Troy Post 70 downs League City Post 554 in pool play finale, but Texas wins tiebreaker over Fargo (N.D.) for second place in division.
Troy (Ala.) Post 70 had to win as well as limit previously unbeaten League City (Tex.) Post 554 to seven or fewer runs in Sunday’s pool play finale of the 2024 American Legion World Series to advance to Monday’s semifinals.
Troy did both emphatically to make their second ALWS semifinal in three years with an 8-0 victory over League City at Veterans Field at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, N.C.
Post 70 right-hander Cody Walsh threw a three-hitter with six strikeouts and needed only 80 pitches in the complete game effort. And Walsh (2 hits, double, 2 RBIs), Houston Markham (3 hits, triple, 2 RBIs) and Payne Jefcoat (2 hits) led Troy’s 12-hit offense.
“Obviously our season was on the line right there and Cody probably had his best outing of the summer,” Post 70 coach Ross Hixon said after winning a matchup between his 2022 ALWS champions and defending ALWS champion Post 554. “We know how good that team is because we’ve seen them so much the last few years.”
In spite of the loss, League City also advances to the semifinals after a three-team tiebreaker between teams with 2-1 pool play records in the four-team Stars division. When teams tie in pool play, the least runs allowed is the first tiebreaker and Fargo (N.D.) Post 2 yielded 14 runs with League City yielding 13 and Troy six.
In Monday’s semifinals, League City (29-4) will face unbeaten Stripes Division champion Midland (Mich.) Post 165 at 4 p.m. and Troy (32-6) will face Stripes Division runner-up Wilmington Delvets (Del.) Post 1 at 7 p.m.
Monday’s winners will advance to Tuesday’s 7 p.m. ALWS championship game. The semifinals and finals are nationally televised on ESPNU.
“We lived — barely,” League City coach Ronnie Oliver said. “I’ve got to give their pitcher credit. He pitched a heckuva ballgame. We hit the ball but we hit it right at them. When you hit into three double plays, you’re not going to win many ballgames.”
Double plays erased potential Post 554 rallies in the second and sixth innings as League City left one runner in scoring position in each frame after those inning-ending double plays.
Troy scored its first run on Caden Collier’s two-out RBI single in the second, then tallied four runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth inning. Walsh’s two-run double was the big hit in the fifth and Markham had a RBI triple in the sixth.
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