The Wayne American Legion Post 43 Juniors got the summer campaign off on the right foot with a pair of wins last week.
On Wednesday, the Juniors let a three-run lead get away before scoring a run in the seventh for a 5-4 win at Pierce.
Wayne staked themselves to a 3-1 lead after two innings and added another in the fourth to make it 4-1 before the hosts came back with three in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game at 4-4.
Two singles and walk loaded the bases in the first before Mason Heikes was hit by a pitch to score Drew Reinhardt. An error on the next play scored Jaxson Kneifl to make it 2-0
After Pierce scored in the bottom of the first, Wayne got the lead back to two on an RBI single by Kneifl, scoring Parker Patefield to make it 3-1. Reinhardt scored on an error in the fourth to make it 4-1.
Pierce came back with three in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game, but Wayne got the winner in the seventh when Austin Heiser, pinch-running for Heikes, scored on a sacrifice fly by Zander Liston. Kneifl got the final out to preserve the win for Brodrick Tiedtke, who pitched three innings and was credited with the win.
Reinhardt had two of Wayne’s seven hits and scored two runs. Kneifl had one hit and two RBI, while Calvin Ankeny, Heikes, Gavin Anderson and Patefield also added hits.
In Friday’s home opener at Hank Overin Field, Wayne built an early advantage and came away with a 7-3 win over Ponca.
Wayne scored two in the second and two more in the third to take the lead for good, adding three more in the fifth before Ponca came back to make it interesting.
An error and a wild pitch got Wayne on the board in the second inning, and they added two more in the third thanks to a wild pitch and a Ponca error to make it 4-0.
A balk made it 5-0 in the fifth and a double by Brody Munter brought home two more to account for Wayne’s scoring in the contest as they improve to 2-0 on the young season.
Patefield pitched well for Wayne, striking out five and allowing three walks and one hit in 5 2/3 innings.
Alex Rodriguez led the Wayne offense with two hits and a run scored. Munter had two RBI’s and Kneifl, Liston and Heiser each had hits.
Wayne was scheduled to play at Crofton on Tuesday and were back home to face Battle Creek on Wednesday. They will be at Columbus Lakeview on Friday and Wakefield on Monday before returning home next Wednesday, June 7, to host Hartington.
