Perfect.
Or, at least undefeated.
Albion’s Post #162 Cornerstone Legion Juniors ran their 2021 season record to 6-0 with three more victories this past week.
Albion 9, Twin River 1
Albion Cornerstone got the week off to a flying start with a 9-1 triumph over Twin River Wednesday, June 9, at Leon Nelson Memorial Field (Albion Sports Complex).
Cornerstone broke open a nip-and-tuck 1-1 battle with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Ben Reilly led the inning off with a single and James Fogleman wrapped up the scoring burst by driving in a run with a base hit. The Albion Juniors sealed the decision with four more runs in the fifth as Caden Stokes doubled in two and Fogleman plated two more with a single.
Along with his plate exploits, Fogleman earned the win with four hitless innings, allowing just one unearned run.
Albion 2, St. Paul 0
Sam Grape did not receive much run support Friday. But the Cornerstone hurler didn’t need much.
Grape blanked St. Paul with a sterling two-hitter, striking out 12 batters while not issuing a walk. Grape actually scored the only run Albion Cornerstone would need, doubling in the bottom of the first inning and going home on Trent Patzel’s double.
Cornerstone added an insurance run in the third as Carsten Bird walked, advanced on with a stolen base and ground out, and raced home on a passed ball. Grape allowed three baserunners in the seventh on a single and two fielder’s choices before ending the contest with his 12th strikeout.
Albion 16, PWG 14
Unlike Friday’s shutout win, Albion Cornerstone (6-0) needed every hit and run it could muster to edge PWG (Palmer-Wolbach-Greeley) 16-14 Sunday.
In a wild, topsy-turvy afternoon affair, Cornerstone squandered a big early lead, went back on top with a mid-inning surge, then survived PWG’s final rally attempt in the final frame.
Cornerstone paraded around the bases in the first inning to take a quick 7-0 lead. Bird’s triple and a double by Austin Wiese jumpstarted the ambush, Calvin Webster drove in a run with a base hit and Bird finished the inning with a two-run single.
PWG flipped the script in the third and fourth, surging to the lead with 11 runs. Back came the Albion Juniors. Cornerstone put up five more runs in the bottom of the fourth to edge ahead 12-11, then added four in the fifth for a five-run advantage. Grape and Fogleman led off the fourth with consecutive singles, Patzel delivered a double in the inning, and Stokes plated the final two in the frame with a double. Grape and Fogleman again opened the fifth with singles, and Devon Luettel and Reilly also had base hits.
PWG made one final push in the seventh, scoring three runs before Patzel took the mound to induce a ground out that stranded baserunners at first and third.
