American Legion Baseball in North Carolina begins a new chapter this week with a revamped format for the State Tournament.  Eight teams from across the state’s four American Legion regions will converge on the Triad. Hosted by Post 87 and the Thomasville Hi-Toms, the tournament will feature the use of three facilities.  Along with Post 87’s home, Finch Field, High Point University and UNC Greensboro will also host games.

The new format features two pools of four teams.  Each team will play the other 3 teams in their pool producing the top two seeds from each pool advancing to the semi-finals.  As the tournament reaches the semi-finals, with four teams left, a single elimination format will determine the state champion.   

The winner of the State Tournament will advance to the Southeast Regional in Asheboro, NC, hosted by Randolph County Post 45.  The Southeast Regional will begin on Wednesday August 8th.

Pool Play Scores

Day 1 - July 26, 2018

 

Finch Field - Thomasville (Stars Pool)

Garner Nationals  - 1           Wilmington Post 10  - 2
Catcher Kyle Smith belted a 1 out first pitch home run to centerfield in the bottom of the 8th to give Post 10 the 2-1 victory.  Smith finished 3-4 on the day. Rocco Farmintino added 3 hits of his own for Wilmington, including 2 doubles Price King worked into the 6th for Post 10, striking out 5 and only allowing 3 hits.  RHP Brayden Barry earned the win with 2 innings of relief. Barry did blow the save, surrendering a run in the top of the 7th to Garner. Tucker Rodgers matched the Post 10 efforts on the mound for Garner, working 6 innings and striking out 5.  

Hi-Toms Post 87  - 5           Shelby Post 82  - 0
Landen Smith was masterful for the host Hi-Toms working 6.2 innings and giving up only 2 hits, while striking out 4 on 80 pitches.  Thomasville jumped on the board in the 1st with a leadoff double from Mark McLamb. With 2 outs, Nick Caldwell walked and Koty Proctor was hit by a pitch loading the bases.  C Mills singled to center on a 2-2 pitch, earning two RBI’s. In the third, Mills would get another RBI on a single, after a Proctor double pushed the lead to 4-0.

 

Coy Willard Stadium - High Point University (Stripes Pool)

Whiteville Post 137  - 6           Pitt County Post 39  - 11
Fireworks went off early for both Whiteville and Pitt as the first inning saw 10 runs cross the plate.  In the top half Whiteville used a one out error and a two out walk, followed by two singles, to plate 2 runs.  Pitt answered with 3 consecutive singles and a double from T Barrett to open their half. In total, Pitt plated 8 runs on 7 hits in the first. With the score at 8-5 in the 2nd, Scott Mayo would take the mound for Pitt to settle the game into a rhythm.  Mayo worked 4 innings, striking out 2 and only allowing 1 run. Pitt would add 3 more runs in the 3rd to close their scoring. Drew Nichols and Grant Jarman led Pitt with 3 hits apiece. Tyshawn Barrett totaled 4 RBI’s on the day. Gage Hammonds homered for Whiteville, collecting 3 RBI’s.  

Caldwell County Post 29  - 2           Rowan County Post 342  - 6
Rowan County battled back from an early 1-0 deficit to score 5 unanswered and take their first game in the Pool Play portion of the state tournament.  Daniel Durham threw 81 pitches over 5.2 innings, allowing 6 hits but only 1 earned run. Daniel Sell closed the game, in a non-save situation, striking out 1.  Hayden Setzer, Chandler Lippard, and Wayne Mize paced the Rowan offense with 2 hits apiece. For Caldwell County, leadoff hitter Curtis Massaguee had 3 hits and scored a run.  Jack Stevens added 2 hits of his own and scored the other Post 137 run.

