A recap of the action for the Princeton Post 25 American Legion Baseball Senior and Junior Legion teams from June 23-25, 2025:

June 24 at Harrisburg (Illinois) Post 167:

Talk about charging out of the gates!

The Head Coach Brent Denbo-led Princeton Post 25 American Legion senior team did just that by scoring eight runs in the opening half-inning of Tuesday night’s road game at Harrisburg (Illinois) Post 167. The ‘eight-spot’ of runs provided starting pitcher Korben Boyd, a senior-to-be at Barr-Reeve High School, with more-than-enough run support en route to an eventual 10-2 victory.

Princeton sent 12 hitters to the plate en route and connected on five hits (four hits and a double) en route to putting up a massive ‘crooked number’ of eight runs to essentially put the game away before the hosts had even had their opening at-bat of the contest.

A bases-loaded walk drawn by catcher Gibson Southern High School junior-to-be Cooper Wahl scored Andrew Gillihan, a Class of 2024 Mount Carmel (Illinois) High School graduate and Oakland City University sophomore-to-be, with the game’s first run.

Additional scoring plays for Post 25 in the opening frame of the contest were a bases-loaded walk drawn by right fielder and Princeton Community High School Class of 2025 graduate Quinn Bush that scored Washington High School senior-to-be and University of Dayton commit Alton Ostby; a two-RBI single to left for left fielder (and Loogootee High School senior-to-be) Mason Britton that plated center fielder and Wood Memorial High School senior-to-be Houston Schoonover; a line-drive ground-ball single ‘right back up the box’ to center field for PCHS Class of 2024 graduate and Hanover College sophomore-to-be Riken Burkett that scored Britton; an infield RBI single legged out by Boyd that scored Burkett; and a ‘frozen rope’ of a line drive into the right-center field gap for Gillihan that scored both Ty Holder (a Tecumseh High School Class of 2025 graduate and Brescia University baseball signee) and Boyd.

In the home half of the first, Boyd worked around a one-out Harrisburg double after Post 25 turned an inning-ending double play. Britton snagged a hard-hit ball to left and then fired the ball to Gillihan at third, and the MCHS graduate gathered the baseball and applied the tag to complete the twin killing.

In the top of the second, Post 25 tacked on a single run to make it 9-0 when Bush laced a single to right that plated Wahl. Bush’s RBI base knock followed Wahl’s leadoff double following a long drive to left on a 1-1 pitch.

After Boyd and the Post 25 defense retired the hosts in order in the second, Princeton put yet another single tally on the board in the top of the third to take a 10-0 lead. Boyd ‘got things going’ for Princeton with a line-drive single to left with one out. Gillihan then ripped a double to center that advanced courtesy runner John Cederholm, a Class of 2025 PCHS graduate, to third base. Cederholm then scored when Schoonover speedily legged out an infield single on a ball hit to third base with two outs.

Aside from a two-run, two-hit inning for Harrisburg in the home half of the fourth, neither team scored over the final four innings of the contest, as Princeton cruised to an eight-run victory.

Boyd led a balanced Post 25 hitting attack with a 3-for-5 day at the plate, while Gillihan and Wahl each posted two-hit games. Tallying one hit each for Princeton were Schoonover, Bush, Britton, Burkett and Holder. Gillihan, Britton and Bush also stole a base for Post 25 in the win.

With the win, the Post 25 seniors moved to 6-5 on the season ahead of a home game at Gil Hodges Field against Boonville Post 200 on June 25.

June 25 v. Boonville Post 200:

There is an age-old proverb that states the following: ‘A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.’

For the Head Coach Brent Denbo-led Princeton Post 25 seniors, a ‘Bush’ in the lineup meant a huge 3-for-3 night at the plate, which resulted in three runs batted in, in Post 25’s come-from-behind 6-4 victory over Boonville Post 200 on Wednesday night at historic Gil Hodges Field.

While approximately two-thirds of the earth is covered by water, one could argue that perhaps the other third is covered by Bush, who is well-known for his outstanding defense in right field, which has been marked by a large number of ‘highlight-reel’ worthy catches throughout his playing career for both Princeton Community High School and Post 25.

On Tuesday night, Bush showed that he has an equal ability to be effective and make just as much of a difference at the plate.

Though Bush led the team with three runs batted in on the night, a total team effort led to Princeton’s win, which required a gradual comeback after the Warrick County-based guests put up a ‘four-spot’ of runs right away in taking a 4-0 lead before Post 25 had its first opportunity in the batter’s box.

