The Blair and Bennington Senior Legion baseball teams played two in the heat Saturday afternoon at Vets Field.
The host Bears lost the opener 8-5 before claiming a 2-1 victory during the second game of the doubleheader. They are 3-6 this season.
Post 154 started out game No. 1 ahead 1-0 before Bennington notched four runs during the third inning. Batter Bo Nielsen, who also pitched, pulled Blair within 4-2 before the Badgers pushed their advantage out to 6-2.
Then, during the bottom of the fourth frame, the Bears pulled as close as they would get with three runs. Conner O'Neil reached on an error, TJ Swaney was hit by a pitch and Morgan Rump notched a bunt single to load the bases.
After back-to-back outs, O'Neil took matters into his own hands and stole home plate for Post 154's third run. Nolan Osterhaus followed that play on the basepath with a two-RBI single to cut Bennington's advantage to 6-5.
The Bears put runners on the bases and relief pitcher Canton Lippincott had success as the game went along, but the Badgers won by three.
In the second game, though, Post 154 earned a gutty 2-1 win. Osterhaus allowed just one run over 6 2/3 innings on the mound, striking out five. He hit his pitch limit with an out to go during the seventh inning and a Bennington runner on third base.
Morgan Rump subbed in and earned the game-ending out when Hunter Travis caught a fly ball in the outfield. Rump and Tyler Andersen notched RBIs in the win, while Swaney and Travis finished with a team-best two hits each.
Post 154 falls to Waterloo/Valley
Before Saturday's doubleheader, the Bears were tripped up by Waterloo/Valley on Thursday at Vets Field.
The visitors scored six fourth-inning runs and defeated Post 154 9-5.
Swaney had an RBI and six strikeouts on the pitching mound, but took the loss. Kaden Fletcher, meanwhile, had two RBIs and Rump had one.
Bears rout Ashland
Blair recorded 10 more hits than Ashland on Wednesday and took home a 12-1 road win.
The Bears notched 14 hits overall with Osterhaus and Matthew Burns notching four apiece. Dylan Swanson and Fletcher had two each, too.
Burns also led his team with five RBIs, while Rump had two and Osterhaus, Fletcher and Nielsen had one each.
Andersen claimed the pitching win, striking out four over seven innings. He allowed just four hits.
