LINDEN — The busy summer slate continues for Byron Cox Post 72 baseball as Thursday afternoon they hosted the 2nd annual Post 72 Wooden Bat Tournament. The tournament which lasts through Sunday is welcoming teams from Illinois, Missouri and Kentucky as well as a few teams from here in Indiana. Post 72 got the tournament started off on the right foot by going 2-0 in their two games on Thursday. The first win came was an 11-2 win over Rantoul, Illinois while the second win came later in the evening in an 11-0 win over Danville, IN.
The 11-0 win over Danville was highligted by the pitching duo of Deacon Spencer and Covington’s Karver Fye as the two combined to throw a no-hitter in the five inning win.
Game 1 vs Rantoul
Post 72 has had a few big innings already this summer and game one against Rantoul saw another one. After giving up two runs in the top of the first, Post 72 responded with three of their own in the bottom of the inning. In the bottom of the third Crawfordsville added on seven runs to extend it’s lead to 10-2. They scored those seven runs on just three hits as the Rantoul pitching staff struggled with their control. Two walks and three hit batsman supplied the ammo for the big inning. Rantoul also struggled in the field committing five errors in the loss.
“It was a good win, but we still only had five hits,” Post 72 coach Kyle Proctor said. “We have to do a better job still of creating our own offense and not letting the other team do it for us. We kept Keifer (Wilson) under 60 pitches so he’s good to come back Sunday if and hopefully when we need him.”
North Montgomery’s Jarrod Kirsch and Roman Utterback had two hits each for Post 72 in the win. Keifer Wilson had the other hit.
On the mound Wilson got the win throwin three innings and striking out six. He allowed two hits and two earned runs. Fye came in pitch two innings and struck out three while Kaiden Underwood pitched the final two frames and struck out one.
Game 2 vs Danville
Anytime a team throws a no-hitter it’s something to celebrate and Fye and Spencer proved once again that when Post 72’s pitching is on, they’re very difficult to beat. Spencer threw 2.2 innings and struck out four while Fye threw 2.1 innings and struck out two. Post 72’s defense did commit a pair of errors in the win, but Danville couldn’t capitalize off either chance.
Despite the 11 runs, Post 72 did once again manage just five hits. Wilson had two while Spencer, Kirsch, and Utterback all had one. Danville was sloppy all game long in the field committing six total errors and walking six more while hitting a pair of batters.
“As long as our guys don’t walk their hitters, we’re a pretty good pitching staff,” Proctor said of the combined no-hitter. “We took advantage of what they were giving us but when our guys throw strikes we feel really good about our chances. It was nice to go 2-0 today and we’ll have a lengthy break before our game tomorrow night but we’ll come out and try and get another win.”
Post 72 will wait until the final game of the evening on Friday to play their one game of the day. It’ll be an 8 pm first pitch back out at North Montgomery against Madisonville, KY. After two games Saturday morning, that’s when bracket play will begin with every team being seeded 1-8. the four remaining teams after Saturday will play in the two semi-final games Sunday with the championship game scheduled for 4 pm on Sunday afternoon.
