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Seniors Hear Rallying Cry, Win

By ERIC X. VICCARO

EVICCARO@STEGENHERALD.COM

The Ste. Genevieve Post No. 150 Seniors showed plenty of resolve during last week’s district tournament.

And they needed to.

That’s because Ste. Genevieve lost last Wednesday night, 9-1, to Festus Post No. 253 in the tournament semifinals.

This was a double-elimination formatted event, which meant Ste. Genevieve couldn’t lose for the rest of the tournament.

Post No. 150 responded with a pair of captivating one-run wins over Rock Memorial, 7-6, and Festus, 5-4. That set up the if-necessary championship game.

Ste. Genevieve ultimately turned the tables with a 9-1 conquest — advancing to the Zone Tournament set for Whitey Herzog Field in Jackson this week.

“I asked the boys to ‘buck up,’ said Seniors skipper Junie Basler. “It was do or die, and the kids gave everything they had. We were fortunate.”

Basler said in the 16 years he’s served as Post No. 150, he’d never seen the kind of parity that was in the league this year. Any one of

of the teams had a chance to win the tournament, the coach commented.

In the if-necessary championship, Drew Bauman pitched a masterful game — going 6-2/3 innings with six strikeouts. He allowed five hits, issued two hit batsmen and just one walk.

“We were down to two or three eligible pitchers, and he (Drew) really stepped up,” Basler added.

Basler would have assumed keep Bauman in the game for the final out; however, he reached the American Legion-limit of 105 pitches. Zach Boyer pitched the final one-third of an inning.