Teutopolis Post 924 To Play For Fifth Division Championship

CARMI --  Teutopolis Post 924 came back against the odds and will play for the championship of the Fifth Division American Legion Baseball Tournament today.

T-town opened the tourney with a 7-4 loss to Harrisburg Post 167 Monday. That dropped the squad into the loser bracket where they fought back through three teams and will now take on Edwardsville at 11 a.m. today. If T-town wins, the team will have to play a second game to win the title.

T-town defeated Mount Vernon Wednesday then had to play two games Thursday against Herrin Post 645 and Murphysboro Post 127. In the Herrin contest, T-town scored a run with two outs in the top of the ninth to push ahead. Post 924 then came up with a big play at first base in the bottom of the frame to hold off Herrin 4-3.

In the second game, runs were coming from everywhere as T-town finally outlasted Murphysboro 17-10.

T-town held a 7-0 lead in the top of the third before Murphysboro got unwound and scored three in the bottom of the third. But T-town kept the barrage coming with three runs in the fifth, five in the sixth and two more in the ninth.

T-town banged out a whopping 19 hits in the contest led by Jordan Thoele with a single and two home runs that included a grand slam. He finished with eight RBI. John Kreke had four singles and an RBI. Player/coach Andy Borries nailed a lead-off home run in the ninth and also had a single. Matt Koester had three singles and an RBI and Jacob Roepke two singles and a double.

Edwardsville reached the championship with a 9-7 win over Harrisburg and a 7-5 victory over Murphysboro.

At Carmi

Teutopolis                  331    035    002    --    17-19-1

Murphysboro            003    310    030    --    10-14-5

Teutopolis -- Kreke, 4 singles, 1 RBI; Koester, 3 singles, 1 RBI; Roepke, 2 singles, double; Thoele, single, 2 home runs, 8 RBI; Borries, single, home run, 1 RBI; Westendorf, 2 singles, 1 RBI; Mette, single, 1 RBI; Smith, single, 1 RBI

Murphysboro -- Daniels, 2 singles, 2 RBI; Baird, 2 singles, 1 RBI; Burke, 2 singles, 1 RBI; Bock, single, double, 4 RBI; Brasel, 2 singles; Harris, double, 1 RBI; Pulcher, double; Clendenin, single; Reynolds, single