Day 2 - July 27, 2018

Finch Field - Thomasville (Stripes Pool)

Whiteville Post 137  -  6          Caldwell County Post 29  -  4
In the day's thriller, Whiteville plated three runs in the top of the 8th to down Caldwell County.  The win keeps Whiteville alive in the Pool Play at 1-1 and moves Caldwell County to 0-2 entering Sunday's finale of the Pool Play segment.  Whiteville led 3-0 after 4 innings.  In the 4th, Post 137 loaded the bases without a hit, scoring a run on a fielder's choice and an error.  Whiteville held a 3-1 lead into the 7th where Post 29 used a walk and single to eventually plate two runs and tie the score.  Whiteville immediately answered in the top of the 8th with a one out single from Scott Bowen, followed by a double from Dylan Lawson and a single from Owen McDowell, scoring two.  A single from Daniel Carter would score McDowell giving Post 137 a little cushion into the bottom half.  Eight different players in the Post 137 lineup would record hits with Dawson Elliott going 2-3 with an RBI.  Brooks Baldwin threw a complete game, 8 innings, giving up 4 runs, 3 earned, on 8 hits and four walks.  Baldwin struckout 1 while throwing 101 pitches in the outing.  Caldwell County got a strong start from Landon Biddix who went 7 innings in the no decision.  Jackson Brown recorded 2 hits in 4 at-bats, with 2 RBIs in the loss.

Pitt County Post 39  -  9          Rowan County Post 342  -  2
Pitt jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the 1st and put the game away with a 4 run 6th to move to 2-0 in Pool Play.  Rowan drops to 1-1, keeping their hopes alive as they enter day three on Saturday.  Jacob Peaden worked 6 strong innings in the win, striking out 6, walking 4 and giving up 1 earned run.  Eight of the nine hitters in the Pitt lineup had at least one hit.  Robert Wacker doubled twice, scoring two runs, and earned an RBI.  Six different pitchers worked to slow down the Pitt offense with starter Hayden Setzer taking the loss in three innings of work.  Luke Barringer had 2 hits, one for a double, for Post 342.

UNC Greensboro Baseball Stadium (Stars Pool)

Hi-Toms Post 87  -  5          Garner Nationals  -  7
Garner scored three in the first and added two in the 5th and two in the 6th to blow open a 3-2 game.  Ryan Chasse worked into the 7th to pick up the win, striking out 12 and only issuing one walk.  The Campbell commit fired 103 pitches and 72 strikes to improve Garner to 1-1 in pool play.  At the plate Tucker Rodgers had 4 hits and 2 runs scored to lead Garner.  In the first, the scoring opened with a one out double from Rodgers, followed by an RBI double from Matt Long.  Long and J Howell would later score on a double from Kyle Mott.  Three consecutive doubles from Rodgers, Long, and Howell would plate the insurance runs and push the lead to 5-2.  Nick Caldwell paced the Hi-Tom attack with 2 hits and an RBI.  Post 87 falls to 1-1 in the Stars Pool.

Wilmington Post 10  -  5          Shelby Post 82  -  11
Wilmington jumped to a 3-0 lead and led 5-2 after 4, but Post 82 scored nine unanswered in the 5th and 6th innings to seal the win.  Each team moves to their third game at 1-1 and will need a win to advance to the semi-final round.  For Shelby, Logan McNeely picks up the win, in a complete game effort, throwing 105 pitches and surrendering 5 earned runs.  A first inning Colby Emmertz double plated two for Wilmington, putting McNeely against the ropes early.  In the 3rd, an Emmertz single scored Brett Kemp, who doubled with one out.  The Wilmington scoring was capped in the 4th scoring two with two outs on a Max Hildreth double and Kyle Smith RBI single.   McNeely would dominate the final three frames only facing 2 over the minimum to close the game.  In the 5th, a double from Colby Ferguson plated two runs, tying the game at 5-5.  Later in the inning a Luke Scism SAC Fly to left scored Ferguson with the go-ahead run.  In the 6th, Post 82 would use 3 walks, 2 errors and 2 singles to plate 5 and put the game away.

Day 3 - July 28, 2018

Finch Field - (Stars Pool)

Hi-Toms Post 87  -  1          Wilmington Post 10  -  11
Up 1-0 after 4 innings in an elimination contest, the host Hi-Toms tied the game in the top of the 5th.  Wilmington immediately responded with a 5 run bottom 5th and a 5 run 6th to end the game via the 10-run rule.  Brayden Berrry worked a complete game, punching 8 over his 6 innings, allowing 6 hits and just the lone earned run.  The big 5th inning was opened with a walk and a fielders choice that left runners on 1st and 3rd with no outs.  Max Hildreth singeld to center, scoring M Phillips.  Kyle Smith was then hit by a pitch before Brett Kemp delivered a 3-run double to right, pushing the lead to 5-1.  A sixth inning 2-run double from Max Hildreth put the game away at 8-1, but later in the inning Post 10 eliminated any doubt when a Rocco Farmintino single scored Brett Kemp to give Wilmington the 10 run win.  Post 10 advances to the semi-final round on Sunday.

