Fike’s year ends with loss

All Blue Springs Post 499/Fike can do is look forward to next season. Raytown Post 596 moves on.
Two three-run innings lifted Raytown to a 6-3 victory over Fike in a losers’ bracket elimination game in the American Legion Fifth District Tournament Tuesday night at Hidden Valley Park.
Raytown (24-28) advances to another elimination game against Oak Grove Post 397 at 5 p.m. today at Hidden Valley Park. Post 499 saw its 27-25 season come to an end.
Fike outhit Raytown 9-7 but the lack of timely hits proved costly. Twice Fike loaded the bases with no outs. Each time it scored only one run and left a total of nine runners on base.
“I had a good year, but I wish we were going to keep playing,” said Post 499 catcher Nick Gast, who had three singles.
Raytown scored three runs in the first inning off Fike starter Blaine Hines on Monday before the game was suspended by rain. Hines then pitched six scoreless innings Tuesday to keep Fike in the game.
But a Fike error opened the door for a three-run eighth inning that allowed Raytown to seal the win.
“We still had a chance,” said Gast, who will be a senior at Blue Springs South. “Blaine pitched well, but he started missing his spots (in the eighth inning.)”
Fike battled back for single runs in the second and sixth innings to close to within 3-2. Sam Morman scored on a fielder’s choice in the second and Luke Warner’s sacrifice fly scored Gast, who singled to open the sixth. Each time, though, Fike went on to leave two runners on base.
Fike’s Luke Warner was safe on an error to open the ninth inning and scored on Daniel Segalo’s double. But Mike Lynch, who replaced starter Aaron Smith in the sixth, retired the next two batters.
“We still had a good year,” Post 499 manger Jim Moran said. “We were 22-10 in the last 32 games.”