Horry Post 111 hopes still high following loss to Florence Post 1 in American Legion playoffs

At this point, the Horry Post 111 baseball team can only hope for the best.

Florence Post 1 took down Horry 11-3 on Saturday to take the best-of-five second round playoff series 3-1 and clinch a berth in the American Legion state championship tournament in Sumter.

“It was a tough game,” said Post 111 coach Tim Whittaker, whose team committed six errors Saturday. “We had some errors that hurt us, and the box score says we got eight hits so we almost matched them hit-for-hit, but the errors gave them some extra runs.

Florence is a good team. They’ve been competitive for so long and you have to give them credit; they played a heck of a game and a series. I just wish it would’ve turned out a little different for these boys.”

Although the loss ended the series, Horry can still potentially compete in a play-in game to determine the final spot in the state tournament.

But, it’s out of their hands. For now.

“If Sumter wins into the state [tournament], there’s a play-in game between us, Murrells Inlet and Camden. What they’ll do is seed each team one, two, three – depending on their playoff record. So, there’s still a chance and we still have hope; that’s what I told the kids after this one.

We can still play. If we do, we’re going to come out and play as hard as we can like we’ve done all year.”

Meanwhile, Post 111 was shorthanded as standouts Patrick Orlando, Michael Genovese and Jay Causey were all absent Saturday.

“We didn’t have everybody. We had only 10 kids and my starting pitcher didn’t show up tonight” Whittaker said. “That makes it very difficult for a coach to try to make decisions and makes you have to wing it when deciding who’s going to do what and who’s going to play where. But these 10 that I have right here are dedicated and have been through thick and thin. That’s all you can ask for as a coach.”

Florence took advantage of Horry’s miscues early on as they jumped on them for three runs in the first inning and never looked back, keeping the lead throughout Saturday’s contest.

Post 1 starter Austin Moody earned the win as he allowed two earned runs, surrendered five hits, walked none and struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings of work.

Then, reliever Jack Beasley allowed one run in one inning of work but struck out three, and Josh Price and Brent Herlong combined to pitch 2 2/3 scoreless innings to preserve the victory for Florence.

“The pitching kept us in the game,” Post 1 coach Derick Urquhart said. “We made a couple of defensive mistakes, but – for the most part – the whole series we pitched well, played good defense and got timely hits. That’s been the key.”

Early on Wednesday in Game 2, which Horry won 7-3, Florence’s leading hitter Grayson Cottingham left the contest with an injury and hasn’t played since. It certainly scared Urquhart and his staff, but the team got it done regardless.

“I was worred the other night after we lost Cottingham to injury. I was worried how we’d react; he’s our leading hitter and one of the team leaders,” said Urquhart, whose team won 9-1 on Thursday in Game 3. “I’m proud of the team the last two [games]; we swung the bat well and guys stepped up in his absence.”

And now, Post 1 (31-3) has impetus as it heads into the state tourney for the 12th straight year.

“Everybody’s pretty pumped,” Urquhart said. “I’m very proud of them and it’s another trip to the state tournement for Florence; we don’t take it for granted. We’ll keep the momentum going when we get there.”

In the meantime, Horry will be banking on the possibility of competing in the play-in game, which helped springboard Post 111 into the state tournament in 2009. Horry lost to Sumter in the second round that year, won the play-in game and then finished as runner-ups in the state tournament.

Whittaker certainly wouldn’t mind history repeating itself.

“It can happen, and hopefully it will,” he said.

This story was originally published July 17, 2016 at 12:49 AM with the headline "Horry Post 111 hopes still high following loss to Florence Post 1 in American Legion playoffs."