Hartsville Legion Post 53 falls to Sumter
By Drake Horton
Digital Journalist Intern
HARTSVILLE - Sumter Legion Post 15 defeated Hartsville Legion Post 53 at Jimmy White Park 6-2 in Senior American Legion baseball on Thursday night as Jordan Montgomery of Sumter pitched nearly flawless baseball. He went six innings allowing only two runs and five hits while striking out 10 and walking none.
“I felt good tonight,” Montgomery said. “It was a little hot, but I was able to get my pitches over the plate.”
Hartsville jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Shortstop Andrew Hall lead the inning off with a triple and was driven in by a ground ball hit to third off the bat of left fielder Jacob Cole.
The score stayed 1-0 through the next two innings until Sumter’s catcher Michael Blackmon came up to bat with one out in the fourth inning. Blackmon turned on the first pitch he saw and blasted it over the left field fence for a solo homerun and tied the game at one.
In the top of fifth, Sumter went right back to work when designated hitter Zach Sherrill led off with a double down the right field line off of starting pitcher Hunter Privette. Center fielder Tyler Smith then place a sacrifice bunt down the third base line to advance Sherrill. The next batter, Blake Graham, then knocked Sherrill in on a ground ball out hit to the second basemen.
Hartsville responded however in the bottom of the fifth. Right fielder Lance Gaddy started the bottom half of the inning off when he reached first on an infield hit with one out, and it was followed by Thatcher Coleman’s single to left field. Jacob Cole then singled to right scoring Gaddy, but Coleman got caught trying to get to third, and the inning ended with the game tied at two.
Sumter cracked the tie in the sixth. Patrick Gordon, third basemen for Sumter, reached first on an error by Hartsville first basemen Jordan Melton and was awarded second when catcher Coleman grab the ball in the dead ball zone by the Hartsville dugout. The next batter, Jerry Buckner, hit a line drive single to right field scoring Gordon.
Hartsville was unable to score any runs in the sixth, seventh or eighth innings while Sumter put two more runs across the plate in the seventh. Hartsville did have a chance in the seventh when the first two hitters reached on walks, but relief pitcher Jeremy Buckner was able to get his composure back and end the threat.
Both Sumter and Hartsville scored a run in the ninth. Hartsville once again had a great chance to cause damage and mount a comeback when the bases were loaded, but pinch hitter Will Adams got thrown out at third trying to tag up on a fly out and that ended the game.
The lost drops Hartsville to 0-2 on the year now, but Coach Brad Boob is still looking ahead and is in no way ready to give up on the young season.