By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Jake Weber plated Wes Sturrup with a one-out single in the eighth inning, and top-seeded Greece Post 468 held off upstart East Rochester Post 1917, 9-8 in American Legion action, Sunday at Greece Athena High School.
With the win, Greece Post (15-3) swept (2-0) the District 7 semifinal series and clinched a spot in the championship that begins on Monday.
Weber, the league batting champion, turned on the first pitch of the bat.
“I’m happy that I could pick up my boys,” the RIT commit said. “We wanted to reach the finals.”
Sturrup led the inning with a single inside the third-baseline. An error on the play, allowed Greece’s centerfielder to reach second. Logan DeMember followed with a sacrifice bunt to put the winning run 90 feet away.
“It’s about guys doing their jobs and giving the team a chance to win,” said Greece Post manager, Nelson Madrid.
Weber, who also doubled and tripled, delivered his third hit of the game.
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM LAURA ACCIAIO.
Jake Weber brings home Wes Sturrup with a one-out single. @GreecePostBSBAL clinches a spot in the @MCLegionBSBL championship series with a 9-8 win over East Rochester. pic.twitter.com/CFtrGQQQcz
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) July 19, 2026
The game winner came after the 468 squandered a five-run lead in the seventh inning.
“I give props to East Rochester,” Weber said. “They battled all game. They hit really well.”
Trailing 8-3, East Rochester’s Max Bowers, Alex Wright and Colin DiCicco led the seventh with consecutive singles.
Liam White-Scuderi brought in the first run of the inning with a base on balls. Two outs later, Emmett Tehan drew a walk of his own cutting the deficit to three.
Sean Griffin connected on a two-strike double to clear the bases and knot the score at eight.
Sean Griffin knots the game in the seventh with a two-out, two-strike bases-clearing double. Heading to the bottom of the 7th, @MCLegionBSBL semifinal, East Rochester 8 @GreecePostBSBAL 8 pic.twitter.com/RyRPaicBcM
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) July 19, 2026
“We knew what we had to do to win,” Weber said. “We just ooze confidence and got the job done.”
Cam Barbulean fanned the side in the top of the eighth to pick up the win.
“Nothing’s easy, but at the end of the day, it’s a win,” Weber said.
Barbulean and Parker Goodness had RBI singles in the first when Greece grabbed a 3-0 lead.
Kyle Markham homered in the fourth when Greece pushed its advantage to 6-2.
Barbulean connected on a solo shot in the fifth.
Weber brought in Sturrup with a double in the sixth.
Wes Sturrup scores from first on a Jake Weber 2-out double. Greece Post 7-3, bottom 6. pic.twitter.com/MkgtVXeLRo
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) July 19, 2026
The reigning state champions, Greece returns to the district championship series for fourth time in five years.
“To build on the legacy that Greece Post has had and have memories with my friends, I couldn’t ask for anything more,” Weber said.
Goodness was 2-4 with a run scored in the win. Barbulean went 2-2 with a walk, two RBI and two runs scored. Sturrup accounted for two hits and three runs scored.
DeMember and Brinza scored a run apiece.
Max Bowers led East Rochester (11-13) going 4-5 with a home run, double and three runs scored.
East Rochester Post’s Max Bowers, who homered to lead the 3rd, starts the fifth with a double, Greece Post, with a 2-run HR from Kyle Markham, leads 6-2. pic.twitter.com/lfJI70TpR0
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) July 19, 2026
DiCicco was 2-5 with a run scored. Drew Calabrese went 2-4.
White-Scuderi scored twice. Ryan LaRocco had a hit.
Greece Post will face No. 2 Cottreall-Warner in the district championship series. Game 1 of the best-of-three is scheduled for a 6 PM first pitch Monday at Greece Athena. Game 2 is slated for 3:30 PM, Tuesday again at Athena. Game 3, if necessary, will be part of a doubleheader on Tuesday.
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