Effingham Junior Legion Team Sweeps Pair from Vandalia Post

There was one nailbiter and one laugher, but the two games added up to a doubleheader sweep for the Effingham Post #120 Junior American Legion baseball team Friday.

Post #120 scored twice in the sixth and twice in the seventh to edge Vandalia Post #95, 4-3 in the opener and then clobbered the Vandalia squad, 19-5 in the nightcap.

Lane Koenig scored the winning run in the seventh. Vandalia had taken a 2-0 lead in the first and extended it to 3-0 with a run in the fifth, but then came Effingham's rally.

Bryar Jansen, Michael Woltman and Cory Osborn each had two singles for Post #120, while Drew Gibson doubled and walked, Blake White doubled, and Eli Buhrman and Zach Bateman each singled. Woltman, Koenig, Gibson and Osborn each drove in a run.

Woltman worked the first five innings, allowing three runs, one earned, on five hits, walking three and fanning two. Colby Utz pitched an inning and walked a batter and got the win. Lane Koenig pitched the final inning, striking out the side to pick up the save.

Zach Schaal took the loss for Vandalia, going the distance and allowing three earned runs.

In the nightcap of the doubleheader, a seven-run second inning keyed the win. Post #120 got a run in the first inning before breaking the game open in the second, adding two runs in the third, five more in the fourth and four runs in the fifth. Post #120 registered 23 hits.

For Post #120, Eli Buhrman walked twice and scored twice, Blake White singled and scored, Bryar Jansen singled four times, drove in two and scored three times, Drew Gibson singled twice and walked, drove in two runs and scored three times, Lane Koenig doubled twice and singled while walking twice, driving in a run and scoring four times, Cory Osborn singled and walked, drove in a run, and scored twice, James Kabbes singled and drove in a run, Zach Bateman singled three times, drove in three runs and scored a run, Caleb Martin singled twice and walked twice, drove in three runs and scored a run, Kyle Pease tripled and singled three times, walked, drove in a run and scored a run, Colby Utz singled twice and walked and scored a run.

Caleb Martin pitched the first two innings, allowing five runs on three hits and five walks and struck out four batters. Colby Utz pitched three innings, allowing no runs on three hits and no walks while fanning three.