By Patrick MacCoonRecord Sports EditorThe postseason run for the Warrenton Senior Legion baseball team came to a close in an 11-1 seven-inning loss to St. Charles in the Zone 1 Tournament on Friday night in Washington.While Post 122 was 10 run-ruled for the first time all season by a team they split with in the regular season, first-year Head Coach Scott Butler refused to let his program hang its head after a strong season.“I wanted everybody on this team to know that this game doesn’t leave a dark cloud on what this season was,” Butler said. “The only thing we preached all year was change and they did that by getting to zone. We didn’t think we’d make the change in one year, but we did.”In his final Legion start for Warrenton, a program he played on for the past six years, Brandon Moeller looked sharp early.After allowing a double to Bryson Cannon and an RBI-single to Andrew Weis in the first inning, Moeller settled down.With some extra velocity on his fastball and a sharp curveball, he struck out five through three innings. Yet again the experienced leader appeared set to carry Post 122 deep into another one of his outings.Facing yet another tough pitcher in the zone tournament in Tristan Tredway, Warrenton (14-7) looked for any way to plate a run against the hard-throwing right-hander who earlier in the season defeated them in a complete-game 12 strikeout performance.James Dotson provided the only extra-base hit of the tournament for Post 122 with a double to leadoff the top of the second, which split the left field gap and one-hopped to the bottom of the fence. Airk Rader’s ground ball to second base plated Dotson later in the inning to knot the score up at 1-1.“Dotson has hit well for us all year,” Butler said. “For his first full season playing at the Senior Legion level, he really showcased how strong he is with the bat and behind the plate calling games for us.”A gutsy decision in the bottom of the fourth gave St. Charles the lead. With the bases loaded and one out, Kyle Svoboda executed a suicide squeeze as he laid a bunt down the third base side that Moeller could not do anything with to score Cody Arella. A sacrifice fly then pushed Post 312’s lead to 3-1.Warrenton’s Hunter Russell singled to start the fifth, but couldn’t make his way around the base paths as Tredway forced a ground out and then recorded his seventh and eighth strikeouts to strand Russell at second base.“He’s a good pitcher and we knew that coming in,” Butler said. “We just couldn’t come up with the big hits in this series to plate important runs. We had several chances, but just couldn’t get that timely hit.”St. Charles broke free for a seven-run fifth inning, in which three of its five hits went for doubles.Moeller was handed the loss after pitching 4 2/3 innings and allowing 12 hits, nine runs (three earned) and striking out eight.“This wasn’t the way I wanted my farewell start to go, but it doesn’t take away from all the big wins we’ve had this season,” Moeller said. “This was by far my favorite year that I’ve ever been a part of Legion baseball. We accomplished a lot of firsts for this program that the younger guys can carry on from here.”He finished his final season with a 4-3 record and a 3.00 earned run average. In 51 innings he struck out 53 while only walking 15 batters.“He didn’t leave this game the way he wanted to, but he left the whole season the way he wanted to,” Butler said of Moeller, who hit .405 in the three-hole for Warrenton. “He was a part of something bigger than he had ever been a part of this season and I think he was really happy with that.”Corey Eckenfels singled in his final and last at-bat for the Post 122 program in the top of the seventh. Ben Stephens and Moeller also had base hits.Tredway tossed a complete game and only allowed five hits while striking out 11.While Warrenton went 0-2 in the zone tournament, Butler was still pleased with how the season turned out altogether.“It’s really gratifying to see what happened this past year,” he said. “It’s been a great year and my favorite one as a head coach. I feel good about myself, this team and the program moving forward.”

James Dotson nearly misses on his tag attempt during a 11-1 loss to St. Charles in the Zone 1 Tournament Friday night at Ronsick Field. Dotson doubled in the season-ending loss for Warrenton. Patrick MacCoon photo.

Patrick MacCoon photo.