OUT AT HOME: Princeton Post 218 American Legion catcher Peter Hare tags out a Lawrence Post 414 runner in action last Saturday. Despite Hare’s heroics, Princeton ended up losing 13-2 to Lawrence. Post 218, which moved to 3-17 with an 18-1 loss to Hamilton Post 31 on Sunday, was slated to wrap up its season by hosting Allentown on July 11 and hosting North Hamilton a day later to finish a game that was suspended on Sunday due to rain that hit the area late in the afternoon. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Peter Nielsen has emphasized two character traits in taking the helm of the Princeton Post 218 American Legion baseball team this summer.

“What I have said to the team is that my two things are attitude and effort, that is all I ask for,” said Nielsen. “It is keeping your heads up when things don’t go right.”

Last Saturday, Post 218 demonstrated those traits as it hosted Lawrence Post 414. Princeton was trailing 5-0 heading into the bottom of the second inning and was able to draw three straight walks and then scratch out two runs on groundouts by Roman Howe and Anders Hedin.

“It is all about stringing runs together, stringing good at-bats together and having good approaches at the plate,” said Nielsen. “Sometimes things go your way, sometimes they don’t go your way, it is what it is. Stringing those couple of runs together that one time is something we just have to keep doing for each inning as well.”

Post 218, though, couldn’t string anything together the rest of the game as it fell 13-2 and was held hitless on the day.

“We got bats on the ball, it was just unlucky that it was hit at people,” said Nelson. “Nate [Nydick] had a couple of good line drives there; unfortunately they were just right at people.”

On Sunday, Post 218 couldn’t get its bats going as it lost 18-1 to Hamilton Post 31 in moving to 3-17.

“We have got to play a complete game, having both offense and defense working together,” said Nielsen. “We have got to have good approaches at the plate as well as playing sharp in the field. When your pitcher makes a pitch to get an out you have to get that out. When a fly ball drops between a couple of guys or we boot a ball on a routine ground ball or have a miscue in the field, that is when you get into trouble. My message this whole year has been, ‘you make the routine plays, you have good approaches at the plate good things are going to happen. You can compete and win against any team in this league.’”

The Post 218 players have been showing improvement even as the losses have piled up.

“I see a lot of progress with everyone on this team,” said Nielsen. “It is more of a collective thing. Throughout the whole entire roster, there has been an uptick in skill set and the mental part of it too. I have seen a lot of improvement from a lot of guys.”

The young squad is developing character in addition to skill as it has taken its lumps this summer.

“How you face adversity is what really defines you as a ballplayer and as a team,” said Nielsen, whose team was slated to wrap up regular season action by hosting Allentown on July 11 and hosting North Hamilton a day later to finish a game that was suspended on Sunday due to the rain that hit the area late in the afternoon. “The kids are getting more mature as the season goes on which I like to see because it is not only going to make them better ballplayers, but it is also going to make them better men going out into the real world.”

In Nielsen’s view, that maturing process on and off the field should pay dividends in the future for Post 218.

“We have a young team, we have almost everyone coming back next year,” said Nielsen. “It is developmental stage of building them this year, to lay a foundation now and build what we can do next year when we come back out here for summer ball. Also what you are taught and learn here will go into your high school season, so we will come back better and stronger next year and then we go from there.”