Garner Nationals  -  5          Shelby Post 82  -  6
Shelby overcame a quick start from Garner with five unanswered runs to advance to the semi-final round of the state tournament.  In the 1st, the first four Garner hitters reached base via 3 singles and an error.  With one out, a walk followed by a single from Ryan Chasse pushed the lead to 4-0.  A line drive double play off the bat of M Cooper saved more runs for Post 82.  Shelby starter, Riley Cheek settled into the game after a rough start, giving Post 82 3.2 innings before reliever Colby Ferguson took over.   Down 5-1 in the 4th, Shelby's offense went to work.  With 2 outs and 2 on, Logan McNeely doubled to center scoring 2.  A 2-out walk was followed by another double, this one off the bat of Caleb Plummer, scoring 2 more runs and tying the game at 5-5.  The bottom of the 6th saw Post 82 get some help from the Garner defense to score the go-ahead, and eventually game-winning run.  A 1-out error was followed by a walk and a 2nd error to load the bases.  Luke Scism the grounded out to 1B, scoring Ferguson.  Ferguson earned the win in relief, firing 3.1 innings of hitless baseball, striking out two.  With the lead Ferguson would only allow Garner one runner, facing 7 hitters in the final two innings.

UNC Greensboro Stadium (Stripes Pool)

Rowan County Post 342  -  7          Whiteville Post 137  -  3
Rowan righty, John Owen fired a complete game, striking out 5 and only surrendering 2 earned runs to earn the win.  Down 2-0 in the bottom of the first, Whiteville fired back to tie the game.  Down 3-2 in the 3rd, Whiteville again answered but the Rowan offense struck for 5 runs over their next 3 at-bats to seal the game.  Owen settled in limiting the Whiteville offense to only 2 hits in their final 4 innings.   Rowan took the lead for good in the 4th after a leadoff double from Cameron Graham was followed by another double from Hayden Setzer.  The Rowan offense was paced by CP Pyle who went 2-4 with 2 runs scored. With the win, Rowan Post 342 advances to the semi-final round on Sunday.

Pitt County Post 39  -  0          Caldwell County Post 29  -  4
In the only game of the final day of pool play that did not have advancement ramifications for the next round, two Caldwell County pitchers combined on a shutout.  Pitt County secured their birth to the semi-finals on Friday with a win, while Caldwell County knew their 0-2 record entering Saturday meant this would be their season finale.  0-0 through 3, Post 29 got on the board in the 4th with a leadoff walk followed by a single to move runners to 1st and 2nd.  A one out single from Austin Blevins would load the bases where a Garrett Jones ground out scored Jack Stevens for the 1-0 lead.  Post 29 would add 3 runs via 3 singles, a walk, and a SAC fly in the 5th to put the game away.  Isaac Bush started on the mound for Post 29, giving up 7 hits and 4 walks over 6.1 innings.  Bush struckout 3.  Blevins finished the game, getting the final two outs.  Prepping for the next round, Pitt used 3 arms, without anyone throwing more than 47 pitches. 

Pool Standings

Stars Pool
Shelby Post 82                  2-1
Wilmington Post 10           2-1
Garner Nationals                1-2
Hi-Toms Post 87                1-2

Stripes Pool
Pitt County Post 39              2-1
Rowan County Post 324      2-1
Whiteville Post 137              1-2
Caldwell County Post 29      1-2

Upcoming Schedule

Sunday July 29th - Semi-Final Round

Finch Field - Thomasville

4:00pm Wilmington Post 10  vs.  Pitt County Post 39
7:00pm Rowan County Post 342  vs.  Shelby Post 82

Monday July 30th - Championship Game

Finch Field - Thomasville

4:00pm Winners of the July 29th Semi-Final Games