Post 5 Seniors win crown in Sedalia tournament

SEDALIA - The Jefferson City American Legion Post 5 Seniors began the 2017 season by winning the Jimmy Glenn Tournament held Saturday and Sunday at Liberty Park Stadium with a 3-1 record.

Due to the Jefferson City Jays' postseason extending into the Final Four at O'Fallon, the Post 5 Seniors had just 10 players on the roster for the tournament.

Post 5 started the tournament Saturday with a 5-2 win against Lee's Summit. Logan Bexten pitched a complete game in the win, scattering eight hits and striking out five batters in seven innings.

Parker Schnieders scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the third inning on a passed ball and Ryan Paschal hit a two-run double in the fourth, adding a pair of insurance runs.

Jefferson City's only loss during the weekend came Saturday night, falling 8-7 to Washington. Post 5 led 7-4 after five innings, but a three-run inning in the top of the seventh gave Washington the one-run edge.

Skyler Dickneite struck out six batters in five innings. Thomas Verslues took the loss for Post 5, throwing the final two innings.

Jason Rackers led the offensive attack, going 2-for-3 with a single and a two-run double in the second inning to give Jefferson City a 4-3 lead.

Post 5 bounced back with a pair of wins Sunday, beating Sedalia 6-3 and Moberly 6-1.

Paschal allowed two hits in six innings to beat Sedalia, adding five strikeouts. Rackers closed the game in the seventh, allowing two runs and three walks with one strikeout.

At the plate, Rackers went 3-for-3 with three singles and two RBI. Paschal added one single and one double and Dickneite drove in two runs.

Drew Boessen pitched a five-hitter against Moberly, allowing one run and one walk while striking out five in seven innings.

Post 5 scored five runs in the first inning, which accounted for four of the team's five hits. Drew Bax had a two-run double and Verslues added a two-run single in the frame.

Post 5 and Sedalia each finished the tournament with a 3-1 record, but Jefferson City won the head-to-head tiebreaker to claim the five-team tournament championship. Washington and Lee's Summit each went 2-2 and Moberly finished 0-4.

The Post 5 Seniors (3-1) will return to action later this week at the Branson Tournament, a three-day tournament that begins Thursday.