Cody Hitt and Nick Winters combined on a seven-hitter and Love Post of Boonville scored three times in the fourth inning to beat Ilion Post 920 3-1 in a non-league American Legion baseball game Monday night at Diss Field.
Hitt, who helped lead Adirondack to the Section III Class B finals this spring, went the first four innings and allowed the only Ilion run. He  gave up six hits with six strikeouts and two walks.
That Ilion run came in the second inning. Billy LeClair walked with one out and went all the way to third when Jeff Eysaman beat out a sacrifice bunt attempt as Hitt threw wildly to first.
LeClair then scored on a wild pitch.
Ilion had its chances to get more runs as Hitt was able to strike out Ilion’s No. 3 hitter Korey Perkins with Eysaman on third.
In the first inning, Ilion left the bases loaded. With two outs, Perkins, Jamie Barr and Matt Gonyea all singled. Hitt was able to bear down and strike out Dan Crim to get out of the jam.
“When you play good teams and have opportunities, you must take advantage. Love is a good team especially with Hitt on the mound,” Ilion manager Eric Moreau said.
Love took advantage of Ilion’s missed opportunities as it took the lead in the fourth.
Nick Winters got the first hit off Ilion starter Joe Gantz as he led off the fourth with a towering triple over the head of Barr in right field.
Hitt then followed with a bloop RBI single to right. After Gantz hit Jordan Mills as he tried to sacrifice. After a successful sacrifice sent the runners to second and third, Gantz got the second out on a ground ball that scored the go-ahead run and Josh Lyon followed with another bloop single to make it 3-1.
Andrew Talerico took over in the sixth inning and finished up for Ilion. Gantzx finished with three strikeouts and three walks.
After Love took the lead, Ilion never threatened over its final four at-bats as Winters came on in the fifth and allowed just one hit with three strikeouts.
“I thought Joe pitched great. We had our chance to go up big early and we didn’t deliver,” Moreau said.
Ilion (1-3) is next in action Wednesday night when it hosts Clonan Post, of Chadwicks.