JERSEYVILLE – Will Messer’s 2-for-3 day with two singles, two RBIs and a run scored helped Edwardsville American Legion Post 199 when it was needed in Sunday afternoon’s first game of the Firecracker Classic tournament’s group stage at Ken Schell Field in Jerseyville, but Post 199 dropped a 5-4 decision to Jefferson City Post 5 when they came up with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh.
Messer felt that missed opportunities hurt Post 199 in the course of the game.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
“There was a lot of stuff we should have taken advantage of,” Messer said. “It’s a heartbreaker, but we’ll get back at it.
“It was a lot of technical stuff, a lot of minor stuff we should have fixed; had we done it, it probably would have been a win for us.”
Jeff City took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, forcing Edwardsville to have to come from behind, which they did to take a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth. “That inning, we gave them those three runs,” Messer said. “That’s pretty much the inning that killed us – what amazed me about us was that we’re down by three and came back, put up one there, one there and two to go ahead and it came down to a hit in the gap for them to win.”
Post 199 subsequently dropped a 6-2 decision to Elgin, Ill., in their final group game to finish 2-2 in the group and not advance to Monday’s scheduled semifinal game.
