After 5 1/2 innings of scoreless baseball, something was going to have to give.
Fortunately for Pittsburg Post 64, it was Emporia Post 5 that did the giving.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Pittsburg broke a scoreless tie with three runs to knock off Post 5, 3-0 at JayCee Ballpark.
“Up to then, it looked like whoever caught the first break would win and that’s what happened,” said Post 64 head coach Mike Watt.
Prior to that, the game was primarily a pitcher’s duel between Pittsburg starter Jesse Watt and Emporia hurler Zach Schuler.
“I just prepared by thinking about hitting my spots,” Schuler said on his pre-game preparation.
While Jesse Watt, who admitted that he had struggled in his previous two outings, showed command throughout by striking out six as the Pittsburg defense did not allow an Emporia runner past first base.
“We watched them the game before and we knew they had good hitters,” Jesse Watt said. “I just wanted to stay consistent.”
Jesse Watt did that by throwing 56 strikes to just 38 balls.
Schuler, on the other hand, had 45 strikes out of the 87 pitches he threw over six innings.
The control was there until the bottom of the sixth when Adam McCormick connected on a two-out double to left-center field then Willie Watt walked and Tanner Smith plated the go-ahead run with a single to left.
“They did a good job of getting two-out hits and getting their runs across,” said Emporia coach Brad Kelly.
After the first run scored, it was Jesse Watt that may have breathed the hardest sigh of relief.
“It was about time, that was the first thing that crossed my mind,” Jesse Watt said.
Jordan Elliott added his mark with a two-run single to left-center field to put Post 64 up for good, 3-0.
“I just missed my spots after that first run scored,” Schuler said. “I was just not thinking.”
The first run, let along the three Pittsburg scored in the inning, gave Pittsburg a nice buffer heading into the seventh.
“With Jesse on the mound and just three outs left, you do feel confident,” Mike Watt said. “It was definitely a relief when that first run came across.”
Jesse Watt did his part in the top of the seventh, sitting down the first two batters before giving up a single to Casey Atchison — just Emporia’s second hit of the game — before forcing Henry Ott — who had Emporia’s other hit in the second inning — to ground out, ending the game.
“I really thought that both pitchers threw very well,” Mike Watt said. “Jesse, once he settled down and got into a groove, pitched very well.”
Pittsburg will have a pair of games today, starting at 11 a.m. against Emporia and wrapping up at 4 p.m. against Blue Valley West. Emporia and Blue Valley West will play in between at 1:30 p.m.
Matthew Clark can be reached at matthew.clark@morningsun.net or at 620-231-2600, Ext. 140. Follow Morning Sun sports at twitter.com/mssports.
American Legion Baseball
at JayCee Ballpark
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Pittsburg Post 64 3, Emporia Post 5 0
Emporia 000 000 0 — 0 2 2
Pittsburg 000 003 X — 3 6 0
Jesse Watt and Kenny Wachter. Zach Schuler and Harrison Stone. WP — Watt. LP — Schuler. LOB — Pittsburg 5, Emporia 4. E — Ryne Cook, Travis LeMay. 2B — Adam McCormick. SB — Stu Jeck. CS — none.
PITTSBURG —