In the bottom of the first, Post 25 was able to put up a three-spot of its own to make it a one-run game, 4-3, after an action-packed inning of American Legion baseball.

In the opening inning, Mount Carmel (Illinois) High School Class of 2024 graduate, Oakland City University sophomore-to-be and shortstop Andrew Gillihan drew a walk, which preceded a line-drive single to left for Wood Memorial High School senior-to-be and center fielder Houston Schoonover.

After Gibson Southern High School junior-to-be and catcher Cooper Wahl drew a six-pitch walk to load the bases, Bush delivered a bloop single to left that plated Gillihan to make it 4-1, Boonville.

Following a strikeout, Princeton continued its first-inning rally when PCHS senior-to-be and starting pitcher David Miller ripped a ground-ball single ‘right back up the box’ to center field for a big two-RBI single that scored both Schoonover and Wahl to make it 4-3.

After a tough first inning on the mound, Miller recorded a strikeout, popout and groundout en route to posting a ‘1-2-3’ inning in the second to keep it a one-run lead for Post 200.

Aside from a leadoff double for Boonville in the top of the third, neither team generated any additional offense in the next two half-innings (the home half of the second and the top of the third) before Post 25 recorded a single tally to knot the game at four through three innings of play.

Princeton scored the equalizing run in the third with a two-out rally that was started by a six-pitch walk drawn by Wahl. After the Titan junior-to-be advanced on a Boonville passed ball, Bush drilled a line-drive single to center to score Wahl and tie the game at four runs apiece.

Neither team scored in the fourth inning, which, aside from Boonville drawing a one-out walk in the top half and otherwise not threatening, saw Post 25 threaten by loading the bases in the form of PCHS Class of 2024 graduate, Hanover College baseball sophomore-to-be and second baseman Riken Burkett belting a line-drive double to center field, and both Ty Holder (a Class of 2025 Tecumseh High School graduate and Brescia University baseball signee) and John Cederholm (a Class of 2025 PCHS graduate) drawing walks. An inning-ending groundout, though, kept the game tied at four through four innings.

In the top of the fifth, Holder, who entered as Post 25’s second pitcher of the contest, pitched to contact and quickly, with just five pitches and the help of his defense, retired Boonville in ‘1-2-3’ order to keep it a 4-4 game.

Schoonover and Wahl each drew walks for Post 25 to begin the home half of the fifth, which brought Bush to the plate for the third time in the contest, and for the third-consecutive time, Bush delivered with a run-scoring base hit. Post 25’s ‘QB’ singled on a hard-hit liner to right that scored Schoonover as Wahl moved to third.

Princeton went on to add a crucial ‘insurance’ run in the fifth when Loogootee High School senior-to-be and first baseman Mason Britton lifted a fly ball to center that, although caught by Post 200’s center fielder, was deep enough to allow Wahl to tag up and score from third base. Britton’s sacrifice fly made it 6-4 in favor of Post 25 as the game entered the sixth inning.

Looking to ‘nail down’ the win for Post 25, Coach Denbo called on the powerful right arm of Jarrett Kinder, a PCHS Class of 2025 graduate and future member of the Eastern Illinois University baseball program, and the Panther-to-be delivered a ‘lightning bolt’ of an inning, as the fireballer struck out the side in ‘1-2-3’ order to keep it a two-run lead for Princeton.

Post 25 threatened to tack on additional runs in the home half of the sixth following a walk drawn by Holder and line-drive single to center for Cederholm, but a lineout to right ended the inning with Post 25 maintaining a two-run lead, 6-4.

Kinder, in his second inning of work, allowed a leadoff single, but that was quickly ‘wiped away’ following a 6-3 double play, as Gillihan fielded a ball hit in his direction, stepped on the second-base bag to record the force-out, and completed the twin killing by firing to Britton at first in time. Kinder then recorded a swinging strikeout to end the game, earn the save and preserve the Post 25 victory.

With the win, the Post 25 seniors moved to 7-5 on the season ahead of hosting the Princeton Invitational on June 27-28 at Gil Hodges Field. Post 25 will host Lexington (Kentucky) Post 8 on Friday (June 27) at 5 p.m. Central before also hosting Danville (Illinois) Post 210, with a first-pitch time of 7:30, on Friday night. Princeton will conclude tournament play by again playing Danville at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 28.

Following the Princeton Invitational, the Post 25 seniors are slated to return to action on July 1 when they travel to Jerry Blemker Field, on the campus of Vincennes University, to take on the Southern (Illinois) Smoke 18U squad. First pitch for that contest is slated for 6 p.m. Central.

