Edwardsville storms back to win American Legion title

Tim Graham

Wednesday, Aug. 26, 1998 | 10:22 a.m.

Let it flow.

That was the motto for the Edwardsville, Ill., baseball team as it entered Tuesday night's American Legion World Series championship game at Cashman Field.

"All of us got cut up on this field," Edwardsville shortstop Chad Opel said. "But none of us got taped up before the game. We said 'Let's leave our blood on the field. Let's leave it all out there.'"

Edwardsville posted a come-from-behind, 9-4 victory over Cherryville, N.C., to claim the prestigious, 73-year-old tournament crown.

Cherryville led 2-0 heading into the fifth inning as Edwardsville's starting pitcher, James Hutton, was shaky.

Hutton worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first, but couldn't get through the second unscathed. He allowed a solo home run to Cherryville's No. 8 hitter, Wes Anthony. Cherryville scored again in the fourth.

But Edwardsville scored six runs through the seventh, plating its first three runs -- one in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth -- with two outs.

"You could see the effort in their faces and their effort on the field," Edwardsville manager Ken Schakke said of his players. "They weren't going to quit.

"These kids always feel they can hit the ball. They have a great amount of confidence in themselves. They know if one guy won't do it, the next one will."

Edwardsville added three more runs in the seventh, but Cherryville answered with a pair of unearned runs in their half of the inning to close the gap to 6-4.

In the eighth, Edwardsville third baseman Chris McCoy belted a solo home run just inside the left-field foul pole. His teammates then added two more insurance runs -- again with two outs -- in the ninth with the benefit of an error, a passed ball and a poorly played fly ball that was generously ruled a double for Nick Seibert.

"We were not going to stop," Opel said.

On Edwardsville's mound, Hutton (9-2) was relieved by his brother, Ben, with one out in the eighth. Ben Hutton, with James as his catcher, retired five of the six batters he faced to finish the game.

James and Ben Hutton were voted the all-tournament team's pitchers.

"With a cushion of two or three runs, Ben on the mound and James behind the plate," Schaake said, "the competition has to work real hard to score runs against them."

Cherryville starter Brian Sigmon (7-5) allowed four runs on eight hits and no walks in six innings. Reliever Ralph Roberts, who earned the tournament's Bob Feller Strikeout Award with 41 in 34 innings, was touched up for three runs on four hits and a walk in two innings.

Opel was given the American Legion Player of the Year Award after the game. He went 24-for-38 at the plate for a .632 average. He also walked 11 times and stole 11 bases in as many attempts.

Roberts, an erstwhile center fielder, led all tournament players with five home runs and 34 total bases. He earned the American Legion Sportsmanship Award.

Also honored after the game was Bishop Gorman's Ryan Lee, who was voted the all-tournament team's first baseman. No other Gorman players made the team.