American Legion Junior Baseball
CREIGHTON — Hartington’s American Legion Junior baseball team was not able to make a second straight state tournament appearance.
The Junior Legion team was bounced into the loser’s bracket with a 5-2 loss to Creighton Sunday.
A controversial play at the plate Monday enabled Neligh to take 3-2 win, knocking the Hartington team out of the Class C Area 2 District Tournament.
Hartington ends the season at 14-7. Hartington entered the tourney as the third seed. 
Hartington trailed Neligh 1-0 after the first inning of play Monday.
Neligh retired the first five Hartington batters before Coach Rod Hegge’s team was able to earn a hit. 
Hartington’s Kyle Dump laced a pitch into deep center field and began to race around the bases. He collided with Neligh’s second basemen but kept going, then charged by third base on his way home. The throw came in from the outfield and he was ruled out at home. Hegge argued for defensive interference, but to no avail and Hartington ended the inning still down by one. 
Neligh plated two more runs in the third to take a 3-0 advantage.  Hartington threatened again in the fourth inning, loading the bases with singles by Tony Heine, Kyle Kramer and Dump, but all three were left stranded.
Hartington pushed its first runs across the plate in the sixth inning.
The inning started off with Tim Wieseler reaching base by being hit by the pitch. This marked the 15th time this season Wieseler has taken one for the team to reach base.
Wieseler moved to second on Tony Heine’s single and came home on Kyle Kramer’s double. 
Kyle Dump’s sacrifice then brought Heine home. 
Ryan Heimes’ sacrifice bunt was unable to score anyone though, and Hartington again ended up wasting a prime scoring opportunity.
Neither team was able to plate any more runners. 
Kyle Kramer took the loss for Hartington.
 
The Hartington team easily defeated Orchard 17-2, in first-round action Friday.
Creighton posed a much bigger challenge, however.
Creighton got on the board right away against Hartington, plating its first run thanks to three first-inning singles.
Creighton extended its lead to 2-0 in the third inning taking advantage of another single and a Hartington error. 
Hartington knotted the game up at 2-2 in their half of the inning. 
Mark Dendinger started things off with a single. Andy Dickes then brought him home with a double that went deep into the outfield. Tony Heine singled to move Dickes to third and Kyle Kramer drove him home with an RBI single to knot the game at 2-2.
The score stayed tied until Creighton connected for another hit and took advantage of a Hartington error to plate three runs in the fifth inning. 
Hartington stranded two base runners over the next three innings, but was not able to get anyone else home.
Tim Wieseler pitched the  entire game for Hartington and earned the loss, despite giving up only five hits and three walks.
Creighton 1 0 1 0 3 0 0--5
Hartington 0 0 2 0 0 0 0--2

The Hartington Juniors started the tournament off with a bang.
Hartington pounded Orchard in five innings to advance to second-round action.
Tim Wieseler’s strong pitching and a solid offensive effort from the entire team propelled Hartington to the big win.
Wieseler scattered five hits across five innings and fanned six Orchard batters in the contest to earn the win. Kyle Dump paced the Hartington offense with a 4-4 effort at the plate and six RBI.
Neither team was able to get anything going in the first frame, but Hartington’s offense came alive in the second frame. 

Tony Heine got things started with the first single of the game. Kyle Kramer then laid down a perfect bunt to move Heine over and reach base safely himself. Kyle Dump drove them both home with a solid two RBI single to right field.  Ryan Heimes followed him by reaching base on a fielder’s choice and Darren Hochstein earned a walk to get on base.  Zach Jones’ RBI single plated Heimes and Hochstein came home on a wild pitch. Mark Dendinger’s sacrifice plated Jones and ended the scoring in the frame.
In the third inning, Wieseler reached base when he struck out but made it to first on the catcher’s error. Heine and Dump again smacked singles in the third frame to load the bases. Wieseler scored on Kyle Kramer’s sacrifice bunt and Heine came home on Ryan Heimes’ sacrifice fly to make the score 7-0 after two-and-half innings. 
Orchard plated a runner in the third frame to close the gap, but Hartington’s offense refused to let up.
In the fourth frame, Hartington scored five more runs to put the game out of reach.  Three Orchard errors aided Hartington’s offensive surge in the inning. Mark Dendinger got on the base paths thanks to an error and he ended up scoring on another miscue as the pitcher unleashed a wild pitch. 
Tim Wieseler had the big hit of the inning, belting an RBI double into the outfield. Tony Heine and Kyle Kramer then walked to load up the bases for Kyle Dump, who blasted the ball into right field for a two RBI single. Ryan Heimes’ single brought in Heine and Kramer came in on Darren Hochstein’s fielder’s choice to give Hartington a 12-1 advantage.
Hartington ended the game early by posting five more runs in the next frame. 
Andy Dickes singled and scored in the fifth inning, and Dump smacked a bases-loaded double to score two more. Dump then moved to third on a throwing error and came home on a wild pitch.  Ryan Heimes also walked then made his way around the basebaths for Hartington’s final score of the contest.
Hartington 0 5 2 5 5 — 17
Orchard 0 0 1 0 1 —   2

HARTINGTON — The Hartington Seniors also defeated Orchard June 27 in regular season action.
During the first inning Orchard held Hartington scoreless, while plating two runs of its own.
Hartington evened the score in the second inning when both Preston Leise and Marshall Wiebelhaus crossed the plate.
Hartington’s Kyle Wiepen hit a single to right field in the third inning making his way home. 
In the fifth inning Tyler Heine hit a double to right field along with Ty Hegge, Kyle Wiepen earned a walk, Eric Hames had a single, Reid Kathol and Marshall Wiebelhaus also got walked, and they all made it home. 
Hartington held Orchard  scoreless over the next four innings.
At the top of the sixth Orchard scored two runs on Hartington’s defense. In the bottom of the sixth Shane Becker hit a double, Preston Leise hit a single to center and Tyler Heine received a walk and they all made their way home. 
In the final frame, Hartington held Orchard from crossing home plate enabling the local team to earn the 13-4 win. 
Ty Hegge gained the win on the mound for Hartington. 
Hartington 0 2 1 1 6 3 x--13
Orchard 2 0 0 0 0 2 0--4

MADISON — The Hartington Seniors beat Madison 13-5 June 30. 
In the top of the first inning Preston Leise and Tyler Heine and Ty Hegge all hit singles, Chase Rolfes followed and they all made their way home. 
During the second inning Preston Leise hit a double, Ty Hegge had a single, Chase Rolfes gained base from a walk, and Kyle Wiepen had a double and all made their way home.
Hartington didn’t allow Madison to plate any runs during the first four innings. 
At the top of the fifth inning Preston Leise had a single along with Shane Becker. 
Hartington allowed five runs to Madison in the fifth. 
During the seventh Leise, Heine, and Zach Becker all earned walks. Hartington gained three more runs to win the game. Hartington held Madison scoreless in the sixth and seventh innings. 

Hartington 4 4 0 0 2 0 3--13
Madison 0 0 0 0 5 0 0--