By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Last summer, Derrick Allen was part of a team looking to etch its name in the record book with a third straight New York State American Legion Baseball title.
That squad’s season ended in the semifinals, and perhaps provided just enough motivation for this year’s run.
Allen hurled a shutout as Greece Post 468 rolled to a third straight win with a 10-0 victory over Hamburg Post 527 (15-5-1) in third-day action at Rochester Institute of Technology.
With the win, Greece Post (18-4) clinched a spot in the 2025 championship round.
“That was a good one,” said Allen who improved to 3-2 on the season. “This is definitely something to remember. This was fun.”
The 6-foot-3 right-hander struck out three without walking a batter and scattered five hits over six shutout innings of the mercy-rule shortened affair. The Niagara County Community College commit retired 11 of the last 12 batters faced.
“The slider was working,” he said. “I just knew if I hit my spots, they weren’t touching it. I just needed to execute.”
He left men on the corners in the first and runners on second and third in the second before settling in.
“I always want to stay calm knowing that if I throw my best stuff, that it’s going to do me justice. I trust in myself, and that’s what happens.”
Mason Davey finished 2-for-3 and capped a six-run second when Greece Post sent nine to the plate.
Jack Kelly started the outburst with a one-out double. Dylan Savage drew a walk, and Colden Forney reached on a hit by pitch to load the bases. Allen drove in the first run of the inning with a single. Cam Barbulean brought in a run with a sacrifice fly, and Tyler Cannon added another with a base hit. With runners on second and third, Davey delivered with a base hit for a commanding 7-0 lead.
“Scoring runs makes it a lot easier for any pitcher.” Allen said. “You just go out there and throw strikes. The offense is hot, you want to get them back in there and start hitting more.”
The win was the third straight for Greece Post which also took a mercy-rule decision from Clinton County (19-3) on Sunday. In three games of the tournament, Greece has outscored opponents by a combined score of 36-5.
Mason Davey’s two-out single, plates two. @GreecePostBSBAL 6-0 heading to the third. pic.twitter.com/lq7spgriG4
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) July 28, 2025
Mason Davey gets @GreecePostBSBAL on the board with a two-out single. Derrick Allen scores on the play. pic.twitter.com/Zza7DBguTe
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) July 28, 2025
“We want to approach every game as an elimination game,” Allen said. “We just want to win every game and move on from there. Take every game one by one.”
Cannon went 3-4 with three runs scored. Kelly was 2-3 and crossed home twice. Allen also walked once and scored twice. Barbulean and Forney both singled and scored. Savage was 1-2. Nate Brinza clinched the win with a two-run single in the sixth for the final count.
Monday’s outing was Allen’s third this summer of six or more innings. In 26.1 innings of work, he has struck out 22, walked eight and held opposing hitters to a .152 batting average.
Hamburg Post’s Chase Hagland was 2-3. Ethan Osetkowski, Ryan Forringer and Ashton Putney added a hit apiece.
Hamburg Post will face Clinton County on Tuesday for a spot in Wednesday’s championship.
Greece, which has already secured a spot in Wednesday’s action, will face Adrean Post 625 on Tuesday.
Last year, Greece Post was looking to join the Rockland Pirates, who won three state titles from 2016-18 and five straight from 1990-1994, as the only three-peat champions in New York State American Legion history.
Thank you so much for covering the NYS American Legion Baseball Tournament.
RIT and all the volunteers did a fantastic job during such a hot/muggy week of hosting the games. To have Pickin Splinters cover the Tournament speaks volumes for the great job they do for local sports.