Squirrels, grand slam top Post 114 11-8

sports@standard-democrat.com

SIKESTON -- A grand slam by Trey Tigart gave the Charleston Squirrels their first lead of the game in the fourth inning.

The Squirrels kept pouring it on afterward as they held on to an 11-8 win Wednesday against Sikeston American Legion Post 114 at VFW Memorial Stadium in Sikeston during the first game of a doubleheader.

This was Post 114's first game of the year while Charleston (3-1) already holds two lopsided wins against Cape Senior Legion.

"We've had some clutch hits," Charleston head coach Michael Minner said. "It takes guys getting on and it takes guys getting big hits. We've gotten those big hits this early in the year."

The Squirrels, a senior babe ruth team, fell behind 4-0 after two innings. After scoring their first run early in the fourth, Tigart sent a ball over the left field fence with the bases loaded instantly giving the Squirrels a 5-4 lead.

"Trey comes up with a huge hit there and the game changes," Minner said.

Adding five more runs in the fifth and one more in the sixth, the Squirrels sat comfortably with an 11-5 advantage heading into the seventh inning.

"We shot ourselves in the foot a little bit," Post 114 coach Pete Kennard said, whose team committed five errors on the night. "You don't know what you've got until the first game and now we know what we have to work on. We threw the ball around a little bit and that was the biggest problem."

Post 114 pushed across three runs in the bottom of the seventh and brought the tying run to the plate, but Charleston's Tim Hillis shut down Post 114 to earn the save.

"When we come up down by six in the seventh and you put the tying run at the plate, you're doing your job," Kennard said. "Yeah, you'd like a different outcome, but you're still proud of what they did."

After settling in, Charleston's Brad Potts earned the win on the mound throwing six innings allowing five hits and three walks while striking out six batters on 94 pitches.

Although nearly spotless through three innings, Sikeston's Jarett Sandlin received the loss for Post 114.

The Squirrels will play host to Bollinger Co. today at 6 p.m. at Hillhouse Park in Charleston. Post 114's next game will be Monday.

Post 114 won the second game of the doubleheader Wednesday 7-6 in 11 innings.

Legion Baseball

CHAFFEE -- The Scott County Senior Legion baseball team swept Jackson's Senior Legion 5-1 and 14-9 Tuesday during a doubleheader.

Logan Henson pitched a 5-1 win in the first game throwing all seven innings

Dominic Hooper earned the win in the second game.

Scott Co. play tonight against Cape's Jr. Legion.