June 25 at Evansville Funkhouser Post 8:

A promising start for the Head Coach Tim Lewis-led Princeton Post 25 juniors in Tuesday night’s road game against Evansville Funkhouser Post 8 at the Evansville Mater Dei Baseball Complex led to Princeton taking a 5-0 lead (and connecting on five hits in the inning) after a half-inning of play. From that point forward, though, the hosts limited Post 25 to three hits and held them scoreless throughout the rest of the game en route to eventually surging to a 10-5 win.

Princeton’s top-of-the-first burst was sparked, following a leadoff walk drawn by Gibson Southern High School sophomore-to-be and shortstop Kellen Lewis, by a well-hit fly ball by fellow GSHS sophomore-to-be and starting pitcher Nolan Fuhs that resulted in a double and an RBI when Lewis raced around the bases to score the opening run of the contest.

Additional offensive production for Princeton in the inning came in the form of a bloop single to right for Princeton Community High School junior-to-be and right fielder Trace Marshall, an RBI single to right field for GSHS sophomore-to-be and center fielder Ben Rich that scored Fuhs, Heritage Hills High School sophomore-to-be Tyson Engelbrecht lacing a single to left that scored Marshall, a looping single by PCHS sophomore-to-be and first baseman Jacoby Cleveland that scored Rich and GSHS sophomore-to-be and left fielder Jake Tichenor drawing a bases-loaded walk that scored North Posey High School senior-to-be and catcher Dylan Detty.

Beginning with a ‘crooked number’ of scoring two runs in the home half of the first, Funkhouser gradually began to chip away at the five-run cushion built by Post 25 in the early stages of the contest.

A single and a drawn walk with one out, followed by a Post 25 error with two outs, allowed the hosts to ‘get two runs back’ following a bloop single to left field that plated two runs. After one inning of American Legion baseball, Princeton led by three runs, 5-2.

Aside from Marshall drawing a leadoff walk in the second, Post 25 was unable to generate any additional offense. In the bottom of the second frame, the Vanderburgh County-based hosts scored a single tally following a run scoring from third on a Princeton wild pitch.

Post 25 again led off the inning with production in the top of the third, this time in the form of a solid ground-ball single to left for GSHS sophomore-to-be and third baseman Kayden Buckner.

A 6-4 fielder’s choice allowed Engelbrecht to reach base, and the future Patriot then stole second base to move into scoring positions. A groundout and a strikeout followed, though, to keep it a 5-3 game in favor of Post 25.

Funkhouser again recorded a single tally in the third to pull within a run, as the hosts staged a two-out rally in the form of two drawn walks and a line-drive, run-scoring single to left.

Now clinging to a one-run lead, Post 25 again saw its leadoff hitter reach base in the fourth inning, as Lewis drew an eight-pitch walk and advanced to second base following a well-executed sacrifice bunt by Fuhs, which moved Lewis into scoring position. A pair of Post 25 flyouts followed, however, as Princeton again left a runner ‘stranded’ in scoring position.

Aside from a leadoff walk, Post 25 kept the hosts off the scoreboard in the fourth inning and maintained a one-run lead as the game entered the fifth.

Engelbrecht connected on a solidly-hit ground-ball single to left after Buckner drew a one-out walk. Post 25 again had a runner in scoring position, but a ‘6-unassisted’ fielder’s choice and a flyout to left ended that half-inning with Post 25 tenuously holding a 5-4 lead.

Post 8 led off the home half of the fifth with an infield single, but the Post 25 pitching and defense recorded three-consecutive outs to ‘get out of the inning’ with a narrow lead.

In the top of the sixth, Marshall belted a two-out double and Rich drew a four-pitch walk, which was followed by each moving up 90 feet and placing each in scoring position, but a strikeout ended the inning.

Down to its final six outs, Post 8 responded with a ‘six-spot’ of runs, each of which were unearned following multiple Post 25 errors, to take a five-run lead of its own, 10-5, into the seventh.

Princeton’s final attempt at a rally ‘went quietly’, as Post 25 was retired in ‘1-2-3’ order to end the contest.

With the loss, the Post 25 juniors fell to 12-5 on the season ahead of home games at historic Gil Hodges Field against Owensboro (Kentucky) Post 9 on June 30 at 7 p.m. and Southern (Illinois) Smoke 16U on July 1 at 6 p.m.

The Princeton juniors will then return to action with a doubleheader of baseball at Stewardson-Strasburg (Illinois) High School on July 5, where they will take on Shelby County (Illinois) Post 81 at 1 p.m. and a to-be-determined opponent at 3:15 p.m.