The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
On Tuesday, Milan came to Stronghurst for a single game and went home a winner, 7-6. HCP led the entire game but came up short in the seventh inning.
Milan scored first in the top of the first with HCP coming right back in the bottom with one when Silas Pogue crossed the plate to tie up the game.
The home team added two more int the second to take a 3-1 lead with Quinn Leath and Jeremy Shipman scoring.
Milan scored one in the top of the fourth to narrow the gap to 3-2. HCP stretched the lead again in their half when Leath scored again for a 4-2 lead.
Milan then added one in the top of the fifth for a 4-3 score.
HCP added another run in the bottom of the sixth with Quinn Leath scoring for the third time on a home run blast for a 5-3 lead.
Unfortunately for the home team, HCP could not hold the lead as Milan pushed across four runs in the top of the seventh and final inning to take the lead for the first time in the ballgame, 7-5.
HCP came to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning needing two runs to tie, three to win.
Justin Martin started the inning with a lead-off double and then scored on a deep flyball by Nick Morris.
The would be HCP's last score, coming up on the shallow end of a 7-6 ballgame.
Jake Halcomb started on the mound and pitched a great game into the seventh inning when Christopher Wisslead came on in relief.
This was the first game of the season that HCP lost in the seventh inning while coming from behind to win several games this summer.
On Wednesday HCP traveled to Galesburg for ballgame against a team who has won thirty games this summer, and had them on the ropes.
Quinn Leath started on the mound for HCP and pitched four strong innings, tiring in the fifth which helped Galesburg to come from behind to take the lead and the ballgame.
The first two innings, the pitching controlled the game with neither team scoring. HCP struck first in the top of the third scoring two runs when Ryan Keever and Silas Pogue crossed the plate.
Galesburg got on the board with a run in the bottom of the fourth to cut HCP's lead to 2-1. HCP then scored two runs in the top of the fifth with Christopher Wisslead and Jake Halcomb scoring to extend the lead to 4-1. In the bottom of the fifth, Galesburg's bats came alive and they scored five quick runs to take the lead, 6-4. Christopher Wisslead came on in relief in the sixth and pitched two solid innings, not allowing anymore runs.
Jason Siegworth came in to pitch the eighth, again keeping the home team from scoring. The top of the ninth was the last chance for HCP to score.
Jason Siegworth singled and later scored to cut Galesburg's lead to 6-5.
With two outs in the ninth Josh Ragar drew a walk to get on base. Christopher Wisslead came to the plate and hit a solid single into centerfield.
The center fielder bobbled the ball and Josh Ragar tried to get to third base but was thrown out on a close play to end the ballgame with Galesburg coming out on top, 6-5. This was a well-played game by HCP765 against a quality opponent.
On Saturday, July 20, HCP765 played their last double-header at home against Oneida.
Oneida won a previous meeting 11-1, so HCP had something to prove.
Jason Siegworth pitched a complete game only to come up on the short end of a 3-1 score.
The only scoring in the game came by the homerun. Oneida had two homeruns to HCP's one. HCP's lone score came in the bottom of the seventh when Christopher Wisslead hit a shot over the center field fence to narrow the score to 3-1.
Siegworth had a day on the mound striking out eleven Oneida batters. HCP bats seemed very sluggish during the game, not helping Siegworth with any run support.
In the second game and final game of the summer season, HCP again started off very slowly.
Jeremy Shipman started on the mound for HCP. Oneida scored two quick runs in the top of the first inning for a 2-0 lead. HCP did not score until the bottom of the third inning when Justin Martin doubled and then scored to cut the lead in half, 2-1.
Oneida came right back in the top of the fourth to tie the ballgame at two all. HCP came to the plate in their half of the fourth and exploded for four runs.
Jason Siegworth and Jeremy Shipman walked to start the inning. Justin Martin hit a single driving in Siegworth to take the lead, 3-2.
Josh Ragar then hit a double to centerfield driving in Shipman and Martin.
Ragar advanced to third on the throw to the plate and scored when the catcher overthrew the third baseman on a play at third, to stretch the lead to 5-3.
Cody Ferrill came into pitch in the top of the fifth, giving up a lead-off homerun, allowing Oneida to close the gap to 5-4.
Ferrill then got the next three batters out to end Oneida's threat. In the bottom of the inning, HCP scored an insurance run when Christopher Wisslead crossed homeplate for a 6-4 score.
Quinn Leath then came to the mound for the final two innings of the game, getting the final six outs facing only six batters.
The final score was 6-4.
The players that made up HCP765 came together from the area schools and played good baseball
The players, coaches, and parents appreciate the Henderson County Legion Post 765 for their generous support this season.
The team's final record for the season was 11-7.