Titans fall to mighty Hartington team in area tournament

SUBMITTRED ARTICLE

The Tri-County Titans finished the junior American Legion baseball season, Tuesday, July 11 at the Class C Area 1 Tournament, in Crofton, with a 12-4 loss to Hartington.

Coach Jeff Shabram said, "It was a marvelous game for five innings, with Tri-County actually holding a 4-3 lead over the number-one seed Hartington in the fifth inning."

But Hartington would mount a two-out rally in the fifth and rattle off seven huge runs in that inning to completely take the wind out of the sail of the Titans.

Ryan Rifer took the mound for the Titans and threw a masterful 105-pitch game. He struck out four batters before Jake Schroeder came in relief and struck out two batters.

The Titans got on the board first with a Connor Thomson run in the first inning after an A.J. Hobbs RBI hit.

Hartington was scoreless in their half of the first inning but would plate three runs in the second inning.

Tri-County followed that inning with superb defense, keeping Hartington scoreless for the third and fourth. Meanwhile, Dane Miller and Schroeder each crossed the plate in the fourth inning on a Thomson RBI hit.

Rifer followed that up with a run in the fifth inning on an Isaac Pavlik RBI hit. But Hartington opened up the floodgates after that half-inning to win the game going away.

The semifinal win over Tri-County moved Hartington into the district championship game against Crofton. In that thriller of a game, Crofton would hang on for an 8-7 win to earn the district championship and punch their ticket to the Class C State Championships in Imperial.

The complete bracket can be found at nelegionbaseball.net. Click the 2023 Tournaments link.

Shabram said it was a very memorable second year in existence of American legion baseball for the Tri-County Titans.

"The boys continued to improve as the season went on and were playing their best baseball going into the area tournament. The third-place district finish is something to be very proud of and will fuel the fire to come back strong for the 2024 baseball season.

Shabram credited players and coaches who dedicated a lot of time this spring and summer to "perfecting your baseball craft."

"Your hard work is noticed," he said.

The coach also acknowledged parents, families and Titan fans, who supported the team.

"We always had a great following of fans, and each game, whether at home or away, always felt like a 'home game.'"

It takes a village to keep a ball program growing, and that includes individuals who worked during games and ran the concession stand.

The team hosted several fundraisers and received donations from the Orchard Old School Thrift and Verdigre Volunteer Fire and Rescue.

"Those funds are what makes the baseball season possible, along with sponsorships from Orchard Post #136, Verdigre Post #259, and Ewing Post #214.

"Finally, thank you to the Tri-County communities for opening your arms to American Legion baseball. See you next season," Shabram said.