LaCoMo eliminated in championship game

The LaCoMo Junior League baseball all-star team won its way back to the championship round of the district tournament in Albany earlier this month. But the local team was beaten by Northwest 11-4.

LaCoMo had reached the championship round by beating Carroll County 9-8 in an elimination game on July 16.

LaCoMo dropped behind 6-0 as Carroll County scored three runs in each of its first two at-bats. LaCoMo rallied to within two runs with four in the home half of the second. It pulled within 6-5 with another counter in the fourth.

Carroll County held a 7-5 lead with a run in the top of the fifth, but LaCoMo put together a three-run rally in the bottom half for an 8-7 lead. Carroll County tied the game with a run in the top of the sixth, but LaCoMo regained the lead with a run in the bottom half.

Holding Carroll County scoreless in the top of the seventh, LaCoMo secured the victory.

Levi Kreie led the LaCoMo offense with a single, two doubles, one runs scored and three RBIs. Dalton Edwards added a single, three runs scored and three RBIs. Josiah Beck singled and scored two runs. Dal-ton Visentin had an RBI single and Collin Lynch a base hit. Jordan Schlueter drove in one run, and Mason Meyer, Derek Woodall and Logan Glasco each scored one run.

Collin Stringer hurled 1-2/3 innings, allowing six runs on four hits and struck out two. Tucker Wegener, who earned the win, lasted 4-2/3 innings, giving up two runs on four hits and fanned 10. Visentin came on to earn the save, going the final two-thirds of an inning. He gave up one hit and whiffed two.

LaCoMo ran out of gas the next night in the championship round. It would've had to beat Northwest two straight games in order to win the district title.

Northwest scored single runs in the second and third in-nings. LaCoMo grabbed a slim 3-2 lead with a single run in the third and two more in the fourth.

It remained 3-2 LaCoMo until the top of the seventh when Northwest batted around, scoring nine runs, dashing any hopes LaCoMo would force a winner-take-all game the next night. LaCoMo managed to score one run in the bottom half.

Kreie and Visentin each had two hits for LaCoMo. Kreie singled and doubled and drove in one run. Visentin singled twice and drove in two runs. Beck finished with a single and two runs scored. Wegener and Stringer each scored one run.

Visentin hurled a masterpiece through six innings. But he ran out of gas and pitches in the seventh. He was the losing pitcher, allowing seven runs on nine hits and struck out six. Meyer came on to surrender four more runs on four hits and struck out three while getting the final three outs.