Teams move one step closer to American Legion World Series berths.
Northeastern (Pa.), Troy (Ala.), Tupelo (Miss.), Evansville (Ind.), Swisher (Iowa), Eugene (Ore.) and League City (Tex.) moved into favorable positions to advance to next week’s American Legion World Series with Friday regional victories.
Those seven teams were victorious in their respective regional winner’s bracket finals while inclement weather suspended the Hudson, Mass.-Cumberland, R.I. Region 1 winner’s bracket final to Saturday morning.
If recent history holds, the team that takes the winner’s bracket regional final is a pretty good bet to make it to Shelby, N.C. In the last three seasons, 23 of the 24 teams that won the winner’s bracket final of the regional have advanced to the ALWS.
Here are Friday’s regional results and Saturday’s schedule (all times local, subject to change):
At Manchester, N.H. (Post 2)
Friday’s results
Game 9: West Hartford (Conn.) Post 96 d. Portsmouth (N.H.) Post 6, 6-5; Portsmouth eliminated. Reliever and winner Tristan Baron (6 innings), Jack Kane (3 hits), Chase Hannawalt (2 hits, 1 RBI) and Trevor Tanis (2 hits, walkoff RBI bunt single in bottom of 7th inning) led West Hartford, which rallied after trailing 5-1 after 5 1/2 innings.
Game 10: South Burlington (Vt.) d. Shrewsbury (Mass.) Post 397, 2-1; Shrewsbury eliminated. Starter and winner Kaiden Quinn (6 2/3 innings, 4 strikeouts), reliever Cedric LaMothe (1/3 inning, save) and Aiden Gray (game-winning RBI groundout top 7th inning) led South Burlington.
Saturday’s games
Game 11: Hudson (Mass.) Post 100 vs. Cumberland (R.I.) Post 14, suspended at 3-3 with none out in bottom of 7th inning, 11 a.m.
Because Games 12 and 13 will not match previous opponents unless absolutely necessary, and since Cumberland and West Hartford already played each other, the matchups are set, with one game at 1 p.m. and the other at 4 p.m.:
West Hartford (Conn.) Post 96 vs. Hudson (Mass.) Post 100
South Burlington (Vt.) vs. Cumberland (R.I.) Post 14
At Ridge, Md. (Post 255)
Friday’s results
Game 8: Northeastern (Pa.) d. Brooklawn (N.J.) Post 72, 20-10.
NOTE: Final statistics were not provided for this game.
Game 9: Cumberland (Md.) Post 13 d. Quakertown (Pa.), 3-0; Quakertown eliminated. Starter and winner Myles Bascelli (3-hitter), Carson Bradley (2 hits, 2 RBIs) and Bryce Madden (2 hits) led Fort Cumberland.
Game 10: Wilmington Delvets (Del.) Post 1 d. Brooklawn (N.J.) Post 72, 7-4; Brooklawn eliminated. Starter and winner Matthew Speicher (5 innings pitching, 2 hits with 1 RBI on offense) led Wilmington.
Game 11: Northeastern (Pa.) d. Wheeling (W.Va.) Post 1, 4-1. Starter and winner Connor Rippo (4 innings, 8 strikeouts), reliever Quinn Shindler (1 inning, 1 strikeout, save) and Brandt Johnson (2 hits, 1 RBI) led Northeastern.
Saturday’s games
Game 12: Wilmington Delvets (Del.) Post 1 vs. Wheeling (W.Va.) Post 1, 1 p.m.
Game 13: Cumberland (Md.) Post 13 vs. Northeastern (Pa.), 4 p.m.
At Asheboro, N.C. (Post 45)
Friday’s results
Game 7: Troy (Ala.) Post 70 d. Wayne Co. (N.C.) Post 11, 6-2. Starter and winner Cole Hewitt (5 innings) and Gunner Justice (1 hit, 2 RBI) led Troy.
Game 8: Chesapeake (Va.) Post 280 d. Covington (Ga.) Post 32, 3-0. Starter and winner Jack Bonney (7-hitter) and Andrew Vinerov (2 hits, double) led Chesapeake.
