By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Pinch-hitter CJ Phelps cleared the bases with a two-out double to highlight a dramatic seventh-inning rally as Greece Post 468 defeated Ely Fagan Post 1151, 11-7 to claim the 2022 District 7 American Legion championship in Tuesday’s deciding game of the Best-of-Three series.
Greece will play the Hamburg Post 527 – Brounshidle Post winner (District 8 – Buffalo), Saturday at Kenmore West High School.
Trailing 7-4 going into the final at-bat, Greece sent 11 to the plate to keep its season alive.
Julien Mendoza and Jaden Madrid reached on back-to-back hit by pitches to spark the comeback. Connor Sackett worked a full-count walk to load the bases before Tanner DeGrazia started the scoring with an RBI hit by pitch.
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM JENNIFER LAEMLEIN HERE.
Zach Allen and James Capellupo followed with back-to-back RBI singles to tie the score and set up Phelps for the eventual game winner.
Allen, Capellupo and Matt Salina scored on the two-bagger from Phelps.
Tyler Stack worked a scoreless inning of relief to pick up the win. The right-hander from Webster Schroeder took over on the mound with bases loaded, no outs and induced a fielder’s choice at the plate before getting a double play to keep Greece within striking distance. Stack retired both batters he faced on the first pitch of the individual at-bats.
Connor Sackett faced the minimum in a scoreless bottom of the seventh to seal the win.
DeGrazia, who reached base all four times he came to the plate, staked Greece to an early lead with a two-run home run in the first inning.
Allen and Capellupo both finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored in the game. Mendoza was 2-for-3 including a double with two RBI and a run scored. Sackett crossed home twice.
Justin Angora plated a pair with a two-out double in the first inning to give Ely Fagan an early 4-2 lead. Colby Wilson connected on an RBI single in the fifth and gave Fagan its largest lead of the game at 7-4.
The score stayed that way until the seventh.
Wilson finished 2-for-3 with a walk in the losing effort. Teammate Evan Brock went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Chuckie Sobaszek had two hits and a run scored. Tobey Wright singled, walked, drove in a pair of runs and scored another. Garret Wilson drove in a run with a base hit and later scored. Joe Greszkowiak singled, walked twice and scored a run.
Dillon Kelly started and struck out seven over 5.2 innings of work. The right-hander allowed four runs on four hits and five walks.
Ely Fagan won game 1, 2-1 before Greece evened the series with a 4-2 victory.
A 6 p.m. first pitch is scheduled Saturday at Kenmore West High School.
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