By MARTY MAYER, CJ Sports Writer
The sixth-annual Ricky Bussell Memorial Classic ended this past Sunday at Southwestern High School but Ricky's legacy lives on. Ricky's family, friends and players of the Classic celebrated Ricky's life with a memorial and some fine baseball action.
The Post 38 squad hosted the event at Southwestern and Somerset’s fields and went 2-2 in the Classic, finishing in 4th place. On Saturday, the 38ers lost to Evansville Post 265 9-3 as the 38ers bats were cooled after the first inning. Jeremy Toohey led off the game with a single and Chase Hall followed with a single. Brett Blankenship singled to drive home Toohey and Adam Wallen grounded out to plate Hall. Corey Price singled driving in Blankenship. The 38ers managed only two hits after the first inning. Toohey and Blankenship each singled twice as Hall and Price each singled. In game two on Saturday the 38ers took a 3-2 lead in the 6th inning only to squander that lead in the bottom of the seventh inning by a walk-off home run. Shelbyville, Tenn., Post 35 won the game 5-3. Hall homered in the 3rd for the 38ers to tie the game at 1-1. In the 6th Blankenship reached on walk and scored on an error by the Shelbyville pitcher. Corey Price doubled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Otie Manning. Jordy Molen pitched 5 strong innings for the 38ers allowing two runs on five hits and recorded five strikeouts.
On Sunday, the 38ers pounded out 16 hits as 10 players had hits and all 10 scored at least a run to beat Southern Kentucky Legends 18-3. Storm Wilson led the way with a double and two singles with 4 RBIs as Blankenship singled three times with 3 RBIs. Tyler Mayer doubled and singled and drove in 2 runs as Wallen doubled and had a sac fly with two RBIs. Hall doubled and singled as Toohey, Corey Price, Aaron Hampton, Bryson McFall and Jarred Price each singled. Blankenship got the win on the mound.
The 38ers knocked off the Bluegrass Stars in game two on Sunday 8-5 in 9 innings. Corey Price went the distance and scattered eight hits and three earned runs. The 38ers took the lead in the 4th inning as Blankenship reached on a walk and Wallen reached on a base hit. Corey Price singled home Blankenship and Wallen scored on a wild pitch. Otie Manning walked and Erik Manning singled in 2 runs for a 4-1 38ers lead. The Stars got another run in the fifth and tied the game in the seventh at 4-4. In the ninth inning Toohey led off with a double and advanced to third on a fielder's choice by Hall. Blankenship singled home Toohey as Corey Price singled, driving home Hall and Blankenship. Erik Manning recorded his third RBI with a single, driving home Wallen. In the bottom of the 9th the Stars added a run but came up short as Price finished strong. Erik Manning led the offense with four hits and three RBIs as Corey Price singled twice with three RBIs. Blankenship singled twice as Toohey doubled and Mayer, Wallen and Hall each added singles.
The 38ers improve to 15-11 and travel to Edmonton tonight for a DH. The 38ers will travel to Evansville on Friday to participate in the Evansville Pate Tourney. The 38ers will square off with Bedford and Columbia, Tenn. on Friday and Terre Haute and Pate on Saturday.
