Surprise starter stellar in Jackson Legion win

~ Avery Whiteside allowed just two hits in Jackson Post 158's 7-1 victory

Avery Whiteside came to Friday's baseball game not knowing he would leave the hero.

Whiteside took the mound after Steven Eddy, the scheduled starter for Jackson American Legion Post 158, couldn't get loose. Whiteside ended up pitching a two-hitter as Post 158 dominiated Festus Post 253 7-1 at Whitey Herzog Stadium in Jackson.

Whiteside said he didn't know he would be pitching until about 30 minutes before the game started.

"It didn't really matter to me," the lefthander who graduated from Jackson High earlier this year said. "The first inning felt really great. When I got here, my arm felt tight, but I was able to work it out in the bullpen."

Whiteside, who earlier this week gave a verbal commitment to play baseball at Lincoln (Ill.) College, didn't allow a hit until the sixth inning. By that time, Post 158 had built a 7-0 lead.

The only run Whiteside allowed, in the top of the sixth, was unearned. He did walk seven batters but also struck out eight.

"My curveball wasn't the best today," he admitted. "It wasn't as consistent as I like it to be. The changeup was working. That was really helping me out."

Post 158 coach Mark Lewis praised Whiteside for his effort.

"He was in the bullpen today to throw some anyway, but he stepped up big," Lewis said. "He pitched really well. ... He got command with his fastball, and his changeup was working really well. He struggled a little bit with the curveball, but he got it going in the late innings, and I think that got him over the top. It gave their hitters another pitch to look at."

Post 158, which has been struggling to score runs lately, plated seven in a 10-hit attack. Kyle James, a Jackson graduate who played this past spring at Shawnee Community College, was 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles. He scored once and drove in a run. Ryan Harvey was 2 for 3 with two runs scored, Lane Thompson was 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs and Cody Harris was 2 for 3 with two RBIs.

"We didn't swing the bats very well (Thursday)," James said. "We came in early today, got some swings in and that helped out today."

Jackson could have scored more. The team left nine runners on base and had another runner picked off third in the second inning.

Post 158 pelted Festus starter Joe Melton for all seven runs -- just two earned -- on nine hits over 3 2/3 innings. Jackson scored three times in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back.

Ryan O'Rear reached on an infield error to open the inning. One out later, Ryan Harvey walked and James followed with a double, scoring O'Rear. Harris followed with an infield single that loaded the bases for Landon Mills, who drew a walk to force in Harvey. James came home on Thompson's groundout to second to make it 3-0.

Wyatt Eldridge was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the third to force in another run, and Post 158 added three more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Thompson had a run-scoring single, another run scored on an infield error, and Thompson and Mills executed a perfect double steal that allowed Mills to scamper home with the inning's third run to make it 7-0.

"It was good to see us bounce back and swing the bat," Lewis said.

Festus Post 253 000 001 0 -- 1 2 3

Jackson Post 158 301 300 X -- 7 10 1

WP -- Avery Whiteside. LP -- Joe Melton. 2B -- Andrew Hayden (F), Kyle James (J) 2. Multiple hits -- Jackson: Ryan Harvey 2-3, James 2-4, Cody Harris 2-3, Lane Thompson 2-4.