Key players come up with big plays to send Bears to district final

Jul 15, 2017 10:45 AM Jul 15, 2017 11:00 AM

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EDWARDSVILLE – The Metro East Bears American Legion baseball team advanced to Saturday's Illinois Legion District 22 final thanks to some big efforts from three key players.

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Corey Price singled and went to second on a wild pitch in the bottom of the sixth, Cole Hansel chased Price home with a single of his own, Storm Coffman held Highland off the scoreboard most of the way and Price came up with a strike to third baseman Tate Wargo to throw a runner out at third to bring the game to an end as the Bears defeated Highland 2-1 Thursday night at Edwardsville's Hoppe Park.

“I just went out there and tried to do my thing to help the team win and get farther in the tournament,” Coffman said; he retired the first 13 batters in a row before giving up back-to-back-to-back singles in the fifth that tied the game up at 1-1. “The first four innings I was throwing good; I had a bunch of ground balls and stuff – I tried to keep that up.

“In that fifth inning, I left a couple of balls elevated and they found holes and they got a run out of it.”

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Coffman had faith that his teammates would come up with the run they needed to win. “I always have faith in them,” Coffman said. “I know they'll get the job done for me.”

Price's strike that got David Lutostanski out at third to end the game came after a single that bounced in front of him; Price bobbled the ball enough to prompt Lutostanski to try for third. “That was pretty risky to take that decision,” Price said. “I had time and I knew I could make the throw I wanted to make.”

Price's winning run came on a single off Hansel. “I'm usually in that RBI spot,” Price said. “It's kind of fun being the guy who gets on and makes something happen as a leadoff in the game.”

“Corey did a good job getting on base and we were lucky enough to get a passed ball to get him over to second,” Hansel said. “That new pitcher (Garrett Marti) came in and I was lucky enough to get a fastball in the zone. I told my self I wasn't going to miss it, and sure enough, I didn't.”