Published: June 29, 2009 11:38 pm      

Mt. Vernon Jr. Legion blasts Carlyle

By JACK CLARK

jackclark@mvn.net



MT. VERNON - With an explosion of seven runs in the bottom of the first inning, the Mt. Vernon American Legion Post 141 junior team short-gamed Carlyle, 12-2 in five innings Monday evening at Brennan Klein Memorial Field.

With a record of 10-3 and with his team picking up its seventh straight win, coach George Xanders sees that his players are truly enjoying themselves on the field.

"This team has such camaraderie, it's unbelieveable," said Xanders. "They are really having a great time. This is probably the most fun year that I have had coaching."

The junior team is also one of the youngest in the conference, with mostly 16-year-olds, mixed in with and some 15-year-olds.

"A lot of the teams (that we play) have a ton of 17-year-olds," Xanders said. "If they were all our age, you can just tell, something special would be happening with this team."

Zack Jones, Blake Deaton, John Hollingsworth, Grant Garrett, Hunter Marler, Zane Xanders and Daryl Bronson each scored in the opening frame.

Carlyle got a run back in the third and another in the fourth.

Post 141 got another three in the fourth when Garrett, Marler and Bronson each scored their second run of the game, making it 10-2.

In the bottom of the sixth, Jones scored, followed by Deaton, which ended the official game at 12-2. The teams played past the 10-run slaughter rule.

Post 141 pitcher Jared Anthis gave up only four hits while striking out seven.

"Jared loves this mound here," said Xanders. "He says that every time we play here. I think that his curveball breaks great off of it. He's 6-4 and growing every day and the mound has a great fall to it. He seems to throw harder on this mound."

Mt. Vernon will play at Breese in a double-header on Wednesday to decide a Legion division champion. Post 141 will be playing in tournament this weekend in Effingham.