Run in eighth lifts Post 5 to regional tournament win

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Alex Johnson drove in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth inning Friday as the Jefferson City American Legion Post 5 Seniors claimed a 6-5 win against Little Rock, Ark., in an elimination game of the Mid-South Regional Tournament.

"I was so proud of the way they bounced back," Post 5 coach Dane Hughes said. "When you have a tough one like we did (Thursday), it would have been easy just to throw in the towel, but these guys weren't ready for their season to end."

Trevor Schnieders led off the eighth with a single and Sam Bowles, entering the game as a pinch runner, went from first to third on a sacrifice bunt by Corey Beard. Todd Buschjost followed with a walk, setting up Johnson's sacrifice fly to left to give Post 5 (24-9) the lead.

"Trevor leading off the inning with a hit was key," Hughes said. "Corey laid down a great sac bunt and it was just smart baserunning by Sam to go from first to third. It was great to see us take that extra base."

Cole Distler, who led Post 5 on the offensive end with three hits and an RBI, threw a scoreless ninth inning to record the save.

"Cole's a big-time gamer," Hughes said. "The bigger the situation, the better he is. That's the kind of guy we want to have the ball or have him at the plate late in the game. He's a bulldog."

Bowles picked up the win after allowing two runs on six hits while striking out four in 6 1/3 innings of relief. Post 5 starting pitcher Austin Sachse allowed three runs on six hits in 1 2/3 innings.

"Austin didn't have his good stuff today, so we went to the pen early and Sam stepped up and ate up a bunch of innings and threw really well for us," Hughes said. "He kept us in the game. For him to step up was really big for us."

Little Rock took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but Hayden Strobel and Logan Bax drove in back-to-back runs in the bottom of the frame to make it 2-1. Little Rock plated two runs in the second, but a wild pitch and error allowed Distler and Strobel to score to give Post 5 a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the third.

Johnson led off the fourth with a single and came around to score on an RBI single by Distler to give Post 5 a two-run cushion.

"We did a whole bunch of little things right today that added up to a big win," Hughes said. "The way we kept bouncing back was really big."

Little Rock answered with two runs in the seventh to tie the game, but in the end, it wasn't enough.

"Alex stepped up and delivered for us," Hughes said. 0"They all battled for each other, they picked each other up and that was really good to see. I'm really happy for them."

Post 5, which suffered a 2-1 loss to Tupelo, Miss., in its opening game Thursday, will play Midwest City, Okla., at noon today in another elimination contest.