By Patrick MacCoonRecord Sports EditorDespite a 7-6 loss in the first game of a doubleheader against Elsberry on Sunday, the Warrenton Post 122 Legion Freshmen made a brave comeback attempt.With only five hits to show for in the first six innings, Warrenton doubled that total with six hits in the top of the seventh in which they sent 11 batters to the plate.While a shallow pop-up to the outfield off the bat of Kole Hammerburg was caught to end the game, leaving the bases loaded, the near comeback left a strong impression on their coach.“This is a young team, but they do scratch and claw for everything they can get,” Jamey Sherman said. “They showed their heart today in this game. As a coach that makes you proud to know they fight until the last pitch. That is something you can hang your hat on, knowing our kids will fight for everything they can get no matter what the circumstances are.”Braden Lawson jump-started the late rally for Post 122 with a leadoff double that was crushed well over the leftfielder’s head. He also drew a walk in his second at-bat of the inning to bring home a run to cut the score to 7-6.“Coach told me to just go out there and make them work,” Lawson said about what his coach told him before Warrenton’s final at-bat. “I got a pitch middle-in that I could drive to start the inning and I took four straight pitches the next time around. It was fun to see the spark in our lineup. Everyone just kept hitting.”Eli Ecton and Alex Vogt each came through with two-run singles in the seventh as Warrenton (5-9) made a late run at extending the game.Ecton drove in a game-high three runs, while he also logged two hits along with Mitch Burnette and Hammerburg.“Eli has been absolutely stroking of late,” Lawson said. “He is playing with a fire under him and he really has been using his speed to his advantage when hitting and playing out in the field.”Dylan O’Neal went five innings on the mound, allowing three earned runs on six hits and striking out four. He had a shutout going until an error in the fifth allowed the first Elsberry run to cross the plate.Although Post 122 wasn’t able to come through with its seventh hit in the top of the seventh to plate the tying run, the late charge was a positive they talked about in the postgame discussion.“It stinks to lose, but it’s still satisfying that we almost won,” Lawson said.Elsberry 9, Warrenton 4While Lawson and Ecton combined for six hits, Post 122 made just as many errors to lose the second game of the doubleheader.Warrenton carried over its seventh-inning work at the plate into the top of the first as Ecton and Burnette each had doubles to help create a 2-0 advantage.However, four errors in the infield through the first two innings handed Elsberry a 5-2 lead.“Every inning we gave them more than one out,” Sherman said. “We outhit them in both games and pitched well, but each inning we were giving them four or five outs.”Lawson cut the deficit to 5-3 with an RBI single in the third. He finished with his best outing of the summer at the plate in the loss by going 4-for-4. All four hits were line drive singles for Lawson.“Braden always goes out there and does what I ask of him every time,” he said. “He is a leader by example.”Ecton extended his hit streak to five games with two hits and also stole a pair of bases. As the starting pitcher, he allowed two earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work.Hammerberg threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings in relief for Post 122 (5-10).While Sherman made sure to let his team know that six errors were unacceptable, he also kept a calm demeanor and challenged his team to come out with a more intense focus for Monday’s game against St. Peters.“We’ve been preaching short memory all summer long,” he said. “There’s always another chance to prove yourself and make up for it tomorrow in baseball.”

Eli Ecton went 5-for-5 at the plate and hit three doubles in a 10-2 win for the Post 122 Freshman in the second game of a doubleheader at home on Friday. His batting average on the summer is over .400.

Patrick MacCoon photo.