WASHINGTON, Mo. - There were three total hits Thursday between the Jefferson City Post 5 Juniors and Eureka Post 177.
Eureka's two hits produced the game's only run, as Post 177 defeated Post 5 by a score of 1-0 in the first round of the Missouri American Legion AA State Tournament at Ronsick Field.
Eureka scored in the top of the fourth inning. Dakota Joggerst hit a leadoff single, stole second base and scored on Jake Kranawetter's one-out single to make it a 1-0 game.
Dylan Tate was the winning pitcher for Post 177. He struck out the first five batters he faced and finished the game with nine strikeouts in seven innings.
Post 5's best scoring chance came in the bottom of the fourth inning. Holden Brand was hit by a pitch to start the frame, Max Buscher hit a one-out single - Jefferson City's only hit in the game - and Jace Kesel was hit by a pitch to load the bases. However, Tate got the next batter to pop up on the infield to end the inning and strand the bases loaded.
Tate retired the final 10 batters he faced to end the game.
Chase Schnieders gave up two hits in seven innings for Jefferson City. He also walked three and struck out seven.
In the other first-round game, Washington Post 218 defeated Lathrop Post 467 by a score of 10-0 in five innings.
The Post 5 Juniors (14-6-2) will play Lathrop in an elimination game at 5:30 p.m., while Washington (19-4) will face Eureka (29-4) in the winner's bracket at 3 p.m.
III
The Jefferson City Post 5 Seniors advanced in the winner's bracket of the Missouri American Legion AAA Zone 1 Tournament with a win by forfeit against Hannibal Post 55 on Thursday at St. Francis Borgia High School.
Jefferson City was trailing 10-3 in the bottom of the fifth inning when an altercation occurred, leading to a player from each team being ejected from the game. However, the ejection to the Hannibal player did not leave Post 55 with enough players to finish the game, leading to a forfeit.
Hannibal was ahead 10-0 after the top of the fifth, needing three more outs to win by run-rule. Jefferson City scored three runs in the bottom of the inning before the game was stopped with a runner on second base and two outs.
Individual statistics from the game were not available.
In Thursday's other first-round game, NEMO Post 6 defeated Washington Post 218 by a score of 6-5.
The Post 5 Seniors (15-3) will play NEMO Post 6 (24-6) at 10 a.m. today, while Washington (17-12) and Hannibal (15-7-1) are scheduled to play an elimination game at 12:30 p.m.
All remaining games in the Zone Tournament will be played at Ronsick Field.