By Jennifer Eisenbart
Sports Editor
For Kross Krueger, Tuesday night’s American Legion U-16 regional final wasn’t the biggest game he’d ever pitched in.
No, he saved that honor when he helped pitch Burlington Little League to the Great Lakes Regional four years ago.
But reliever Nate Sibley? The regional save was plenty big enough for him.
“I was a little nervous,” Sibley said. “I don’t think I’ve ever pitched in a bigger game.”
Post 79 beat Janesville 4-3 Tuesday night to win the Burlington regional. The squad had one loss – on Saturday to Waterford – but beat every other team it faced in the tournament.
The Burlington U-16 Trashers went 1-2 in the tournament and were eliminated Saturday. Waterford, who beat Burlington Post 79 Saturday 14-4, lost in an elimination game to Genoa City Monday – who promptly lost to Burlington 10-4.
In Tuesday’s final, Burlington was the visiting team, and picked up a lead in the top of the first it would not relinquish.
Sibley led off the inning with a single, and stole second. With one out, Dane Helnore grounded into a fielder’s choice, but indecision on Janesville’s part ended up with both runners safe at first and third.
Helnore stole second, and A.J. Baker then lined a shot up the left-field line to bring in both runners.
Janesville got one run back in the bottom of the inning, but Burlington scored again in the top of the second to go ahead 3-1.
Burlington went up 4-1 in the top of the fifth after Helnore reached on an error and then later scored.
But Janesville scored one in the fifth and another in the sixth to pull within a run.
Sibley pitched three innings of relief, including three consecutive strikeouts in the seventh to wrap up the victory.
Burlington was rather subdued after the win after playing four games in sweltering conditions over the last several days and enduring an all-day rainout Sunday.
“We just all wanted it to be over and win it,” Krueger said.
In addition, manager Chuck Baker said a number of the players were suffering from the flu, but gutted it out.
“Some were able to tough it out, others couldn’t make it,” Baker said. “But when (they) couldn’t make it, others stepped up.”
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