The Wayne American Legion Post 43 Seniors came away with runner-up honors in the annual Wood Bat Tournament, falling to Sutton 4-2 in the finals Sunday at Eaton Field in Wakefield.
Wayne opened the tournament with a 4-0 shutout over Pender Saturday afternoon.
Wayne took control of the game in the third on a two-run double by Brooks Kneifl. wayne outhit Pender 7-2 in the contest, with Jase Dean recording two hits and Kneifl, Gavin Redden, Aiden Liston, Alex Rodriguez and Calvin Starzl all adding hits. Starzl scored twice and Dean and Redden both came home.
Kneifl threw three innings of one-hit ball with eight strikeouts before Kaleb Moormeier pitched four innings of one-hit relief, striking out eight.
On Sunday, Wayne beat Security First 13-0 and edged Wahoo 1-0 to reach the finals, where they lost a close to Sutton that ended a four-game winning streak for the 7-4 Seniors.
In the win over Security First, Wayne put up eight runs in the opening frame and scored in each of the five innings on just seven hits. Dean and Redden both had two hits, Moormeier and Starzl doubled and James Dorcey added a hit. Redden scored three times while Kneilf, Dorcey and Starzl both scored twice. Wyatt Heikes threw a three-hit shutout, striking out six and walking two.
Against Wahoo, the two teams battled to a scoreless draw through seven innings before Wayne got the game-winner in the bottom of the eighth when Moormeier drew a bases-loaded walk to score Liston with the only run of the game.
Wayne outhit Wahoo 5-3 in the contest. Dean, Kneifl, Liston, Redden and Starzl all had hits. Liston and Dorcey combined on a three-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts and four walks between them.
Wayne led Sutton 1-0 in the first when Dorcey drew a bases-loaded walk to score Kneifl. Sutton took the lead for good with two in the fourth and added insurance runs in the fifth and sixth to claim the title.
Liston had three hits to lead Wayne’s seven-hit attack. Redden, Morrmeier, Starzl and Devin Anderson also had hits. Dorcey took the pitching loss for Wayne.
In other action, Wayne lost at Albion last Tuesday, 5-3, before bouncing back the following night for an 8-4 home win over Hartington.
Albion scored three in the sixth to post the come-from-behind victory at home.
Starzl led a five-hit attack with two hits, including a double. Kneifl doubled and Liston and Heikes added hits. Dorcey took the pitching loss, striking out eight in a losing effort.
Against Hartington, Wayne erased a four-run deficit with one in the fourth and seven in the fifth to get the comeback win.
Dorcey had three hits, two of them doubles, and drove in two while scoring two runs. Liston doubled and Redden and Moormeier also had hits. Redden struck out eight to get the pitching win, while Moormeier picked up the save.
In Monday action, Wayne dominated David City, scoring eight in the first on their way to a 12-1 win.
Six of Wayne’s 12 hits went for extra bases. Anderson had a double and a triple and scored twice, Redden and Liston added doubles and Kneifl and Starzl stroked triples. Redden had three hits and Kneifl, Starzl and Anderson had two hits apiece. Anderson went the distance, striking out six and allowing five walks and one hit.
