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John Hollingsworth slides safely home for the go-ahead run in the Junior Legion state tournament in Champaign on Thursday Powell Latimer/Register-News
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Comeback kids win
Post 141 Juniors rally late for tournament victory
CHAMPAIGN —
With his club down 5-0 in the third inning of its state playoff opener against Stew-Straus, Mt. Vernon Post 141 coach George Xanders looked at his team in disbelief.
“My goodness guys, we’re in the state playoff game,” Xanders said. “Somebody act like it.”
Post 141 responded, surging back from the early deficit to win, 9-5 and advance in the winners’ bracket in the Junior Legion state tournament at Champaign Centennial High School.
Mt. Vernon (20-11) opened the game with consecutive base hits and walked two batters in the opening inning to fall into the early four-run hole. Stew-Straus, the Division Four winner, looked in command.
Mt. Vernon didn’t do itself any favors early. In the second inning, Post 141 loaded the bases with one out, but couldn’t get a run home. Mt. Vernon stranded two more runners in the third.
“You hear this about every team, but these guys really start fighting when they’re down,” Xanders said. “They get mad. I’d like to start out fast, but we’ll take it.”
In the third inning, Stew-Straus scored a fifth run on an error and Seth Kline reached third base with no outs. Mt. Vernon starter Darius Box induced a pop fly to right field. When Box struck out the next batter, Kline took off for home. But Box and catcher Quinten Kehrer saw the play and threw Kline out at home plate to end the inning.
“That’s exactly what gave us a spark,” Xanders said.
The offense came around in the next frame for Mt. Vernon as well. Post 141 put two runners on base with Nathan Holt’s walk and John Hollingsworth’s double. Jared Anthis came in to pinch-hit and drove a two-RBI double to put Mt. Vernon on the scoreboard.
“Anthis had a huge hit for us,” Xanders said. “The bench guys have been coming through all year. … When you can hit up and down the lineup, you’re never out of a game.”
In the next inning, Post 141 surged ahead with four runs. Zane Xanders, Kerher and Holt reached to load the bases, and Hollingsworth’s walk brought in Xanders. Kerher scored on an RBI groundout from Anthis to bring the score to 5-4, and two wild pitches brought in Nathan Holt and Hollingsworth.
Post 141 added three more runs in the top of the sixth for the final margin.
Anthis and Hollingsworth led Mt. Vernon with a combined five hits and six RBI. Holt almost recorded his second postseason home run with a blast that bounced fair off the outfield fence.
Box picked up the win, going all seven innings for Post 141. After surrendering four runs in the first inning, Box allowed only one Stew-Straus runner to cross the plate in the final six frames. He struck out eight batters on the day.
“Darius will not quit,” Xanders said. “I’ve had him since he was 9 years old, there’s zero quit in him. And it shows. He was in the dugout here with his game face on.”
Mt. Vernon moves on to play Champaign at Centennial Park at 6 p.m. today.
“I saw a lot of teams today,” Xanders said. “And I said, ‘Guys, we can play with those guys. I promise you.’”
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