Hillsboro Post 129 baseball begins 2023 summer season

The Hillsboro Post 129 American Legion baseball team has started their 2023 summer baseball season with a 1-3 overall record.

Hillsboro split their first doubleheader of the summer at Piqua against Post 184 on Sunday, June 4, losing the season opener 10-0, followed by a 13-1 win.

On Monday (June 6), Post 129 lost in nine innings to visiting Springfield by a 7-6 score at Shaffer Park, and in the second game of the twin bill the Post 129 squad lost 4-2.

In the season opener at Piqua, the Hillsboro squad lost 10-0 and were held to a single hit, as that hit was off the bat of Easton Daulton, who finished the game 1-1. Caleb Rothwell, Nick Reed and Austin Barnhill each forced a walk.

Rothwell was charged with the loss on the mound, pitching 2.1 innings, allowing six earned runs on five hits and four walks. He totaled six strikeouts.

Daulton pitched 1.2 innings, allowing one earned run on three hits and no walks, while collecting two strikeouts.

The second game of the doubleheader at Piqua saw the Post 129 team defeat Piqua Post 184 by a 13-1 score. Hillsboro totaled five hits and committed two errors, while Piqua Post 184 totaled five hits and committed six errors.

Having hits for Hillsboro were Easton Daulton (1-for-3, a double, three runs, two RBI, one walk), Hunter Burns (1-for-2, two runs, two RBI, two walks), Nick Reed (1-for-3, one RBI), Brady Lung (1-for-4, one run) and Tyler Tomera-Hiller (1-for-2, one run, one walk, one RBI).

Caleb Rothwell scored two runs, and Landry Hattan scored a run, plus he had a steal, one RBI and was hit by a pitch. Hunter Barnhill scored a run and drew two walks.

Also for Post 129, Brady Lung scored a run, while teammate Hunter Barnhill scored a run and had two walks.

Brayden Ludwick scored a run and walked twice, and teammate Ben Matthews scored a run, plus collected a walk and was hit by a pitch.

Reed was also the winning pitcher, going five innings, allowing one unearned run on five hits and no walks. Reed finished with six strikeouts.

On Monday night at Richard Shaffer Park in Hillsboro, the Post 129 team lost to the visiting Springfield club in a doubleheader by scores of 7-6, in nine innings, and 4-2.

In the first game Monday night, Post 129 fell in extra innings, trailing 3-0 after the top of the fourth, but they scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth for a 4-3 lead.

Springfield tied the score at 4-4 with a run in the top of the seventh. Both teams were scoreless in the eighth, but in the ninth Springfield regained the lead with a three-run inning. Post 129 added two runs in the bottom of the ninth, but fell a run short of tying the score and extending the game.

Hillsboro totaled five hits and committed five errors. Springfield had seven hits and committed one error.

Wyatt Willey finished 2-for-4 with an RBI, one walk and a steal.

Brady Lung was 1-for-4 for Hillsboro, with two runs and a walk. Landry Hattan was 1-for-4 with a run, one RBI and a walk. Austin Barnhill went 1-for-4 with an RBI and one walk.

Easton Daulton collected an RBI, one walk and a hit by pitch. Caleb Rothwell had one RBI and two walks. Hunter Burns totaled one run, two walks, two steals and was hit by a pitch. Nick Reed finished with two runs, one walk, a steal and was hit by a pitch. Ben Matthews drew two walks for Post 129.

Brayden Kisling had a no-decision on the mound, pitching 4.2 innings, allowing three runs (none earned) on four hits and two walks, with eight strikeouts.

Austin Barnhill was charged with the loss, going 4.1 innings on the mound, allowing four earned runs on three hits and four walks, with two strikeouts.

In the second game, Hillsboro Post 129 lost 4-2, collecting three hits and committing two errors.

Springfield had eight hits and three errors in the game, as they scored one run in the fifth, and three runs in the top of the seventh. Post 129 scored both of their runs in the bottom of the second inning.

Hits for Hillsboro included Easton Daulton going 1-for-3, Caleb Rothwell finishing 1-for-2 with a hit by pitch and Hunter Barnhill finishing 1-for-2 with a double, and a walk.

Also for Hillsboro, Hunter Burns had two walks and a steal, while Nick Reed had a walk and was hit by a pitch. Brady Lung scored a run for Post 129, and teammate Landry Hattan also scored a run.

Haydon Hice had the pitching loss, tossing a complete game of seven innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits and four walks. Hice also had five strikeouts.

Hillsboro Post 129 is scheduled to play again Wednesday, June 7 at Greenville with a 6 p.m. first-pitch start.