The South Carolina American Legion baseball season ended in different fashion Thursday for both West Columbia Post 79 and Chapin/Newberry Post 193/24.
In the end, however, the two teams finished tied for third place each with 5-7 marks in League III.
West Columbia began the day with a rain makeup against Lexington Post 7. Although the game was at Brookland-Cayce High School, Post 7 was the designated home team.
The game saw three ties and two lead changes in the first six innings. In the top of the seventh, Corbin Wright of Airport broke the 4-4 tie with a go-ahead two-run single.
Mason Turner of Brookland-Cayce, who relieved Josh Raines in the third inning, got the final three outs for the 6-4 victory. The win not only clinched a share of third place for West Columbia but assured it would open the playoffs Monday in that position since it owned the head-to-head tiebreaker with Chapin/Newberry.
As West Columbia prepared for its second game Thursday against League III front-runner Camden Post 17, Chapin-Newberry found itself trailing second-place Richland 3-0 after two innings at Newberry College.
After scoring a run off a balk in the bottom half of the second, Post 193/24 erupted for eight runs in the third inning. It pushed the lead out to as many as eight runs before taking the 12-6 win.
Brady Yarborough went 2-4 with 2 RBI, Paul Taylor drove in two runs and Landon Kahl and Matthew Rollison both went 2-3 for Post 193/24.
Richland’s loss helped Camden clinch the League III title. It then proceeded to shut out West Columbia 6-0 behind a combined 2-hitter thrown by starter Mason Williams, who struck out 10 in five innings, and Riley Ward, who threw two perfect innings.
Both West Columbia and Chapin/Newberry will open the double-elimination S.C. American Legion baseball tournament on the road. Post 79 travels to Anderson Post 14, while Post 193/24 visits Greer Post 115 in the Upstate Region.
