield pitcher.

Whitmire had found his way to third base on a passed ball before Taylor took second base.

Puppe then slammed a double to left field which scored two runs and made the score 5-0.

The score remained 5-0 until Creighton scored in the sixth, but Post 4 answered with three runs in the top of the seventh to make it 8-1.

Taylor, Puppe and Bensen scored for Hartington in the frame to put the game on ice and the contest ended with the 8-2 final score.

Earlier in the tournament, Post 4 suffered the 7-3 loss to Crofton/Wynot, defeated Orchard Tri County 9-1 in five innings and defeated Stanton 16-1 in four innings of work.

In the loss to Crofton/Wynot, Hartington got out to a 2-0 lead with single runs in the first and third innings, but Crofton erupted for four runs in the third frame.

Post 4 made it 4-3 in the top of the fourth, but Crofton answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning then added two in the sixth to send Hartington to the consolation bracket.

In the first, Whitmire singled to left field, stole second base and advanced to third on a Taylor ground out to the shortstop.

Hunter Bensen stepped to the plate with two outs and singled past the third baseman to score Whitmire.

Meanwhile, Taylor was cruising along on the mound until the four-run fourth by Crofton/Wynot derailed the Post 4 train.

In the second round win over the Orchard/Tri County Titans, neither team scored in the first inning then Post 4 scored once in the bottom of the second then plated five runs in the third to take control of the game.

Bensen scored the run in the second after a single, stolen base, passed ball and a sacrifice fly by Wes Heine.

Taylor highlighted the Hartington third with a two-run homer to left field after a 12-pitch at bat, which scored Whitmire after he had driven in Bodie Hochstein who singled to get on base.

Consecutive singles by Puppe, Bensen and Detlefsen manufactured another run to make it 5-0 and Bensen eventually scored on a ground out to make it 6-0.

Taylor finished the night 2-for-3 with 3 RBI’s and the home run while Gavin Klug pitched a gem on the hill going all five innings, allowing just four hits and a run while striking out six.

“Gavin pitched a great game,” Coach Whitmire said. “And I really thought Taylor’s home run got us going, we hit the ball pretty well all night.”

In the 4-inning game with Stanton, Hartington scored two runs in the first, three in the second then blew the game wide open with an 8-run third.

After an out in the third, Post 4 worked four consecutive walks by Bodie Hochstein, Whitmire, Taylor and Puppe.

Bensen smacked a double to left field which chased home three runs then scored when Detlefsen hit a shot to left field which was mishandled and the score was 11-1.

Detlefsen eventually scored on a dropped third strike and Maverick Heine would score after he singled to make it 13-1.

Cole Rosener got the win on the mound working a couple of innings before giving way to Easton Hochstein and Micah Cattau.

Post 4 was set to take on Crofton/Wynot again in the Area 1 finals for chance to advance to the 2024 Senior American Legion State Tournament which opens Aug. 3 and runs through Aug. 7 at Eaton Field in Wakefield.

Hartington Post 4 Seniors defeat Creighton-Bloomfield 8-2. H1400003-891 C0000011-231 WP: Tate Fischer LP: Calvin Wilmes. 2B: Dan Puppe (2), Breiton Whitmire, Easton Hochstein (H); Owen Doerr, Braxton Eggerling (C-B). Crofton/Wynot Post 128 Seniors defeat Hartington Post 4 Seniors 7-3. H1011000-352 C004102X-781 WP: Zach Foxhoven LP: Dylan Taylor S: Zac Tramp. Hartington Post 4 Seniors defeat Orchard Tri County Seniors 9-1. O00001XX-142 H01512XX-992 WP: Gavin Klug LP: Wyatt Shabram. 2B: Wes Heine (H); Ryan Rifer (O). HR: Dylan Taylor (H). Hartington Post 4 Seniors defeat Stanton Post 88 Mustangs 16-1. S0010XXX-115 H2383XXX-1682 WP: Cole Rosener LP: Jordan Claussen. 2B: Hunter Bensen (H). 3B: Breiton Whitmire (H).