BALLWIN, Mo. - The Jefferson City Post 5 Freshmen had a long way to go through the loser's bracket of the Missouri American Legion A State Tournament.
After losing its first-round game, Jefferson City needed four wins to advance to the championship. The Post 5 Freshmen were able to eliminate two teams, but a third straight win was denied Saturday night, when Washington Post 218 scored nine runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull away to a 10-1 victory.
The loss ends the Post 5 Freshmen season with a 13-6-1 record.
Jefferson City scored its only run in the top of the fourth inning. Jake Hagner hit a leadoff single and scored on Easton Stuckenschnieder's two-out RBI single, tying the game at 1.
Washington's Reagan Kandlbinder struck out 13 batters in a complete-game effort and only allowed four Post 5 batters to reach base. Hagner added a single in the first inning and Conner Bax hit a leadoff single in the sixth for Jefferson City.
Thorn Phillips was the losing pitcher for Post 5, striking out seven batters in 51/3 innings.
Jefferson City began the day with an 18-7 victory in five innings of an elimination game against Ste. Genevieve Post 150.
Stuckenschnieder led the Post 5 hitting attack, going 4-for-5 with three singles, one double and four RBI.
Eleven players had at least one hit for Jefferson City, and three players had a hit in the No. 3 spot of the batting order. Colten Bryan had two singles and two RBI, Justin Atnip singled in the fourth and Joseph Wilde hit an RBI triple in the fifth.
Post 5 scored seven runs in the second inning and six more in the fourth to build a 15-3 lead.
Bax, Matthew Robertson and Chase Buddemeyer each had three-hit games. Robertson tripled and drove in three runs, Buddemeyer had two doubles and one RBI and Bax added a pair of RBI.
Hagner finished with two doubles and two RBI.
Post 5 used five pitchers in the win. Hagner and Atnip each recorded two strikeouts.
Washington at Kirkwood Post 156 will play an elimination game at 1 p.m. today, with the winner advancing to the championship game against Jackson Post 158 at 3:30 p.m.