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HIGHLAND – Joel Quirin and Dylan Burris' contributions to both the Metro East Bears this summer and the Edwardsville High School team this past spring have been just about non-stop.
Quirin and Burris both had two of their best days of the summer in the Metro East Bears' 11-0, six-inning win over Steeleville in Monday's opening game of the Illinois American Legion Fifth Division tournament at Highland's Glik Park/Optimist Field.
The win sent the Bears into a winner's bracket game Tuesday. Quirin went 2-for-3 with a RBI and three runs scored while Burris was 3-for-5 with a run scored on the day.
Metro East got out to a quick start in that particular game, notching a 5-0 lead through the first three innings and never looking back. Getting to that quick lead helped take pressure off the Bears and starting pitcher Kade Burns.
“That transition from wood to aluminum (bats) doesn't seem like a big difference, but it really is; we're more confident with aluminum, especially when we have Dylan Burris leading off – he's back (from a hamstring injury) and he's a great lead-off hitter, and Kade Burns – we're confident up there and we're seeing pitches well,” Quirin said.
Hitting with aluminum bats instead of wood bats, which was what the Bears used most of the season, is a different aspect of the game; the ball tends to jump off aluminum bats a bit quicker than off wood bats. “It's a lot easier obviously,” Quirin said. “You can mishit a ball with an aluminum bat and still (get a hit) out of it; the wood bat exposes people – it can be a little tough.
“The bat is much easier to barrel up there; you get one off the end of the bat and it's still a solid hit.”
“It's a great way to start off a game,” Burris said of the Monday performance, “getting up a couple of runs we're comfortable getting into that situation – it puts a lot of pressure on the other team. That's the ideal way to start off a game.”
The Bears got plenty of contributions from the lineup throughout the game. “Everybody's starting to swing the bat at the right time; that's huge. It means a lot to our pitchers because they've been great all year,” Burris said. “I never felt my timing got messed up with the break (from the hamstring problem), but my leg's feeling a lot better; I'm feeling a lot faster.
“I'm glad to be back out there; it's weird seeing your team play and have somebody else in your position batting lead-off, so I'm glad to be back and helping the team.”
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