Campbell Hill Eliminates Du Quoin
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ The local team, however, refused to go down without a fight.
Fighting back from an early six-run hole—and trailing 10-3 midway through the contest, Post #647 battled back to turn an apparent rout into a nail-biting finish.
Du Quoin scored six times in its final three at-bats and had the tying run at the plate in the final inning before Campbell Hill (Post #1096) could record the final out.
The 12-10 loss against C-Hill, the tournament's #3 seed, ended Post #647's frustrating summer at 1-15.
"These kids battled back and just wouldn't quit tonight and they haven't given up all season," Du Quoin Manager Tim Craft said. "I know it was a pretty rough year, but I appreciate their effort. And I am pretty proud of how they didn't give in, especially in this tournament. Both games could have probably went our way."
Campbell Hill scored six times—only two of the runs were earned—in the opening inning against Du Quoin starter Collin Jones. Post #1096 had three singles, but took full advantage of two walks by Jones and a pair of infield errors.
Du Quoin broke through in the fourth on Nick Baskin's two-out RBI hit, but trailed by 12-4 entering the seventh.
Post #647 then sprang to life offensively, forcing Campbell Hill starter Garrett Williams out of the game.
Baskin smacked another RBI single with Garrett Hopkins doing the same. The inning began when Matt Gossett tripled and raced home on a sacrifice fly by David Brock.
An uearned tally pulled Du Quoin within 12-8 to start the ninth.
A pair of Campbell Hill errors kept the rally going and Ethan Beasley laced a two-run double to tighten things even more at 12-10.
Jake Parnell then walked. Reliever Matt Bunselmeyer, recovered quickly, however, to end things.
The lefty whiffed Gossett and David Brock after Beasley and Parnell had each moved up on wild pitches.
"We had our chances in the ninth and even before that in the eighth and just couldn't get that big hit," Craft said. "Its been the whole story of the season. We just dug too big of a hole early in the game."
Du Quoin's valiant comeback effort included four strong innings of relief by Gossett, who retired eight consecutive batters after Ben Vogt's two-RBI double in the sixth Gossett allowed two hits and whiffed three. Jones fanned four and surrendered nine safeties.
At the plate, Beasley and Baskin were both 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI.
Hopkins, Brock and Jacob Emling enjoyed two-hit efforts. Will Denton, Jones, Gossett (triple) and Jacob Craig contributed hits.
Campbell Hill (Post #1096) 12,
Du Quoin (Post #647) 10
#647 000 112 312—10 16 5
#1096 600 123 000—12 11``3
Jones, Gossett (6) and Craig. Williams, M. Bunselmeyer (7) and Vogt. WP—Williams. LP—Jones. SV—M. Bunselmeyer. TOP HITTERS—Post #647: Baskin 3-5 (2 RBI), Hopkins 2-5 (RBI), Denton 1-6, Beasley 3-6 (3 RBI), Jones 1-3, Parnell 0-0, Gossett 1-6 (3B, RBI), Brock 2-5 (RBI), Emling 2-5 (2B), Craig 1-5. C-Hill: Williams 0-4, Huseman 0-5, Crain 2-4 (RBI), Carlock 4-5 (2 RBI), Richmond 1-3, Vogt 1-4 (2B, 2 RBI), D. Bunselmeyer 1-3, M. Bunselmeyer 2-4, Massey 3-4 (2B, RBI).