Off the barrel — Aviston outfielder Max Albers sends the ball into the outfield in the Express’ 19-0 win over host Trenton on Tuesday at Pete Schumacher Field. Albers was 1-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored and three more batted in. PHOTO BY JEREMY CHAWGO The Aviston Senior Legion Post 1239 Express had another strong week of action with wins over Trenton, Marissa, Christian County, Alton and Shelby County along with sweeping a double header from Salem.
The Express now sits at 20-3 overall and they had Monday and Tuesday off before playing Marissa and Steeleville in pool play on Wednesday in the Hattie Harmson 4th of July Tournament in Steeleville.
Aviston 9, Shelby County 1 (5 innings): The Express ended the week with seven wins after taking down Post 611 on Saturday afternoon.
Aviston took advantage of three fielding errors from S.C. while they also drew four big walks in a game where they outhit Post 611 7-5.
With Rowdy Sussenbach on the mound, the Express went to work in the bottom of the first inning to set the tone.
Sussenbach led off with a walk before Conlan Haar singled to the left side before the next two were retired.
Bryce Wieter singled to the left side before a fielding error loaded the bases with a 1-0 lead. Miles Browne came up clutch with a two-out, three-run double to the left side for a 4-0 lead.
Shutout time — Aviston righty Brady Ceto sends in a two-seam fastball in the first inning of the Express’ 19-0 win at Trenton on Tuesday. The hurler pitched a complete-game, three-hit shutout with seven strikeouts. PHOTO BY JEREMY CHAWGO Once again, Aviston used some two-out magic in the third inning when Ben Hutchinson reached on an error before the next two hitters were retired. Hutchinson scored on a wild pitch before Johnny Hilmes singled and later scored on a Browne single for a 6-0 lead. Garrick Winkeler doubled in the seventh run.
After Shelby County got a run in the top of the fourth inning, Aviston put the game away after Sussenbach and Haar walked to start the inning before an RBI single from Drake Curry and Haar scored on a passed ball for a 9-1 lead.
Sussenbach went the distance allowing one earned run on five hits, no walks and four punch outs. He also walked twice and scored a run.
Browne was 2-for-3 with a single, a double, a run scored and four RBI. Haar and Hilmes each singled, walked and scored twice.
Aviston 5, Alton 0: The Express logged their first win of the day with a great pitching effort on Saturday morning.
Bryce Wieter did a little of everything with a complete-game shutout on the bump where he allowed two hits, no walks and struck out five in a 76-pitch effort.
At the dish, he was 2-for-2 with a single, a double and an RBI. Drake Curry added a single, a triple, two RBI and two runs scored. Rowdy Sussenbach had a single, a stolen base and two runs scored. Both teams committed two fielding errors.
After a perfect inning from Wieter in the first, the Express took the lead in the bottom of the inning with a two-out rally. Sussenbach started things with a triple to right before scoring on a single from Curry who later scored on a double from Wieter for a 2-0 lead.
Wieter retired the first nine hitters he faced before an error in the fourth inning ended the perfect game.
Aviston added three insurance tallies in the bottom of the sixth inning when Sussenbach reached on an error and scored on a triple from Curry. Wieter singled up the middle for another RBI before Johnny Hilmes wrapped up the scoring with a sacrifice fly.
Aviston 21, Christian County 6 (5 innings): The Express had 10 players with hits in their win on Friday night at The Hill.
Garrick Winkeler led the offense with two doubles and two RBI. Johnny Hilmes singled, walked twice and scored three runs.
Rowdy Sussenbach and Ben Hutchinson each scored two runs while Conlan Haar had a double, two runs scored and two batted in. Max Albers had two runs scored and two RBI.
Big hit — Aviston utility player Johnny Hilmes sends a two-out, two-run double to the left side in the first inning of the Express’ 19-0 win in Trenton. Hilmes was 4-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored in the win. PHOTO BY JEREMY CHAWGO Drake Curry was the winning pitcher with 3-2/3 innings of work where he allowed five earned runs on five hits, four walks and seven punch outs. Brady Ceto got the final four outs.
Aviston got two runs in the first inning when Benny Lehman led off with a single before Rowdy Sussenbach doubled to the right side. Miles Browne, pinch running for Lehman, scored on a ground out before Sussenbach scored on a wild pitch.
Aviston got an unearned run in the second inning before they scored seven times in the third inning with just one hit to lead 10-0. Wieter added an RBI double in the fourth inning while Conlan Haar had an RBI double in the fifth inning.
Max Albers added an RBI single in the fifth before Reid Innes had an RBI single and Ceto added a two-run single in the win.
Aviston 14, Salem 4 (5 innings): The Express logged their fourth-straight short game with a nine-run first inning in the second of two games on Thursday.
Bryce Wieter paced a balanced offense with three singles and an RBI while Rowdy Sussenbach added a single, a double, two runs scored and four batted in. Drake Curry added a two-run homer. Ethan Brinkmann walked twice.
