The Orient Legion Post 1961 Express baseball team began District 25 play June 10 by posting a 18-9 victory at Steeleville.
Nate Williams allowed only two runs and struck out six as the winning pitcher for Orient.
"Nate is a very solid pitcher," said Orient Head Coach Jeff Moake. "Day in and day out he gives us everything he has."
Offensively, Orient pounded out a collective 20 hits, led by a five for five effort by Preston Filkins. Williams, Mark Uhls, Shane Bennett, Brandon Moake and Tyler Mitchell all added multiple hits for the Express offense.
Moake expressed concern about his team's early defensive miscues, but added that he expects the defense to come along as the team becomes accustomed to playing together.
"Defensively, we had too many mistakes early on," said Moake. "We have 14 boys from four different towns this year, all very good athletes. It will take a while for them to gel together. When they do gel, I expect some good things from them."
Sparta
The Orient Express improved to 2-0 in District 25 play with a narrow win at Sparta on June 14.
Treg Vandekerhove pieced together a gem on the hill for the Express. He earned the win by striking out nine and allowing only a single earned run in the 3-2 Express victory.
"Treg is a very strong picher," said Coach Jeff Moake. "He has great control and mixes his pitches well. He kept Sparta hitters at bay most of the day."
The Express got all the offense it needed in the 4th inning, when Matt Melvin stroked a double down the left field that scored runners from second and third bases. Two batters later, Andrew Crespi drove in Melvin on an infield hit.
Carrier Mills doubleheader Game one
The Orient Express stepped outside District 25 play on June 18 to host a doubleheader against Carrier Mills.
Defensive errors proved to be fatal for the Express as they dropped game one by a tally of 8-2. A combined eight errors plagued the Express in the loss.
"That is the worst I have seen our defense play in four games," said Coach Moake. "We mishandled the ball and made some errant throws. When you are playing a team as fundamentally sound as Carrier Mills, you cannot make those kinds of mistakes and expect to win.
"We have told the kids we are going to have to tighten up our belts on defense or it's going to be a long season."
Offensively, Orient managed only four hits over seven innings. The lone bright spot for the Express came in the 3rd inning when Brandon Moake blasted a two-run homer over the left-center field wall.
Game two
In the nightcap, Orient used some extra-innings fireworks from Jordan Deaton to win in walk-off fashion.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, after a pair of walks and a Steve Vercillino sacrifice bunt, Deaton drilled a long three-run homer over the right field fence to give the Express the dramatic 7-3 win.
Mark Uhls got things started offensively for Orient in the 1st inning by hitting a two-run homer. The Express then added two more runs in the 4th inning on RBI hits by Uhls and Preston Filkins, respectively.
Treg Vandekerhove got the start on the hill for Orient. Vanderkerhove pitched seven solid innings and allowed four runs while striking out seven Carrier Mills' hitters.
"Treg had a great outing," said Express Coach Jeff Moake. "I felt bad for him not getting the win."
Southpaw Tyler Mitchell came on in relief and pitched a scoreless eight inning to earn the win. Mitchell walked the first batter he faced before fanning the next three hitters, setting up the climactic finish.
"The kids played much better in the second game," said Moake. "Things are starting to fall into place."
The Express improved to 3-2 overall with split of the doubleheader.
Carbondale
On Father's Day, the Orient Express endured temperatures that neared the 100 degree mark to beat Carbondale by a final of 4-3. Starting pitcher Brynnen Smith went the distance to notch the win for the Express in his first start of the season for the club.
Orient Coach Jeff Moake praised his starter's gutsy showing in the humid conditions.
"I thought the heat might get to him, but he threw stronger with each passing inning," said Moake. "For as hot as it was, I was very impressed with Brynnen's performance."
Brandon Moake was a perfect three for three at the plate, including a triple and two RBIs. Shane Bennett and Treg Vandekerhove each drove in a run in the winning Express effort.
"Offensively, we are starting to see the ball a bit better," said Moake. "We are starting to hit it harder and find a few gaps. I still feel we are leaving too many runners stranded, but I'm sure any baseball coach would say the same thing."
Coach Moake noted that his club's defense is starting to turn the corner. He added that once the defensive concerns are shored up a bit, the Express will be a tough team to beat.
"The kids are showing signs of improvement each week," said Moake. "We've told them if they get it down to one or no errors per game, they will be competitive against anyone."
The victory against Carbondale pushes the Express record to 3-1 in District 25 play and 4-2 overall.
Orient —