Game 9: Wayne Co. (N.C.) Post 11 d. Camden (S.C.) Post 17, 9-1; Camden eliminated. Starter and winner Davis Hathaway (5 1/3 innings), Baines Raynor (3 hits, 4 RBIs), Davis Albert (2 hits) and Everett Johnson (2 hits) led Wayne County.
Game 10: Covington (Ga.) Post 32 d. San Juan (P.R.) Post 160, 8-1; San Juan eliminated. Reliever and winner Brandon Ellis (5 innings, 4 strikeouts) and Isaiah Biggers (3 hits, 2 RBIs) led Covington.
Game 11: Troy (Ala.) Post 70 d. Chesapeake (Va.) Post 280, 8-0. Starter and winner Brady Richardson (6 1/3 innings, 11 strikeouts) and reliever Jackson Killcreas (2/3 innings, 2 strikeouts) combined on a 2-hitter for Troy, whose offense was led by Cody Markham (3 hits, 2 doubles, 4 RBIs), Cody Walsh (3 hits, 1 RBI), Richardson (2 hits, 1 RBI) and Payne Jefcoat (2 hits).
Saturday’s games
Game 12: Wayne Co. (N.C.) Post 11 vs. Chesapeake (Va.) Post 280, 4:30 p.m.
Game 13: Covington (Ga.) Post 32 vs. Troy (Ala.) Post 70, 7:30 p.m.
At Washington, Mo. (Post 218)
Friday’s results
Game 9: Elsberry (Mo.) Post 226 d. Ada (Okla.), 3-0; Ada eliminated. Starter and winner Kaden Speak (5-hitter, 7 strikeouts), Lance Stuckey (2 hits, 1 RBI), Brady Creech (2 hits) and Gavin Woodson (2 hits) led Elsberry.
Game 10: Bossier City (La.) Post 2 d. Columbia (Tenn.) Post 19, 7-1; Columbia eliminated. Reliever and winner Easton Sanders (2 1/3 innings, 2 strikeouts) and Britain Pipes (3 hits, double, 1 RBI) led Bossier City.
Game 11: Tupelo (Miss.) Post 49 d. Bryant (Ark.) Post 298, 1-0. Starter and winner Cooper Davis (2-hitter, 3 strikeouts) and Madden Butler (game-winning RBI double in 4th inning) led Tupelo.
Saturday’s games
Game 12: Elsberry (Mo.) Post 226 vs. Bryant (Ark.) Post 298, 9:30 a.m.
Game 13: Bossier City (La.) Post 2 vs. Tupelo (Miss.) Post 49, after Game 12
At Carol Stream, Ill. (Post 76)
Friday’s results
Game 9: Eau Claire (Wis.) Post 53 d. Owensboro (Ky.) Post 9, 10-8; Owensboro eliminated. Relievers Tyler Iverson (2 1/3 innings, win) and Sawyer Stein (1/3 inning, save) and Leo Lauscher (2 doubles, 3 RBIs), Kellen Smith (2 hits, double, 1 RBI) and Carter Veith (2 hits) led Eau Claire.
Game 10: Lancaster (Ohio) Post 11 d. Carol Stream (Ill.) Post 76, 13-12; Carol Stream eliminated.
Reliever and winner Coleson Ross (2 1/3 innings, 2 strikeouts), Hudson Gerken (2 hits, double, 3 RBIs) and Dylan Bird (2-run double) led Lancaster, which scored six runs with no outs in the bottom of the 7th inning capped by Carson Miller’s bases-loaded game-winning walk.
Game 11: Evansville (Ind.) Post 265 d. Midland (Mich.) Post 165, 3-1. Starter and winner Clark Gries (5-hitter, 3 strikeouts) and Bryce Minton (2 hits, home run, 2 RBIs) led Evansville.
Saturday’s games
Game 12: Lancaster (Ohio) Post 11 vs. Midland (Mich.) Post 165, 4 p.m.
Game 13: Eau Claire (Wis.) Post 53 vs. Evansville (Ind.) Post 265, 7 p.m.
At West Fargo, N.D. (Post 308)
Friday’s results
Game 9: Papillion (Neb.) Post 32 d. Elkhorn (Neb.) Post 211, 7-1; Elkhorn eliminated. Starter and winner Isaiah O'Brien (4-hitter, 8 strikeouts) and Jordan Rowe (2 hits, double, 1 RBI) led Papillion South.
