Western Boone Jr. - Sr. High School

Little separated Western Boone and Lebanon on Tuesday night as they started off their final two-game series as conference foes. In the end, Western Boone got the key hit they needed in the final inning, with Easton Nance hitting an RBI-single with one out in the top of the seventh to give the Stars a 4-3 win over the Tigers. "We aren't a team that is going to give up," Western Boone head coach Michael Nance said. "We might start slow, and we are going to have some growing pains, but we aren't going to give up. I was really proud of our guys for fighting for seven innings." Lebanon was looking for back-to-back wins after picking up their first win on Friday night. Head coach Riley Benner gave credit to Western Boone for getting the key hits, but also knew the Tigers had too many self-inflicted wounds in the game - twice being doubled off bases and taking too many third pitch strikes. "(WeBo) fought and they got the big hits when they needed to, but we beat ourselves a little bit tonight," Benner said. "We got picked off of first, got doubled off twice, and we still need to get the big hit after that. At any point when we have a guy on third with less than two outs, we have to get them in there and just took too many strikeouts looking, especially with guys in scoring position. Credit to Western Boone, they are a good ball club and it was a great ball game. We are excited to get back at it tomorrow." While frustrating on Tuesday, Benner said they are easily correctable things that the Tigers can fix as they head into the second half of the year. "We're getting there," Benner said. "We have a young and inexperienced team. Even looking at our returners, everyone is in a different position than last year. We are eight games in, obviously not happy at 1-7 but we have three more this week and we are taking it week by week. We feel like we can play with anyone on our schedule. There are going to be some games we have to be near perfect to win, but that's a team we feel like we can compete with." Lebanon jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, getting three-straight singles from Bryce Nelson, Jamil Phillippe and Andrew Kaylor to score twice, but hit into a double play that prevented them from scoring more. That settled WeBo starter Quinn Westerfeld in, as he allowed just one hit over the next three innings. He finished with 11 strikeouts in the game. "He's the ultimate competitor," Nance said. "It was kind of a weird way to give up two runs in the first inning, but he settled in and I think he had his best stuff for the six innings after that." Western Boone got a run in the top of the third on an RBI-single by Nance, then took the lead in the fifth on an RBI-single by Brennan Kopriva and an RBI-ground out from Layton Yancey. The Tigers tied the game in the bottom of the sixth, but the Stars came right back in the seventh. Westerfeld singled with one out and then stole second before Nance singled up the middle on a 2-2 pitch. "We are young, but our guys expect to win," Nance said. "We aren't going to roll over. We are going to fight for seven innings, and I think you saw that in that last inning." Luke Dunshee got the start and had his best outing of the year for the Tigers, going 6.2 innings and allowing four runs on 11 hits. He stuck out five. "There will be some days he has his best stuff and others he doesn't and it's on us to manage it and see how we can get him in the right head space," Benner said. "When he's in the right head space, he is really, really good and competitive. I was really pleased and proud of him tonight." The two teams will meet again on Wednesday at Western Boone. "They are going to come out hungry and we have to come out more hungry," Nance said. "We have to be ready to go. Coach Benner is running a good program over there, but we are going to be ready to go." Will Willems is the Sports Editor of the Lebanon Reporter. Follow him on Twitter @Will_Willems. The Western Boone Junior Varsity Stars were unable to match Lebanon’s early momentum, falling 10-0 on Tuesday. Lebanon broke the game open in the bottom of the second inning, taking advantage of a dropped third strike that brought in a run. This led to a 5 run 2nd inning off of Liam Whiteley Lebanon extended its lead in the third, adding 3 more. Then in the 4th and 6th each adding 1. Western Boone’s Sam Rausch came on in relief, pitching three innings and allowing three hits and two runs (one earned). He struck out four and walked five. Starter Liam Whiteley threw two and two-thirds innings, giving up four hits and eight unearned runs while also striking out four and walking five. Western Boone’s offense was led by Aiden Lester, Sam Rausch, and Zach Sprong, who each recorded a hit. Western Boone will look to bounce back on Wednesday as they host Lebanon in the next matchup between the two teams with Luke Shirley starting on the mound for the Stars.