MALCOLM — Pender recovered from a dismal start to its American Legion Class C Juniors state tournament with a 9-6 win over Tecumseh in the second round on Sunday.

It didn’t end up quite so resounding, but Post 55 was in front the entire way.

Pender led 9-2 before Tecumseh scored four runs in the top of the seventh to get back to within the 9-6 final, and Post 55 was glad with the way things turned out.

“I’m proud of our kids. We did what we needed to do here today to stay alive,” Pender coach Shane Schuster said. “Hitting is contagious, and we started hitting the ball a little in this game.

“This was the perfect game for us. We hit the ball, we scored some runs, we pitched well and we made a lot of outs defensively. We did everything necessary to move along in the tournament.”

Pender’s Jake Schuster and Wyatt Fulton from Tecumseh Post 2/330 were locked in a pitchers’ duel in the first two innings.

Both teams scored a run in the third, then Post 43 Frontier Bank started putting some distance between itself and Tecumseh with three runs in the fourth, three in the fifth and a couple in the sixth to go up by the 9-2 margin.

“We really hit the ball well, which we can take into the rest of the tournament,” Shane Schuster said.

His son, Jake, pitched a gem until being replaced in the seventh with one out left.

Tecumseh had scored five runs and scored an additional run on Tate Welsch, who came on in relief.

“I just kind of figure I’m kind of the go-to guy on the mound and felt like I needed to stay there and finish the game,” Jake Schuster said. “I just hate to lose.

“We’ll take this momentum into tomorrow. Hitting is contagious, and once we start hitting, I think everyone just kind of follows along. We need to just keep it going and ride this momentum the rest of the tournament.”

Owen Hathaway had been going through a bit of a dry spell but came through by going 2 for 2 with two RBIs to help Post 43 advance.

“I was struggling a little, but I went up to the plate thinking I was due for a game like this,” Hathaway said. “I just figured I will shake that off and move into tomorrow.

“It kind of all starts in the dugout with support for each other. We cheer each other on from there, and today I just kept positive and knocked in some runs. It was great to help out and move along in the tournament.”

Pender took control of the game in the fourth inning when Jake Schuster opened the frame with a double.

Bowdie Burhoop chased Jake Schuster to third with sacrifice bunt and wound up on first after an error by the Tecumseh catcher.

Jake Schuster scored as Jaden Browning worked a walk, and Post 55 was in front for the first time in the game 2-1.

Jaxson Wegener singled past the shortstop to score Browning and Burhoop, and the Frontier Bank lead was up to 4-1.

Tecumseh answered with a run in the top of the fifth to make it 4-2, but Pender added three scores in the bottom of the inning on a single, a walk, a Tecumseh error and a Hathaway single, one of his two in the contest.

“I just went up there looking for something to hit,” Hathaway said. “I saw it and I hit it. It felt really good.”

Pender moved on in the tournament to take on Tri County-Meridian in an elimination game at 1 p.m. on Monday.

Tecumseh 001 010 4 — 6 7 5

Pender 001 332 x — 9 10 3

WP: Jake Schuster. LP: Wyatt Fulton. 2B: (TEC) Kaiden Dorn, Tate Hawley; (PEN) Jake Schuster, Ryan Linkaus.