The Arlington Senior Legion baseball team closed out its three-game run at a Waterloo-Valley tournament with a five-inning victory against the Omaha Spikes.
After an 0-2 start at Valley's City Park on Saturday, the Post 71 Eagles bested the Spikes by run-rule, 10-1.
Trevor Denker led Arlington at the plate and on the mound, hitting a homer and claiming the pitching win before Grange Suhr relieved him in the fifth frame.
Kaden Pittman, meanwhile, was 2-for-3 with two doubles. He scored twice as did Colton Willmott and Jack Bang.
On the first day of Arlington's tournament run, though, the Post 71 Eagles lost to both Elmwood-Murdock Nehawka and their host, Waterloo-Valley. Both losses came by eight-run margins, 13-5 and 11-3, respectively.
First, the Eagles took a 3-2 lead Saturday against Nehawka. Nick Smith hit a deep fly ball to centerfield that hit off of the outfielder's glove and to the grass, allowing both Bang and Pittman to score. His knock tied the game in the bottom of the first inning before Braden Monke's RBI-double to left-centerfield gave coach Ed Menking's squad its one-run advantage.
From there, though, Arlington's opposition scored the next eight runs before a two-run bottom of the fifth for the Eagles. Both Denker and Dalton Newcomer scored on passed balls, but Post 71 still trailed 10-5 in the 13-5 defeat.
Then, against the Post 58 Wingnuts, Arlington built another 3-2 lead during the top of the third inning. It didn't stick, though, as Waterloo-Valley scored the next nine runs — including seven in the bottom of the fifth frame — to win by run-rule, 11-3.
Denker had two hits and two RBIs in defeat, while Pittman struck out five batters in four innings of work on the pitching mound.
Post 71 falls at Ponca
After a May 25th rainout, the Post 71 Eagles returned to action with a Thursday road trip to Ponca. They led 4-2 going into the final half inning, but lost 5-4.
The home team won on a walk-off walk, which was one of its five seventh-inning walks.
Arlington built its earlier advantage, however, with three runs during the sixth and one more in the top half of the final frame. Denker hit a homer and Monke went 2-for-4.
The Eagles' starting pitcher, Barrett Nielsen, left Ponca without a decision after throwing five innings. He surrendered just one earned run and struck out five batters.
Post 71's Junior lineup, meanwhile, notched an 8-1 Thursday win. Andy Misfeldt and Darren Olson notched two RBIs apiece, while Blaine Vogt had two hits.
Willmott and Suhr combined for 11 strikeouts, too.
