Miners finish fourth in district tourney
STE. GENEVIEVE — Park Hills Post 39 was eliminated from Senior Legion district tournament action on Sunday with a 10-4 loss to 3-time defending champion Festus, placing fourth overall as the No. 6 seed.
Top-seeded Post 253 continued its surge through the loser’s bracket after being upset by House Springs in the opening round by notching nine runs off the Miners’ bullpen.
Pitcher Andrew Giorgi overcame six Festus errors and the sweltering heat to throw a complete game for the win, scattering six hits while striking out one. His cause was aided by a pair of double plays.
Ollie Siebert finished 3-for-4 to pace Park Hills (11-14), but was called out for missing third base in the fifth inning on a single by starting pitcher Logan Bradley, who later stroked a two-run double in the ninth.
Festus promptly established a 3-0 lead in the home half of the fifth when Mitchell Lovelace belted a two-run homer. Post 253 scored three times with two outs in the sixth before adding four tallies in the seventh.
Kyle Harrison sparked Park Hills with his own two-run blast in the sixth, but the bottom four spots in the batting order were a combined 0-for-16.
Caleb Wilkerson enjoyed a 3-for-5 effort and matched Connor Eisenbeis with three RBI apiece for Festus, which later defeated House Springs to join Ste. Genevieve in today’s championship round.
