By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
NILES – The Chicago Blues defeated Mishawaka Legion Post 161 to capture the Niles Classic on Sunday afternoon at Thomas Stadium.
The Blues posted a 12-4 victory to take home the championship.
The tournament began on Friday with four games.
Play continued on Saturday at Thomas Stadium and Niles High School.
Niles had a pair of teams in the tournament.
Both teams were defeated in the opening round of the tournament on Friday.
Niles South County and Niles BR ended up playing for seventh place on Sunday, with South County winning 6-2.
South Bend (Ind.) Post 50 finished third, while Bristol (Ind.) Post 143 took fourth.
St. Joe Post 163 finished in fifth place and Three Oaks Post 204 sixth.
Post 163…4
Niles SC…1
Jake Cox scattered seven hits in picking up the victory for St. Joseph Post 163 on Friday night.
Post 163 scored three times in the first inning and increased its lead to 4-0 with a run in the top of the fifth.
Niles scored its run in the bottom of the fifth as David Garner, Zack Bloss and Taylor Robson all singled.
Bloss also doubled for Niles, which also got singles from Aaron Davis and Kevin Gross.
D.J. Wolnik took the loss for Niles.
Nick File had a pair of hits for Post 163, which also got a double and a single form Jared Knuth.
Chicago Blues…8
Niles BR…3
Niles took an early lead on the travel team out of Chicago as Ricky Briand drove in a pair of runs.
With one out in the first, Taylor Ort doubled in front of Nick Davis and Will Coar, who both singled.
Briand then drove in the two runs with a single.
The Blues erased that lead with a four-run second inning and went on to win by a score of 8-3.
Jessie McCombs took the loss for Niles, while Ryan Overton was the winning pitcher for the Blues.
Corey Johnson had a pair of hits for Niles. Ort added a single to hit double. Briand finished with a single.
In other scored Friday afternoon, Mishawaka (Ind.) 161 defeated Bristol (Ind.) Post 143, 6-4; and South Bend (Ind.) Post 50 edged Three Oaks Post 204 9-8 in eight innings.
Post 204…6
Niles BR…5
Just like it had against the Blues, Niles got off to a fast start.
Niles grabbed a 2-0 lead as Taylor Ort doubled home Corey Johnson and Ricky Briand singled home the other run.
Post 204 cut the lead to 2-1, however, Niles upped its advantage to 4-1 as Tom Flynn singled home a pair.
Post 204 tied the game at 4-4 with a three-run fifth inning. Both teams scored a run in the sixth.
Three Oaks then won the game with a run in the seventh.
Jessie McCombs and Tyler Knisely share pitching duties for Niles.
In other games on Saturday, Post 143 defeated Post 153 5-4 in 12 innings; Post 161 defeated Post 163 13-10 in eight innings; the Chicago Blues defeated Post 204 11-4; the Chicago Blues defeated Post 50 11-6; Post 161 defeated Niles South County 9-6 and Post 143 defeated Niles South County 7-3.
Post 50…7
Niles BR…2
Corey Johnson singled twice, while Dominique Pompey and Nick Davis also singled for Niles in its los to Post 50.
Tyler Knisely and Taylor Ort split time on the mound for Niles.
Niles SC…6
Niles BR…2
Edward Bloss picked up the victory for Niles South County in the seventh place contest.
Karl Simpson tripled and singled, while Stuart Hartman added a double.
South County also got two hits from Stanley Wolnik.
Nick Davis tripled for Niles BR, while Ricky Briand doubled.
Also on Sunday, Post 143 won by forfeit and Post 163 slipped past Post 204 in nine innings, 8-6.