Joseph Smalley's 13 Strikeouts and Nobody in Illinois Is Ready For It

Alright, you guys, another week, another wild ride in the world of competitive baseball! You know I bleed green and blue, but when I see sheer, unadulterated passion and talent lighting up the diamond, I gotta talk about it. And trust me, what went down in the Midwest this past weekend? Absolutely electric. We're talking about the Danville Post 210 Junior Gold squad, and if you haven't been watching, you are MISSING OUT. These kids absolutely stomped their way to a perfect 3-0 weekend, and yeah, the buzz is real.

Junior Gold Domination: A Perfect Weekend to Remember

You wanna talk about setting a tone? The Junior Gold kicked off their weekend on Friday with a commanding 6-0 shutout over Watseka. But listen, the real story here, the one that tells you everything you need to know about this team's grit? Joseph Smalley. This kid was an absolute MONSTER on the mound, carving up the competition for a mind-blowing 13 strikeouts! Thirteen! That's not just good, that's "are you kidding me?" good. Ryker Dieu brought the bats, driving in three RBIs, and Tate McLaughlin chipped in another. Seriously, if Smalley keeps this up, the league is gonna be in trouble.

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Then Saturday rolled around, and the Junior Gold didn't just win, they put on a clinic. They hosted Eureka Post 466 for a doubleheader and completely owned them, taking both games 13-2 and 15-5. Ryker Dieu was back at it in the first game with three hits and four RBIs. Owen Atwood was a machine with three hits, two doubles, and three RBIs himself. Ivan Rodriguez, Aiven Anderson, and Calen Leeman each snagged an RBI, and Dayton Dubois added two hits. Leighton Miethe earned the win with two strikeouts over five innings. In the second game, Rodriguez kept the RBIs coming with two, while Weston Church blasted two hits and an RBI. Atwood, Leeman, McLaughlin, Anderson, and Jordan Winchester all got RBIs, and Dubois again with two hits. Fletcher Clem closed it out with four strikeouts over five innings. These guys aren't just winning, they're making a statement. They're sitting pretty at 7-4, and I'm telling you, the vibes are immaculate.

Speakers Battle Through to the Semis, Elite Hold Their Own

Meanwhile, the Danville Post 210 Legion Baseball "Speakers" showed some serious heart too, making a run all the way to the semifinals at the Best of the Midwest Tournament. They kicked off Saturday strong with a 9-0 victory over Watseka. Matthew Darling was lights out, chalking up six strikeouts over six innings, and Ryan Edwards came in to perfectly close out the seventh. Cole Miller was a force with two hits and two RBIs, Easton Barney had three hits and an RBI, while Bryson Houchens, Xander Wilson, and Marvin Davis III each got an RBI. Darling even helped his own cause with two hits. They followed that up by shutting down the Madisonville Post 6 Rangers 3-0, with Lyric Neal striking out seven in five innings and Edwards allowing only one hit over two. Miller was clutch with a double and three RBIs, and Cruz Dubois added two hits. Unfortunately, their run ended in the semifinals on Sunday, falling 7-3 to the Owensboro, Ky. Post 9 Bombers. Davis had two hits and an RBI, Wilson picked up an RBI, Miller had three hits, and Houchens added two hits. Dubois and Liam Parish combined for nine strikeouts on the mound. They're sitting at 11-4 overall.

And let's not forget the Post 210 Junior Elite Speakers in Legion Softball, who went 2-2 over their weekend. They started Friday with two wins, then took down Express Fastpitch 9-3 on Saturday. Eva Ronto and Deana Linares each had two RBIs, Ella Acton got two hits and an RBI, and a bunch of other players, Lani Gondzur, Kendall Rannebarger, Ava Acton, and Madyson Logsdon, all chipped in RBIs. Macy Warner had two hits, and Lily Kiesel snagged three strikeouts for the win. They hit a bump with an 8-0 loss to the Tribe Baseball and Softball Academy Wahoos, but bounced back with a win against the Mattoon Pride, where Alexa Jamison had three hits and two RBIs, Linares had two hits and two RBIs, and Kiesel got two RBIs for the win. They closed out the weekend with another loss to the Wahoos, 8-2, with Ava Acton getting the sole RBI. It was a tough finish, but they battled!

What's Next? And A Quick Word From Home...

The Speakers are back on the road tonight, squaring off against Watseka again at 6:30 p.m. Can they bounce back? You know I'll be watching! And the Junior Gold? They've got a road doubleheader against Champaign Post 24, starting at 5 p.m. These teams are fighting, pushing, and showing us what it means to leave it all on the field. Keep that energy high!

Oh, and speaking of good vibes, how about our own Seattle Mariners? They took down the Boston Red Sox 3-1! Let's GO M's! Keep that momentum rolling, Emerald City!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.