Effingham Post 120 Finishes Play at Firecracker Classic

MATTOON -- Effingham Post 120 finished play at the Firecracker Classic during the weekend.

In Saturday action, Post 120 lost to Danville Blue, 5-3. Effingham held a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the third before Danville tied and scored two more runs in the fifth.

Post 120 took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Cody Grove singled home a run. Post 120 added two in the top of the third but Danville Blue tied in the bottom of the frame then scored two in the fifth.

Post 120 had three hits led by Grove with two hits and two RBI and Brett Koester with a hit.

Postd 120 then fell to Charleston Blue, 8-7. Once again Post 120 took an early lead going out to 2-1 in the first inning then tacked on three more in the top of the third. But Charleston Blue came back with six runs in the bottom of the frame to lead 7-5. Effingham tied in the top of the fourth then Charleston scored the winning run in the bottom of the fifth.

Colin Koester had two hits and an RBI while Ben Strullmeyer had two hits and three RBI and Bryson Wall two hits for Effingham.

 In a Friday contest, Effingham Post 120 lost a pitchers' duel to Danville Gold.

Dylan Guy started the game for Effingham and recorded 18 outs. Keegan West took the victory for Danville Gold allowing one run on five hits over seven innings and striking out eight.

Danville Gold tallied a run in the second and two in the sixth. Post 120 scored its run in the top of the seventh.

Effingham outhit Danville Gold, 5-4. B. Koester, Ryan Sandifer, Guy, Strullmeyer and Nick Bishop had a hit each. C. Koester had the lone RBI.

Mattoon Firecracker Classic

Post 120               102    000    0    --    3-3-4

Danville                 003    020    x    --    5-4-2

WP -- Ecker. LP -- Kabbes.

Effingham Post 120 -- Koester, single; Grove, 2 singles, 2 RBI

Post 120                   203    200    --    7-8-2

Charleston               106    01x    --    8-6-1

WP -- Bonnstetter. LP -- Grove.

Effingham Post 120 -- Ballman, 1 hit; B. Koester, 1 hit; C. Koester, 2 hits, 1 RBI; Strullmeyer, 2 hits, 3 RBI; Wall, 2 hits