DANVILLE — Strikeouts are a very good way to make or break a ballgame for any given team on any given day.

That was definitely the case for the Post 210 Speakers on Tuesday night as they fell to Post 346 from Terre Haute 2-1.

Danville (28-7), who was fresh off their first Cincinnati Storm Club Tournament championship victory this past weekend, showed a little bit of exhaustion as two Terre Haute pitchers combined to strike out 16 Speakers, 11 of which were caught looking at the third strike

“That’s inexcusable,” Speakers coach Adam Decker said. “If we move the ball half of those times it could be an error or it could get through.”

Decker said that he had many players complain about the playing conditions, mainly the setting sun over the left-field fence at Garfield Park.

“It’s hard to see here in the sun, there’s no doubt about it, but we can’t make excuses. We just have to find a way to get it done,’’ he said.

In a game of minimal offense, the Speakers were able to get the first run across in the fifth inning as Zane Dillon would score off of an error by the right-fielder.

Though he didn’t receive an RBI on the play, Cody Burton was responsible for hitting the ball that would score Dillon. Burton was the only Speaker to not suffer a strikeout.

“He (Terre Haute starting pitcher Kodie Girton) was mixing up his three pitches real well,” said Burton. “We just need to hit the ball and let them field it.”

Burton fished the game 2-for-3. Dillon was the only other Speaker to record multiple hits as he finished 2-for-4.

Terre Haute (26-4) scored the go-ahead run in the ninth inning when Michael Eberle would single in Tyler Nampler. Nampler reached on a fly ball that due to a combination of the low sun and the tree limbs extending into fair territory, dropped in front of Burton in right-field.

“It was just a misplaced ball. Cody’s done a good job for us,” said Decker “I told him that guys make mistakes — 99 percent of the time he catches that ball.”

After the stretch of games in Cincinnati, Decker was forced to dig a little deeper into his pitching rotation to find a starter.

“I sent out a text to everyone this morning that said ‘Who’s pitching?’ and within 30 seconds, Michael Grant responded with ‘It’s me’.”

With as deep of a pitching rotation as he has, Decker hadn’t gone to the recent Bismarck-Henning graduate much but he wasn’t disappointed with his selection.

“I thought Michael Grant did an outstanding job. I haven’t used him a lot on the mound just because I feel there are guys that are better suited but he showed me a lot today.”

Decker added that the text message response is a perfect example of what kind of a player Grant is.

“He has that mentality at all times when he’s playing the game. He always gives 100 percent, he’s tougher than nails, and he showed that today,” Decker said. “That’s a tough lineup he threw against today and he should not be ashamed at all in the outcome of the game.”

Grant threw 7Ï innings as he struck out five Terre Haute batters while giving up two hits and walking three. The only run he gave up came off of a solo shot by AJ Reed in the seventh inning.

“They’re a really good team. They have players going to the next level at pretty much every position and I knew that going in,” Grant said.

Grant is part of a pitching staff that Decker is very pleased to be coaching.

“Who has 12 guys that they can run out there and are quality arms? No one does but we do. That’s not an exaggeration,” said Decker. “At any given time somebody can go out there and get a win for us on the mound.”

Decker always expects quality competition when these two teams matchup.

“Just a few years removed they (Terre Haute) were the runner-up in the World Series after winning the Indiana State Tournament and the National Regional,’’ Decker said. “Year in and year out they are a good ball club.”

Terre Haute was in a similar situation to the Speakers heading into the contest. They too had just finished up a weekend tournament in Moline and came out with the title.

“Danville’s a good ball club,” said Terre Haute coach John Hayes. “We just played Arlington Heights, Palatine, and Elk Grove and (Danville) is better than they are.”

The Speakers will be in action again on Wednesday as they will host Rantoul at Garfield Park.