Legion Baseball regionals: Day 1 recap

Day one is over for the 2019 American Legion Baseball regionals, and half the teams moved on to the winners’ bracket, while the other half cannot afford to lose again in the double elimination event.

The day featured a pair of no-hitters, a few walk-offs and some familiar faces to Legion Baseball fans.

For brackets, schedules and live stats click here.

Here is a recap of the eight regionals through day one:

Region 1 – Northeast – Shrewsbury, Mass.

As has become a tradition in Region 1, the first day of games was a rainy one with only three games able to be completed. Cumberland, R.I., Post 14 opened the day with a resounding 11-1 victory over Stamford, Conn., Post 3 in a strong team effort as Post 14 had eight different players score. In the middle game, Brattleboro, Vt., rallied from an early deficit, using two two-run innings to hold on to a 4-3 win over Southington, Conn., Post 72. The contest between Lawrence, Mass., and Nashua, N.H., was a nailbiter throughout with the only run coming on a fifth inning homer from Lawrence’s leadoff man, Kebler Peralta. In the bottom of the final inning, Nashua put runners on second and third with one out but a strikeout and a caught stealing at home on a failed suicide squeeze attempt ended the game. The nightcap, featuring Hampden, Maine and the hosts, Shrewsbury, Mass., Post 397, was suspended with Shrewsbury on top, 6-1, and will conclude Thursday morning before resuming a normal schedule. The two winners bracket games will be moved to Tivnan Park due to weather.

Region 2 – Mid-Atlantic – Asheboro, N.C.

For live radio coverage of games visit sportstone.net

Middletown, Del., Canal Post 25 and Morgantown, W.V., Post 2 started the day in Asheboro and, after a two-run top of the first for Morgantown, the pitchers tossed eight immaculate half-innings, allowing only two hits over that span. After Delaware had consecutive two-run innings, West Virginia rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh to force extras and added two more in the eighth, holding on for a 6-5 win. In the second game, Vienna, Va., Post 180 scored six runs early and held off a valiant run by Brooklawn, N.J., Post 72, 8-7. Wilmington, N.C., Post 10 took control of the day’s third game with a five-run third and put it away with seven in the seventh to top Funkstown, Md., Post 211. A little rain didn’t stop the host team, Randolph Co., N.C., Post 45 in the nightcap. Seeking a third consecutive trip to the American Legion World Series, Randolph toppled Hamburg, N.Y., Post 527, 11-6.

Region 3 – Southeast – Tampa, Fla.

Destrehan, La. Post 366 Pedal Valve Cardinals and Troy, Ala., Post 70 got the Southeast Regional off to a flying start with a memorable opening game. Louisiana overcame deficits of 2-0, 3-2 and 4-3 to force extra innings behind a seventh-inning home run by Ron Franklin. After working out of trouble in the top of the eighth, the Cardinals played small ball to walk off as winners. In the second game, Tupelo, Miss., Post 49 defeated Fort Mill, S.C., 4-1, in a contest in which all the runs were scored in the fifth inning. It will be an all-South Carolina elimination game Thursday as the state's champion, Greer Post 115, also fell on opening day, dropping a 3-0 decision to Tallahassee, Fla., Post 13, which worked out of trouble all game to move to the winners’ bracket. It will be the fourth time in two weeks that the two South Carolina teams square off. The final game of the day, Columbia, Tenn., Post 19 and West Tampa, Fla., Post 248 was postponed for Thursday morning.

Region 4- Mid-South – Hastings, Neb.

For live video streaming coverage of games visit strivsports.com/mid-south-regional-baseball

Coweta, Okla., Post 226 defeated Texarkana, Texas Post 25, 2-0, in the opener behind two runs in the top of the seventh inning to break up a pitchers’ duel in Hastings, Neb. In the second game of the day, Festus, Mo., Post 253 used four early runs to take an advantage over Emporia, Kan., Post 5, eventually holding on for a 5-3 victory. In game three, Fremont, Neb., Post 20 earned an 8-2 victory over Sedalia, Mo., Post 642, but the story was pitcher Brody Sintek, who pitched a no hitter with 13 strikeouts, including one to seal the game. In the final game of the day, Bryant, Ark., Post 298 fell behind early against the hosts, Hastings, Neb., Post 11, but rallied for three runs in the fifth to earn the 3-2 win.

Region 5 – Great Lakes – Charleston, Ill.

