The Wayne American Legion Post 43 Juinors and Seniors both improved to 3-0 Friday with wins over Hooper-Scribner in their home opener at Hank Overin Field.
The Juniors used big innings in the first and third to propel themselves to a 15-5 win over the Hooper-Scribner squad.
The guests put up three runs in the top of the first, but the Juniors answered with five of their own in the bottom of the frame. An RBI single by Gunnar Jorgensen and a sacrifice fly by Reid Korth made it a 3-2 game, and a Hooper-Scribner error tied the game at 3-3. Tyrus Eischeid followed with an RBI single and Brock Hopkins came home on an error to give Wayne the lead for good.
Wayne got another run in the second on an RBI single by Hopkins, then cranked out six runs in the third to put the game out of reach. Jorgensen had a sacrifice fly, Hopkins added an RBI single, and the final four runs came through an error and three bases-loaded walks. Victor Kniesche closed out the scoring in the fourth with an RBI double.
Hopkins, Blake Bartos and Jacob Kneifl each had two hits to lead a 10-hit attack. Bartos scored three times and Kneifl, Jorgensen, Korgh, Hopkins and Josh Lutt each scored twice. Kneifl got the win on the mound with 3 2/3 innings of three-hit work, striking out six, before Drew Buck came in to close out the game.
In the Seniors’ matchup, Wayne broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the third and came away with a 5-1 win over Hooper-Scribner.
Wayne broke the ice in the second when Ryan Jaixen came home on a passed ball. After the visitors tied it in the top of the third, Wayne came through with three runs to take the lead for good. Zane Jackson singled home Tyler Lutt and followed him on a long triple to right-center by Josh Dean. Dean later scored on a groundout by Adam Bentjen.
Wayne scored the final run of the game in the fifth on an RBI single by Jaixen, scoring Lutt.
Lutt had three of Wayne’s nine hits while Bentjen added two. Bentjen threw a complete-game four-hitter, striking out 12.
The Wayne American Legion teams are back in action with road games next week, playing at West Point on Tuesday and Arlington on Wednesday.
