Post 120 Juniors Advance to Division Play

(THE 2016 EFFINGHAM AMERICAN LEGION POST #120 JUNIOR TEAM AS THEY HEAD TO DIVISION PLAY IN METROPOLIS. FRONT ROW: RYAN SANDIFER, BRETT KOESTER, ALEC MORRISSEY, PARKER SEACHRIST, JORDAN McCABE, KENDAL BALLMAN, DYLAN BUSHUR; BACK ROW: COACH CHRIS KOESTER, BLAKE LOHMAN, JOSEPH KABBES, BRYCE LOHMAN, BRYCAN WALL, COLIN KOESTER, BRANDON WEBER, COACH CARL KOESTER; Ben Strullmyer not present in photo)

Effingham Post 120 Junior Legion knocked off top seed Olney Post 30 by a score of 6-4 Saturday claiming the Eastern Division championship of the District 23 Tournament and earning the right advance to Division play in Metropolis.

Starting pitcher Ryan Sandifer kept the Olney offense off balance for six innings and protected a two run lead into seventh inning. In the bottom of seventh, Sandifer hit the lead-off batter and then was lifted for pitcher Brett Koester.  Koester gave up a single and after a double steal, Olney had runners at second and third with no outs.

Koester responded by striking out the next three batters to preserve the win for Sandifer and Post 120. Offensively, Sandifer helped his own cause with two hits and an RBI while catcher Ben Strullmyer also contributed two hits. Kendal Ballman had a hit, an RBI and scored two runs while Parker Seachrist, Alec Morrissey and Colin Koester also had hits and Joe Kabbes contributed an RBI for Post 120.

Post 120 played Salem Post 128 Sunday as the Eastern and Western Division champions faced off and Post 120 could not hold a one run lead in the seventh inning and was defeated 7-4.

The loss snapped Effingham’s winning streak at 12 but Post 120 had already secured the right to advance to Division play in Metropolis this week.  It is expected that the Division schedule will be released today.