Conlan Haar took care of the rest as he went the first four innings, allowing one earned run on one walk, four hits and a punch out.
Aviston sent 13 hitters to the plate in the bottom of the first inning with Bryce Wieter starting things with an RBI single before Brinkmann got an RBI with a walk. Johnny Hilmes reached on an error to get the lead to 3-1.
Reid Innes followed with an RBI single before Max Albers also got an RBI walk. Haar reached on an error before a two-run single from Sussenbach made it 8-1. Ben Hutchinson got an RBI ground out for the final RBI of the inning.
They added another unearned run in the third inning before going back to work in the fourth inning when they led 10-2. Sussenbach doubled in two more runs and Curry sent a two-run shot over the right field fence for a 14-2 lead.
Salem got two runs in the top of the fifth inning off Brinkmann before the final three outs were retired to end the evening.
Aviston 10, Salem 0 (6 innings): The Express had no trouble in their first of two games on a toasty Thursday night at The Hill.
Max Albers continued his torrid hitting with a single, a double, two walks, an RBI, three runs scored and two stolen bases. Ben Hutchinson had two RBI while Bryce Wieter scored two times and stole three bases.
Reid Innes took care of the rest as he tossed a complete-game, three-hit shutout where he walked none and struck out six Wildcats.
Albers singled in the first inning and later scored on a ground out from Hutchinson for a 1-0 lead.
Wieter was hit by a pitch and Ethan Brinkmann walked with both scoring, despite no hits from the Express in the second inning for a 3-0 lead.
They doubled that lead in the third inning on a steal of home from Albers and an RBI single from Hutchinson. Wieter added a sacrifice fly for a 6-0 lead.
Aviston got two more in the fifth inning when Drake Curry singled and later scored on a wild pitch while Wieter singled and scored on a sacrifice fly from Hilmes.
They ended the game with an RBI double from Albers and Curry was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to invoke the short game final.
Aviston 11, Marissa 1 (5 innings): The Express scored the final 11 runs in their home victory on Wednesday against Post 172.
The game was scoreless through three innings before Marissa put up their lone run in the top of the fourth inning.
Aviston responded with three in the bottom of the inning and eight more in the bottom of the fifth to end the game early.
Ben Hutchinson was the winning pitcher with four innings of work where he allowed one earned run on six hits, one walk and three strikeouts while Miles Browne pitched a perfect fifth inning of relief.
Hutchinson also had two singles, a double, two RBI and two runs scored. Bryce Wieter added two singles, two runs scored and three batted in while Ethan Brinkmann had three RBI.
Trailing 1-0, the Express got the offense going in the bottom of the fourth inning when Hutchinson led off with a single before moving to second on a wild pitch. Wieter singled him home for a 1-1 game. Wieter stole second, moved to third on an error and scored on a ground out from Brinkmann. Max Albers made it 3-1 with an RBI single to left.
Aviston sent nine hitters to the plate in the fifth inning with eight of those reaching safely.
Browne, Conlan Haar and Rowdy Sussenbach walked to load the bases with no outs.
Hutchinson doubled in two runs before Drake Curry walked. Wieter singled in two more runs to get the lead to 7-1. Brinkmann tripled to make it 9-1. They got two more runs on a pair of fielding errors to invoke the short-game victory.
Aviston 19, Trenton 0 (5 innings): The Express got balanced hitting and great pitching in their road win on Tuesday at Pete Schumacher Field in Trenton.
Brady Ceto was the man on the mound for the Express with a complete-game, three-hit shutout where he walked one and struck out seven in just 65 pitches.
The offense took care of the rest as they pounded out 17 hits with six stolen bases and 13 walks.
Johnny Hilmes was one of many hitter stars on the night as he was 4-for-4 with three singles, a double, a walk, three batted in and two runs scored.
Rowdy Sussenbach was 3-for-5 with two singles, a double, three runs scored, three batted in and two stolen bases. Landon Baker was 3-for-3 with three singles while Max Albers had three runs batted in. Garrick Winkeler had two singles and three batted in.
Hilmes started the onslaught with a two-out, two-run double in the top of the first inning before scoring on an error for a 3-0 lead.
They added nine more runs in the second inning when Winkeler singled, two hitters walked and Albers got an RBI single for a 5-0 lead. Sussenbach sent two runners in with a shot to left for a 7-0 lead.
Hilmes followed with an RBI single before Winkeler and Baker each added RBI on walks. Albers later got an RBI on another walk before Reid Innes scored on a wild pitch for a 12-0 lead.
Winkeler added an RBI single in the third inning when Innes got an RBI ground out for a 14-0 lead.
Baker got an RBI single in the fourth inning before the Express got four more runs in the fifth inning. Sussenbach and Baker each got RBI singles before Ethan Brinkmann and Winkeler added the final two RBI in the win.
