Published: July 09, 2009 11:23 pm      

Jr. Legion wins tourney opener

By JACK CLARK

jackclark@mvn.net



MT. VERNON - Jarrod Anthis struck out nine batters and allowed only three hits in a 3-0 complete game shut-out over Centralia in the opening round of the junior American Legion district tournament on Thursday evening at Brennan Klein Memorial Field.

Mt. Vernon is now 13-6 in 2009.

King City coach George Xanders said that Anthis has performed better each time out this season against the Queen City team.

"Jarrod just keeps getting better every game," said Xanders. "He's pitched against them (Centralia) three times. I think that he might have given up three runs the first time, then one the second time and now none. What does he do for an encore against them?"

To start the Mt. Vernon first, Zach Jones singled, then scored on a one-out sacrifice fly by John Hollingsworth, giving the King City a 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the third, Jones cracked a two-out single and scored on a double by Blake Deaton. Deaton then scored on a single by Hollingsworth.

The only threat that Centralia could mount came in the fifth inning when consecutive lead-off singles by Bobby Reider and Alex Fritch put runners on first and second with no outs. The Mt. Vernon defense shut down the next three batters to get out of the inning.

In spite of a less than stellar inning, Xanders was pleased with the way that Anthis bounced back.

"He threw a lot of pitches in one inning, then he got things under control," Xanders said. "And he was in control for the rest of the game. Wonderful, wonderful game."

Xanders acknowledges that his team's offense is minimal at this point.

"We're not hitting very good right now," said Xanders. "And that concerns me. But our defense has been great."

The King City's junior team will play next on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Carlyle and Trenton were to have played on Thursday night at Carlyle, with the winner to take on number-one seed Breese this evening at 5:30 p.m. at Klein Field. That games' winner faces Mt. Vernon on Saturday.