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Brett Leonhard looking for the final out of the game. - (Joshua Preston, NOLA.com | The Times Picayune)
Retif Oil needed every bit of nine innings to come out with a victory Friday at Kirsch Rooney. The Jesuit-based club survived 4-3 against Post 307 to advance to the 1st District City Series championship game.
Tied at two going into the final inning, Mitch Alexander sent a groundball to the left side of the infield and narrowly beat out the throw to first to get Retif Oil?s first runner on base and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Blake Baker.
With a runner in scoring position, Dylan Weston, who had reached base twice on errors, came through with his first hit of the day driving a fastball deep to left field for a stand-up double. Trent Forshag followed, beating out another close play at first for a single that also allowed Weston to move to third.
Ben Hess then took a pitch low in the zone right over Drew Tortorich?s head at second base for Retif?s second run of the inning, giving them a 4-2 lead. Retif looked to be in for a big inning after Spencer Miller drew a walk in the following at-bat, but Brandon Sequera sent a rocket through the infield that went straight to shortstop Devin Morrill, who tagged Hess at second to end the inning.
Post 307 fought back in the bottom of the inning, though, flashing the same resolve that netted them an 8-5 victory over Ponstein?s yesterday.
Ross Budenski found the perfect time to come up with his first hit, slapping a double to left field that got Post 307 their first base runner with one out in the inning.
Retif Oil coach Joey Latino then called for a timeout which seemed to settle Brett Leonhard down as he struck out the next batter, leaving Post 307 one out away from elimination.
Jon Riera then stepped into the batter?s box as a pinch hitter and ripped a double down the left field line that brought the De La Salle-based squad to within, 4-3.
?I had hit the wall, I was tired,? Leonhard said. ?I knew we put two runs up in the top of the ninth so I knew I had a little bit more room but it (Riera?s RBI-double) kind of woke me up I guess.?
Leonhard walked Jackson Ladner after a long battle at the plate following Riera?s double, but forced a grounder to third in the next at-bat to end the game. Leonhard turned in a complete game allowing just three hits with seven strikeouts.
?Coming off the tough Brother Martin loss I knew it was going to be a struggle,? Latino said. ?We just had to fight through adversity and I thought the guys did a pretty good job plugging away. We kept ourselves in the game and found a way to get two big runs in the ninth.?
Retif Oil struck first in the second inning after Alex Galy drew a walk that scored Miller, but Post 307 responded quickly, scoring two runs in the bottom half to take the lead. Walks drawn from Jordan Platt and Ladner with a Tortorich single in between loaded the bases. An errant throw to first after a Morrill grounder allowed Platt and Tortorich to score.
Starter Glenn Gebo kept Post 307 in the game throwing five innings surrendering seven hits and two walks with two strikeouts. Munster finished the game on the hill for the De La Salle based club that fought until their last out. Coach Johhny Collins, visibly upset by the narrow loss, was still proud of his team?s showing after the game.
?We played our best baseball this season this weekend. We gave ourselves a chance but fell one run short there at the end,? Collins said. ?We belong here. We proved that we can play at this level and we?re not a rollover. People are going to have to come to play when they play us.?
Ben Hess led Retif Oil offensively going 3-for-5 with two RBIs while Trent Forshag and Brandon Sequera each finished with two hits.
Retif Oil squares off against Brother Martin-based Peake BMW tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Kirsch Rooney Stadium. The Jesuit-based club will have to win twice in order to win the 1st District City Series championship.
?We want to beat them,? Leonhard said. ?It?s one of those rivalries you never want to lose.?
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Joshua Preston can be reached at?prep@nola.com?or 504.826.3405.?
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