Post 109 ready for home debut against Inman

Post 109's Brock White saw action in relief against Rock Hill. Drew Gregg and Treven Taber are expected to bring plenty of power to the Post 109 lineup.

After missing the team's non-league opener against Rock Hill on Wednesday, the pair will likely be in the lineup when Post 109 hosts Inman today at 7 p.m.

"We were missing Drew and Treven," said coach Post 109 Jeff Osment, reflecting on his team's 5-3 loss to Rock Hill. "They are important to our offense."

Other than failing to come through at the plate, Osment had few complaints about his team's performance last Wednesday.

Starter Bobby Wilkins pitched six innings before Brock White finished the game.

"Bobby Wilkins really pitched well for us. He only had two bad pitches the entire night and pitched out of several jams," Osment said. "We feel very confident with where he is right now."

After Post 109 tied the game at 1 entering the fifth inning, Rock Hill scored three runs off Wilkins in the next inning to take a 4-1 lead.

Post 109 cut the lead to 4-3 in the seventh inning on RBI doubles from Stephen Kaemmerlen and White. Justin Sarratt had a RBI single to drive in the Post 109's other run.

The local American Legion team had a couple of scoring chances late in the game, but were unable to get the timely hit. Rock Hill scored an insurance run in the eighth inning for the final margin.

Post 109 managed only four hits against Rock Hill.

Osment will send Sarratt to the mound against Inman, a team expected to challenge Post 109 for the league crown.

"We expect Justin to pick up where he left off last year for us," Osment said. "We know Inman should be pretty good. It should be a good game."

In a pregame ceremony in honor of Memorial Day, Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce executive director Jim Cook will present an American flag that his son, J.C., flew over Iraq.

The flag was flown in four combat missions while J.C. Cook was in a C-23 aircraft called a "sherpa." The flag was flown by Cook in honor of the Post 109 team.

J.C. Cook played on the American Legion team in 1999 and 2000. The Citadel graduate has been stationed in Kirkuk, Iraq, for the past several months.

"J.C. flew the American flag in four combat missions over Iraq. He sent the flag home to give to the American Legion," Cook said. "J.C. really enjoyed the time he spent playing American Legion baseball. We thought this would be really neat to present Post 109 with the American flag on opening day."