Legion team pushes record to 9-1 after road victories
The first of four games on the road last weekend was an extra-inning nail-biter for Tonganoxie No. 1 in American Legion play.
The remaining three weren’t quite as close.
Tonganoxie outlasted the Leavenworth Knights in eight innings Friday by a 7-4 count, thanks to a three-run eighth inning that included a 2-RBI single for Todd Brown.
Kelton Starcher started for Tonganoxie. He pitched five innings, giving up six hits and four runs. Starcher also had seven strikeouts and three walks. John Volk came in relief, striking out seven more Knights. He allowed no hits and gave up a walk.
Other highlights in the game included a Derek Sparks’ two-run homer run and doubles by John and Daniel Volk.
In the second game, Tonganoxie needed just three innings to secure a win. Kirk Rodell had a two-run home run of his own, while Sparks, who batted behind Rodell in the No. 4 spot, walked each of his three at-bats. In Tonganoxie’s nine-run second inning, four batters reached base after being hit by pitches and two more headed to first on walks.
Joe Park pitched all three innings of the second game, giving up four runs on five hits. He also struck out two batters, walked two more and hit one batter with a pitch.
On Sunday, Tonganoxie traveled to Lansing to take on the Reds. Tonganoxie quickly earned two more wins, blanking the Reds, 18-0, in the first game and 8-0 in the second.
Starcher belted a 3-RBI double to left-center field in the first game, while Sparks had 2-RBI double of his own.
Josh Putthoff threw a no-hitter in three innings. He also had four strikeouts against the Reds.
Tonganoxie had a 2-0 lead after the first inning against the Reds in the first game, but exploded for seven runs in the second and nine in the third.
In the second game, Tonganoxie didn’t have a breakout inning, but scored in four of six innings for the shutout. John Volk threw a two-hit complete game in which he had eight strikeouts.
Sparks connected for another two-run home run in the third, while John Volk made contact for a triple in the second. Hunter Samuels and Jake Dent registered a double each, while Joe Park, Jake Heskett and Daniel Volk all had singles.
With the victories, Tonganoxie improved to 9-1 on the season. The Legion team next will play Thursday at home against Leavenworth’s Post 23 Auxiliary. The team will head back to Lansing next Tuesday to face the Reds again at Lansing.
LINE SCORES
Tonganoxie No. 17, Leavenworth Knights 4
(8 innings)
Tonganoxie 002 020 03 — 7 12 3
Leavenworth 010 300 00 — 4 6 0
Tonganoxie No. 1 19, Leavenworth Knights 4
(3 innings)
Tonganoxie 397 — 19 10 0
Leavenworth 031 — 4 5 2
Tonganoxie No. 1 18, Lansing Reds 0
(3 innings)
Tonganoxie 279 — 18 9 0
Lansing 000 — 0 0 1
Tonganoxie No. 1 8, Lansing Reds 0
(6 innings)
Tonganoxie 022 022 — 8 10 2
Lansing 000 000 — 0 2 1