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Post 29 evens series

Pounds out 12 hits in win

By W.D FISHER

Record Sports Correspondent

Published: July 1, 2009

GRANITE FALLS - Caldwell Post 29 collected 12 hits off three pitchers, and Bryan Tuttle struck out 10 in Post 29's 11-5 win over Huntersville Post 321 in Game 2 of the Area IV American Legion playoffs at M.S. Deal Stadium on Tuesday.

"This game could mean a lot in many ways," said Caldwell head coach Gary Hamby. "Hopefully this will be the game that gets us started on a winning streak."

Caldwell (12-9), the sixth-seed out of the Western Division, evens the best-of-five series at 1-all.
Huntersville (11-9) is the third seed out of the East Division.

Game 3 will be at 7 p.m. today at North Mecklenburg High School, and Game 4 will be at 7 p.m. at M.S. Deal Stadium on Thursday.

The win snapped a four-game losing streak for Post 29 against Huntersville, who swept Caldwell 3-0 in the first round in 2008.

Caldwell broke a scoreless game in the second inning with three runs, and Huntersville scored one in the fourth to narrow the difference to 3-1.

That would be as close as Post 321 would get as Post 29 scored three in the fourth and fifth to increase the difference to 9-2 as Post 321 scored one in the fifth.

Post 29 scored the deciding run in the fourth when Dalton Hall scored on a one-out single by Trent Reynolds for a 6-1 lead.

"Like the first game we got down early, but was just unable to rally tonight," said Huntersville coach Trevin Smith.

Hall pushed across the first two runs of the inning with a triple to right center that scored Ethan Ford and Lucas Jackson, who had walked and singled respectively.

Post 29 rounded out their scoring with two runs in the seventh, and Post 321 scored one each in the sixth, eighth and ninth innings.

Tuttle allowed eight hits and four earned runs in nine innings.

Tuttle struck out five of the first seven batters he faced, at least one in seven innings and two in three innings.

"Tuttle's pitching was just what the doctor ordered," said Hamby. "We needed that. In a series, you need to get pitchers to go as deep as they can to save your staff. I wasn't expecting that. We had planned on him going four or five innings."

Offensively, six players got a hit for Caldwell and five had multiple hits.

Leading Post 29 was the No. 9 hitter Zac Greer who finished with three hits, two runs and five RBIs.

"I told the team before the game that somebody had to put the team on their shoulders, and two guys answered that call tonight," said Hamby. "Tuttle on the mound and Greer on offense."

Jackson, Hall, Reynolds and Jon Grey had two hits each for Caldwell.