DANVILLE — When the Danville Post 210 Speakers started this year’s Lethal Lumber Classic wood bat tournament with an 11-inning, one-run loss to Macon County Post 105, the prospects of winning consecutive tournament titles might have seemed slim.

With Macon County and Cincinnati both eyeing this year’s trophy, Danville was forced to fight through the team-building adversity coach Adam Decker had hoped would make his squad stronger.

The Speakers responded with four consecutive wins to finish the tournament, including an 11-2 semifinal win over Macon County on Sunday, before defeating the top-seeded Cincinnati Storm 5-3 in a five-inning game called short because of rain.

“It shows that we can still be a team, even through adversity,” Danville’s Cash Kiser said. “We lose the first game but we never quit and we never gave up. We battled back and we got a W as a four-seed to win the tournament. It means a lot.”

Kiser said he felt good in Sunday’s semifinal against Macon County, but his sentiments might have been understated considering his contributions in the necessary win that helped his team get into the championship game.

As the team’s leadoff hitter, Kiser had three hits, drove in one run and scored three times. He started the game against Macon County with an infield single, and drove in the Speakers’ third run of the game in the second inning on a single to center.

But more important, Kiser picked up his second win of the season allowing only two runs and walking two. The Danville High School junior-to-be tallied 11 strikeouts in the game, including four in a row between the first and second innings.

“My arm was just feeling good, and I thought coach was going to take me out in the fifth inning, but he left me in and it paid off,” Kiser said. “It was a pretty good outing. I’ve never really thrown that well before.”

And it’s good Decker opted to leave the right-hander in the game. Kiser allowed no baserunners in the final three innings, and recorded five of his 11 Ks in the final two.

While the Speakers (10-2) seemingly breezed through their rematch against Macon County, the championship game proved to be a more daunting task.

Just when it appeared as though Danville had got into position to gain an edge on Cincinnati by scoring three runs in the third to take a one-run lead, the Storm responded with one of their own in the fourth.

Giving up the lead had the Speakers seeing red — both in the frustration of surrendering their advantage, and on the weather radar.

As thunderstorms began to make their way into the Danville area, Kiser led off the fifth inning with a four-pitch walk, and later made his way to third on an infield error. And with two outs, Tyler McKenzie drove in both Kiser and Zane Dillon with a two-out double to center.

“Tyler came up clutch with that double in the last inning,” Kiser said. “It didn’t look good. We had two outs, and Tyler just came through with a nice little hit there.”

Moments after the third and final out of the inning was made, rain quickly flooded the field and the game was called.

Cody Burton finished the day with two hits as did McKenzie and Joe Pratt. Dillon drove in two runs, and McKenzie knocked in three.

With the confidence of having success with wood bats and riding a four-game winning streak, the Speakers return to regular-season action on Tuesday with a road game against Douglas-Moultrie County.

“Our lineup is solid one through nine,” Kiser said. “The wood really helps you focus on hitting it on the sweet spot, so I think jumping back to aluminum this week, we should start hitting the ball square.

“We feel good. We just have good team camaraderie. Everybody gets along. There are no real outcasts. Sometimes you have kids that fit in in the dugout but don’t really say much. But everybody interacts and it just feels like a nice team that can go places.”