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Tonganoxie Post 41 splits doubleheader; is now 5-3

By Shawn Linenberger - | Jun 30, 2004

Tonganoxie bats didn’t make much of a peep in the first game of a doubleheader Friday on the road against the Bonner Springs Diamondbacks.

That changed in game 2 of the American Legion match-up.

The Post 41 team battled back from a 4-1 deficit with a six-run fourth in game 2 and eventually prevailed with a 10-5 win. The victory came after the D-Backs scored in each of the first three innings on their way to 13-3 win in four innings.

Tonganoxie scored first in game one with two runs in the first, but Bonner Springs answered with five in the bottom half of the inning. A four-run third put the game out of reach and helped the D-Backs to the win.

Kirk Rodell, Derek Sparks, Daniel Volk and Chris Newton each had singles in the first game.

“Their pitcher threw us off in the first game,” Tonganoxie coach Andy Gilner said. “He kept us off-balance a little bit.”

In the second game, Tonganoxie scored in the bottom of the first on a Derek Sparks double that scored Daniel Volk. In the third, Volk reached base with a single and Sparks brought him home. Rodell then brought Sparks with a double.

Sparks and Rodell, the No. 3 and No. 4 hitters, did the most damage in the bottom of the fourth. Sparks managed a single and brought in two runs, while Rodell hit a two-run home run over the left-field fence in the next at-bat. Sparks was a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles on the night, while Hunter Samuels had a third double for Post 41.

Chris Folsom started for Tonganoxie. He pitched three innings before John Volk came in for the final four innings. Volk allowed one run on two hits and a walk as a reliever.

“I thought John Volk came in the second game and pitched well,” Gilner said.

And with the bats, Tonganoxie got after Bonner Springs pitchers.

“I thought we played a little bit more aggressive in the second game,” Gilner said.

Tonganoxie played the Easton Outlaws on Tuesday in Leavenworth. Post 41 will travel back Thursday to Bonner Springs to take on the Diamondbacks before playing Easton on Saturday in Tonganoxie. Both doubleheaders begin at 6 p.m.

Box scores

Post 41 200 1 — 3 4 4

D-Backs 514 x — 13 10 0

D-Backs 013 010 0 — 5 6 2

Post 41 103 600 x — 10 11 2