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Jul 19, 2023

LEGION BASEBALL: Speakers' season ends in regional play

MIDLAND, Mich. — The Danville Post 210 Speakers had a good start to avoiding elimination at the American Legion Great Lakes Regional on Thursday. But Linwood, Mich. scored 10 runs in the fifth inning

MIDLAND, Mich. — The Danville Post 210 Speakers had a good start to avoiding elimination at the American Legion Great Lakes Regional on Thursday.

But Linwood, Mich. scored 10 runs in the fifth inning and went on to a 13-7 win to end the Speakers' season at 35-9.

Post 210 was up 6-2 going into Linwood's at-bat and starter Kollin Asbury was doing a good job after giving up two runs in the first inning.

"It unraveled on us," Post 210 coach Brent Hart said. "Asbury was cruising but it seemed like they found every hole in the field. When they loaded the bases up, they brought them in. It was the only inning they really scored, so it was crazy."

The Speakers battle back from that early 2-0 hole with an sacrifice fly by Josh Young, a sacrifice fly by Landon Haurez in the third, an RBI single by Drew Wichtowski and a two-RBI single by Dlaton Hobick and Gavin Parkerson had a RBI single in the fifth.

"We didn't put any big innings, but we scored in five of the seven innings," Hart said. "We just let one inning get out of hand. There were a few defensive mistakes and you can't so that with a team like them. If you give them five or six out, you will pay."

In the sixth, Haurez had an RBI groundout but Linwood scored a run in the bottom of the inning to end the scoring.

Hobick had two hits and two RBIs, Haurez had two RBIs, Wichtowski had two hits and a RBI, Parkerson and Young each had one RBI and Drew Pinkston had two hits.

"Those guys knew it was a win or go home situation and they left it all out there," Hart said. "It's been a long summer with 43 games in 60 days and they left it all out there every game, so I am proud of the group."

With the loss, the Speakers will say goodbye to players like Haurez, Pinkston, Young and Hobick.

"Pinkston has been here for a couple years and he has been great for us. He is a four-hole player for us with a high batting average and I couldn't ask for a better kid," Young said. "Josh Young had a nice year for us. he had some ups and downs, but he was huge in sate. I don't know if we would have been state runner-up without him. He as a lockdown centerfielder.

"Landon Haurez has exceeded all the expectations that we had. Dalton will continue his career at Kankakee Community College and he had a great year for us. Coming out of high school, he was banged up and we had him rest for a while, then it took a couple of more weeks for him to get back into the rhythm of the game. He produced huge for us for the season."

The experience of the trip to the regional will only work to the benefit of younger players like Wichtowski.

"It is huge for guys like Wichtowski. I let him in talks with some of the older players," Hart said. "Pinkston and Hobick was the heartbeat of the team and I made sure that Wichtowski was around and I look for him to step up and lead the team. Him, Asbury, Parkerson and Waller can show the younger guys what they can do."

For Hart, who is in his first season at the helm, he said that this was a great experience.

"They have exceed all the goals they set. I could not have asked for a great first summer.

Hart also said he is now working on the next season, which will officially start Saturday and Sunday with junior and senior teams tryouts at the Carl Gruber Complex. Both days of the tryouts will start at 10 a.m.

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