Offensive explosion for Valpo in win over Stratojets (2024)

LINCOLN- When the bats are going strong, the Valparaiso Post 371 Juniors are not a team you want to be matched up against. Behind a 12-hit performance, Valparaiso took down Post 1919 Stratojets 23-6 in Lincoln on June 13.

Right out of the gate, the Post 371 Juniors jumped out to a 3-0 lead.

Two of the first three batters for Valparaiso in the game reached base on walks. Later, Wyatt Jelinek singled to center, and Adam Jamison grounded out to shortstop which drove in the three runs.

The Stratojets pitching continued to struggle in the second with a pair of walks and a hit batter that loaded the bases. Valparaiso made them pay with three runs driven in on a single by Devin Watkins and a groundout into a double play by Kendol Benes which made it a 6-1 contest in favor of Post 371.

Four clutch hits as well as taking advantage of some errors by the Stratojets in the field allowed Valparaiso to put up an eight spot in the top of the third. This gave the Post 371 Juniors a commanding 14-1 lead on Post 1919.

After being held scoreless in the fourth, Valparaiso loaded the bases for the third time in the contest with a single from Jelinek to center and then two walks drawn by Benes and Tucker Matulka. This set up the Post 371 Juniors for a nine-run inning and put them in front by an impressive 17 runs.

Benes retired the Stratojets in order with a strikeout, a line out, and then a fly out which ended the contest in six innings.

Both driving in three runs with at least one hit were Watkins and Benes. Jamison had two hits and drove in two runs while Kamber Lechtenberg, Matulka, and Jelinek all had at least one hit and one RBI.

Asher Allen picked up the win on the mound by pitching two innings with no earned runs surrendered and one strikeout. Going three innings and striking out three batters while earning the save was Benes.

Two days earlier, Valparaiso had a home game against Legacy Design Strategies Post 1. A seven-run bottom of the fifth powered the Post 371 Juniors to a 14-6 victory.

Down 4-2 in the bottom of the third with two outs, Valparaiso rallied to load the bases. The next two batters were Jamison and Hunter Sykes who singled in the infield and tied the game up at four apiece.

Lucas DenHartog and Watkins kept the rally going with a double to center and a single to right field that put Post 371 up 7-4.

Omaha Concordia responded to the bad inning by scoring one run in the top of the fourth and fifth innings and pulling back within one run of Valparaiso.

The pitching for Legacy Design failed them once again in the bottom of the fifth with two hit batters that juiced the bases. Matulka was next through the line and singled to center driving in two runs and putting Post 371 up 9-6.

A steal of home by Jelinek and then a tag up by Matulka on a fly-out by Grayson Goering put Valparaiso in front by five.

After doubling to center with two outs, Lechtenberg stole home on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Watkins singled to right field driving in Jamison and Sykes and securing the eight-run victory for Post 371 in five innings.

Matulka started the game on the mound and pitched 4.1 innings, gave up six earned runs, and retired four batters on strikes. Pitching 0.1 innings in relief with one strikeout was Jelinek.

Coming through with multiple hits and three RBIs apiece were DenHartog and Watkins. Besides pitching a great game, Matulka had two hits and two runs batted in.

All getting at least one hit to go along with one RBI were Sykes, Goering, and Jamison.

Valparaiso was back in action at Platte River Rivals Juniors Post 47 and 340 on June 18 and then traveled to play Waterloo/Valley Post 58 Juniors on June 19. They have a home game against Malcolm at 5:30 p.m. on June 21.