For live radio coverage of games visit www.myradiolink.com/player/?playerID=653

In the Great Lakes, all four games started with runs in the top of the first inning, but oddly those teams finished 1-3 on the day. Hempfield, Pa., Post 981 started the day off by scoring, but Lyon Co., Ky., Post 68 rallied immediately for three runs and went on to a 5-2 win in the morning game. Likewise, Gladwin Co., Mich., Post 171 got off to a good start but suffered a 13-5 defeat at the hands of Beverly/Lowell, Ohio Post 389/750, which scored had three innings with at least three runs. Danville, Ill., Post 210 also had to rally from an early hole against Swoyersville, Pa., Post 644, coming back from a three-run deficit to take a 7-4 win. Terre Haute, Ind., Post 346 bucked the trend of fast starters fading in the nightcap, putting up a five-spot on the board against Charleston, Ill., Post 93 to take the host’s crowd out of the game early and added seven more for a 12-1 win. Dillon Kinnett led the way with five runs batted in for Terre Haute.

Region 6 – Central Plains – Sioux Falls, S.D.

For live video streaming coverage of games visit https://www.midcosn.com/schedule and use the following credentials:

User: CPALRT@midco.net

Password: baseball2019

Appleton, Wisc., Post 38 used a five-run third to power past Dubuque Co., IA Post 137, 9-4, in the opener of the Central Plains Regional. That offensive explosion was soon dwarfed by the bats in the matchup between Excelsior, Minn., Post 259 and Fargo, N.D., Post 2. Each team brought four runs home in the first inning, but Excelsior added six more in the second and four more in the fifth on the way to a 17-11 victory. The third game only had nine total hits and all the runs were scored in the first three innings as Oshkosh, Wisc., Post 70 held off Renner, S.D., Post 307, 4-3. In the nightcap, Edina, Minn., and Sioux Falls, S.D., got themselves into a wild one. After a scoreless first inning, the hosts scored in each of the final six innings, taking a lead of 7-3 into the bottom of the sixth inning. Edina scored four in the sixth to tie it, but fell behind again after conceding a run in the top of the seventh. Fortunately for the Minnesota team, the bats stayed hot and two runs came home in the bottom of the frame to walk off on an Andrew Enck hit as winners and set up a matchup with Excelsior for the third time in five days, seeking revenge for the Minnesota state title.

Region 7 – Northwest – Lewiston, Idaho

For live radio coverage of games visit us7.maindigitalstream.com/2640/

Some strong pitching performances highlighted Region 7’s opening day in Idaho. Bennett Thompson started for Medford, Ore., Post 15 and only gave up one hit in 5.2 innings to help top Juneau, Alaska Post 25, 4-0. Bozeman, Mont., Post 14 took the second game of the day, 5-2, in a win over Bellevue, Wash., ending the game on a nice double play to get out of a threat. Perhaps the story of the day was Randon Hostert, ace of the Idaho Falls, Idaho Post 56 squad. The recent Utah commit racked up 10 strikeouts and only allowed two baserunners in a six-inning no hitter. His offense helped him with ten runs, including three runs driven in by Hostert himself, and the team tacked on three in the sixth to walk off the game and earn Hostert the no-no over Casper, Wyo, Post 2. In the nightcap, Kennewick, Wash., Post 34 earned an 8-5 victory over the hosts, Lewiston, Idaho Post 13, scoring four runs in each of the final two innings to overcome a 2-0 deficit.

Region 8 – Western – Fairfield, Calif.

The Western regional opened with a familiar face for American Legion Baseball fans: Henderson, Nev., Post 40. The 2017 champions took home an 8-3 win over Albuquerque, N.M., Post 13 and 2017 George W. Rulon Player of the Year Shane Spencer earned the save in relief. A close contest in Game 2 broke open when Honolulu Hawaii Damien Post 35 put up eight runs in the third inning to open up a huge lead on Grand Junction, Colo. The well-rounded effort had 11 Hawaiian players get hits. It was a great day for California, as both teams in the region were victorious. First, Petaluma Post 28 scored four in the sixth inning to break a deadlock and defeat Salt Lake City, Utah Highland Post 116. In the final game of the day nation-wide, all eyes were on California’s hosts, Fairfield Expos Baseball and the home team did not disappoint. Four runs in the top of the first and three more in the second was more than enough for pitcher Kyle Boll, who pitched a one-hitter, striking out eight Tuscan, Ariz., Post 36 players in a 10-0 win.

For brackets, schedules and live stats click here.