Game 10: Fargo (N.D.) Post 2 d. West Fargo (N.D.) Post 308, 7-4; West Fargo eliminated. Reliever and winner Beckett Simpson (1 inning, win), reliever Jonah DeJong (3 innings, 3 strikeouts, save), Sam Ovsak (2 hits, double, 1 RBI) and Jordan Leininger (1 hit, home run, 5 RBIs) led Fargo.
Game 11: Swisher (Iowa) Post 671 d. Farmington (Minn.) Post 189, 15-0 (5 innings). Starter and winner Jace Scott (4 2/3 innings pitching with 3 strikeouts, 4 hits, 2 doubles, 2 RBIs on offense) and reliever Spencer Wood (1/3 inning) combined on a 1-hitter for Swisher, whose offense erupted for 12 runs in the fourth inning and also got contributions from Matthew Stoltenberg (3 hits, 2 doubles, 2 RBIs) and Trevor Scott (3 hits, double, 1 RBI).
Saturday’s games
Game 12: Papillion (Neb.) Post 32 vs. Farmington (Minn.) Post 189, 11 a.m.
Game 13: Fargo (N.D.) Post 2 vs. Swisher (Iowa) Post 671, 3:30 p.m.
At Billings, Mont. (Post 4)
Friday’s results
Game 9: Billings Scarlets (Mont.) Post 4 d. Bellevue (Wash.), 7-2; Bellevue eliminated. Starter and winner Zach Stewart (4-hitter, 5 strikeouts), Nate McDonald (3 hits, double, home run, 1 RBI) and Brady Randall (2 hits, double, 2 RBIs) led Billings.
Game 10: Fort Collins (Colo.) d. Cheyenne (Wyo.) Post 6, 8-5; Cheyenne eliminated. Starter and winner Jude Miller (3 2/3 innings), Oliver Stanevich (2 hits, double, 2 RBIs) and Coy Priebe (2 hits, 2 RBIs) led Fort Collins, which scored seven runs in the top of the 7th inning.
Game 11: Eugene (Ore.) d. Anchorage (Alaska) Post 28, 17-7. Reliever and winner Kyle Miller (2 innings, 3 strikeouts), Eli Crist (4 hits, double, 7 RBIs) and Easton McDonald (2 hits, 1 RBI) led Eugene, which trailed 7-5 after five innings before scoring nine runs in the sixth inning and three more in the seventh.
Saturday’s games
Game 12: Billings Scarlets (Mont.) Post 4 vs. Anchorage (Alaska) Post 28, noon
Game 13: Fort Collins (Colo.) vs. Eugene (Ore.), 3 p.m.
At Fairfield, Calif. (Fairfield Expos)
Friday’s results
Game 9: Fairfield Expos d. Honolulu (Haw.) Team Central, 6-4 (8 innings); Honolulu eliminated. Reliever and winner Matthew Hague (2 innings, 2 strikeouts), Jai Benedito (3 hits, triple, 1 RBI), Reynold Malan (game-winning RBI single in 8th inning), Diego Corneliuz (RBI single in 8th inning) led the Expos.
Game 10: Clovis (Calif.) Post 147 d. Tucson (Ariz.) Post 7, 5-1; Tucson eliminated.Starter and winner Adam Delgado (5 1/3 innings, 11 strikeouts), reliever Art Becerra (1 inning, 1 strikeout, save), Armaandeep Chohan (2 hits, 3 RBIs), Drake Davis (2 hits) and Jace Davies (2 hits, double) led Clovis.
Game 11: League City (Tex.) Post 554 d. Hyrum (Utah) Post 47, 5-4. Starter and winner Ian Alper (5 innings, 5 strikeouts), Asa Sanders (3 hits, 2 doubles, 1 RBI) and Matthew Novominsky (2 hits, home run, 2 RBIs) led League City, which scored all five of its runs in the bottom of the first inning.
Saturday’s games
Game 12: Clovis (Calif.) Post 147 vs. Hyrum (Utah) Post 47, 4 p.m.
Game 13: Fairfield Expos vs. League City (Tex.) Post 554, 7 p.m.
- Baseball