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American National Baseball Closes 2017 Season July 12, SLABA Playoffs Follow
By Jim Wieners
American National’s Baseball season came to an end July 12 unless the 18 and under team and/or 15 and under teams make the playoffs and each have to be in the top four seeds
Playoffs, dates to be determined, are best of three semifinals and best of three finals for all divisions. St. John Vianney High School, Kirkwood, will host most of the semifinals and all of the finals. Fox High School, Arnold, will hosts games one and three, if needed, in the one versus four seed playoffs.
AMERICAN NATIONAL 18U — American National, prior to July 10, had a 4-6 overall record, 0-4 in the Northwest Division. The Eagles were to play Northwest Division rival St. Charles Capitals 17 and under July 10, 12 at C & H Park, St. Peters, the Granite City, Ill. , 17 and under Warriors July 11 at Granite City High and the O’Fallon, Ill., 17 and under Panthers July 12 at the Hazelwood Sports Complex, Aubuchon and Teson Roads.
American National lost 6-5 to the J.C. Blazers 18 and on June 27 and the St. Charles Capitals 18 and under on July 3. Meanwhile, the Eagles defeated the South-West Stars 14-9, also on July 3. Those games were at the Hazelwood Sports Complex.
The loss to the Blazers took eight innings as the Blazers broke a 5-5 tie in the extra inning. American National broke out on top in the bottom of the first with four runs. JC countered with three runs in the top of the second and two more in the top of the fourth to take a 5-4 lead before the Eagles tied it with a run in the bottom of the fifth.
Blake Vaughan (Hazelwood West0 had three hits including a triple, Tommy Rupp (Duchesne) had a double and two runs batted in, Adam Goss (Pattonville) walked three times and Daniel Rinder (John Burroughs) struck out five Blazers in five innings pitched.
The Capitals 18U defeated the Eagles thanks to a pair of three-run innings, the top of the first and the top of the third. American National scored single runs in first, third and fourth innings and scored twice in the seventh but fell short.
Goss, who walked three times, and Vaughan each scored two runs. Jared Breyer (Duchesne) had four singles and two runs batted in while Jimmy Boswell (Pattonville) and Zachary Stevens (McCluer North) each walked twice.
In defeating the Stars, American National scored 10 runs in the top of the first inning then added a pair of runs in the second and two more in the seventh. South-West scored six times in the bottom of the first, two more in the fourth and one in the fifth.
Goss hit two triples, driven in four runs and scored three runs while Vaughan scored three more, Breyer, who had a double, Boswell, Taylor Womack (Pattonville),Emihl Bowers (CBC) and Luke Bentrup (Duchesne) each drove in two runs. Womack was the winning pitcher.
AMERICAN NATIONAL 15U — American National was 4-8 overall prior to what was to be a June 30 game against the Easton STL Tigers. The Eagles were to finish July 12 against Stallions Gold at Lutheran High School North. At Hazelwood Sports Complex American National won 8-0 over Stallions Black on June 26 and lost 7-3 June 28 to the JC Blazers on June 28.
Against the Stallions Black American National scored three runs in each of the first two innings, added a run in the third and another in the fifth. Daryl Wigglesworth (Hazelwood West) struck out six Stallions in a complete game of pitching while walking three times at the plate. Bruce Ervin (Hazelwood West), who had two hits, and Connor Kuhlmann (Francis Howell) each scored two runs while Anthony Benz (McCluer North) and Brian Delgado (Hazelwood West) each drove in two runs. Chase3 Klug (Hazelwood West) and Bruce Ervin (Hazelwood West)) each stole two of the Eagles eight bases.
Against the Blazers Benz struck out six as the losing pitcher, Delgado stole two bases while Wigglesworth and Tyler Aites (Hazelwood West) each had two hits.
