Bears get off to fast start in 10-0 win

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EDWARDSVILLE – A five-run first inning was all the Metro East Bears needed Wednesday night en route to a 10-0, six-inning win over American-National of Hazelwood, Mo., at SIU-Edwardsville's Roy Lee Field.

The Bears went to 26-7 on the summer with the Illinois American Legion District 22 playoffs looming; they get started next week.

“It's kind of a good game because basically everyone got in to play or bat and started off well hitting the ball,” said Bears manager Ken Schaake. “I think we scored five runs in the first inning – we were through the sixth hitter before we got the second out. It's good, and they need that; they played hard this weekend (in the Firecracker Classic) and to come out, they've got this game, a day off and come back and play Smthton on Friday and two games on Saturday; we'll be ready.”

Schaake is happy with how the Bears are looking heading into the Legion playoffs. “We've got a few guys who could still do a little bit better,” Schaake said. “We would have liked to get Tate (Wargo) an inning (to pitch) in the seventh, but it just didn't work out, but other than that, I like what I see. Three or four pitchers got to throw tonight and did pretty well.

“We get nine innings (in postseason games) and you start doing the pitch counts in the tournament on a serious basis, it's going to make a pretty big difference.”

The Bears led off the game with a Kade Burns single and went from there, Joel Quirin bringing Burns home with a one-out RBI single; Metro East then got the bases loaded to bring Wargo up, who increased the lead to 3-0 with a two-RBI single that scored Quirin and Blake Vandiver; Storm Coffman followed suit with a two-RBI single of his own that drove home Steven Pattan and Wargo to cap off the inning.

A Zach Seavers single in the third drove in Wargo, with Messer scoring in the fifth to make it 7-0; the game-capping three runs came home in the sixth when Brandon Hampton singled in Pattan; Burns and Cole Hansel then singled in runs to Wargo and Coffman to bring the game to an early end.

Burns was 2-for-4 for the Bears with a RBI and run scored on the night; Hansel went 1-for-2 with a RBI, Quirin 1-for-2 with a RBI and run scored, Vandiver 1-for-3 with a run scored, Pattan 2-for-4 with two runs scored, Wargo 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two run scored, Coffman 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored, Seavers 1-for-2 with a RBI, Hampton 1-for-2 and Messer 1-for-4 with a double and run scored. Andrew Frank, Tyler Lewis, Issac Garrett and Seavers all saw time on the mound in the win.

The Bears will host Smithton at 6 p.m. Friday at Alton High School's Redbird Field before hosting Shelby County in a 5:30 p.m. Saturday doubleheader at Hoppe Park in Edwardsville to finish out the regular season.

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