(Photos by Thomas Grant Jr.) Chapin/Newberry first baseman Luciano Cesaro
By Thomas Grant Jr.
As a player for 2015 American Legion Baseball World Series champion Chapin/Newberry 193/24, head coach Ryan Stoudemire has firsthand experience in post-season success.
After leading Chapin/Newberry back into the playoffs with a 12-2 Wild Card win over Horry Legion Baseball at Camden High School on Monday, he hopes his team can catch similar lightning in the bottle.
“Everything up until this point doesn’t matter,” Stoudemire said. “Everybody’s in it. Everybody’s got a shot. We’ve just got to play our game.”
Post 193/24 jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning. With the bases loaded, Jackson Phipps of Dutch Fork hit a 2-run single, Colby Livingston of Mid-Carolina followed with an RBI sacrifice bunt and Dutch Fork’s Raleigh Salters singled home a run.
This was more than enough for starter Duncan Blocker. The Chapin High pitcher struck out six and allowed just one earned run in 5 2/3 innings.
Horry Legion Baseball’s lone runs came off a throwing error by Blocker to first base and an RBI fielder’s choice in the third inning. Chapin/Newberry answered with two runs in the Top 5th on a Jayden Glenn RBI single and double steal that scored Kaedyn Harris of Chapin.
Mid-Carolina’s Lawson Lawrence relieved Blocker with two outs and the bases loaded in the Bottom 6th. He needed just one pitch to retire Anthony Misencik with a pop out to Dutch Fork third baseman Coleman Fryer.
Post 193/24 broke the game open with six runs in the Top 7th. After the first three batters reached base after getting hit by pitches, Chapin/Newberry’s offense pounded out four straight hits.
Harris had a 2-run single, followed by Glenn with an RBI single, an RBI double by Luciano Cesaro of Dutch Fork and a 2-run double by Fryer.
Chapin/Newberry (7-10) will open the Best-of-Three series Wednesday at defending champion Florence Post 1 (17-3).
“Florence is going to be good,” Stoudemire said. “They’re not going to beat themselves. They are going you beat them. But it’s really not focusing on trying to beat them. Just do the things that we do. Make our plays, have good at bats, different things like that and then, let the result be what the result is and, hopefully, it’s for the good guys.”
AMERICAN LEGION FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF BRACKETS
(Best of 3 Series. Games 1 on Wednesday and 3 on Friday, if necessary, at host team.)
Greer Post 115 at Easley Post 52
Greenwood Post 20 at Chesnee Post 48
Anderson Post 14 at Fort Mill Post 43
Spartanburg Post 28 at Camden Post 17
Rock Hill at Richland Post 215
Manning-Santee Post 68 at Sumter Post 15
West Columbia 79 at Summerville Post 21
Chapin/Newberry Post 193/24 at Florence Post 1
