by TYLER HATHAWAY
PENFIELD, N.Y– Logan DeMember delivered a go-ahead RBI single in the top of the eighth inning, and Max Sheehan tossed two scoreless innings of one-hit relief to help Greece Post 468 (18-6) hold off a late rally from Hamburg Post 527 (17-2) and win 5-4 in the loser’s bracket of the NYS American Legion Championship tournament on Monday afternoon.
“It feels great,” DeMember said about the win. “A lot of teams would cave early like that, if a team started coming back. That’s a tough team (Hamburg), and they didn’t back down once that entire game. It felt really good to hold on.”
Greece Post led 4-1 before Hamburg Post scored three unanswered runs to tie the game and force extra innings.
“I think it shows that our team is very together,” Sheehan said about hanging on for the win. “We can all compete and play in clutch scenarios, and that our team can go the distance.”
Wes Sturrup led off the eighth with a double. Quinn Hanrahan then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move him over to third base before DeMember delivered the go-ahead RBI.
“My approach was just trying to get something to the outfield,” DeMember explained. “Just tried to get that run across, we only had one out so tried getting it into the air, but ended up getting a grounder through.”
“We talk about just staying in within the game and making sure that you’re not thinking too far ahead and you’re staying in the moment,” said manager Nelson Madrid of his team’s resilience in the eighth. “And the guys understood that. We just had to each do our job, move guys over, get the hits when you need to, and then we’re gonna be all right. The guys have confidence in themselves and their teammates.”
DeMember finished 2-for-4 with an RBI, a walk, and a run.
“We knew we had to do anything to score,” said DeMember. “Quinn hit a ball off the wall a few innings before, and then he lays down a great bunt. We were doing anything just to get a run across. Wes’s leadoff double was huge, too.”
Sheehan, who entered in relief of Jake Weber in the seventh inning, stranded an inherited runner at second by retiring three straight batters in the seventh to get the game to extras and left another one at second in the eighth inning to seal the win. He finished with two strikeouts.
“Really was just trying to throw strikes,” said Sheehan. “I’ve been struggling throwing strikes lately so I just tried throwing it down the middle to make them hit it. They were able to but they hit it at our guys who made some great plays.”
It’s the second straight win for a Greece Post team who fell 5-3 in its opening game against Kingston-Saugerties, a game in which they led 3-1 entering the sixth. Greece Post won 12-7 on Sunday to stay alive in the loser’s bracket.
“I think we just locked in, became a little more focused,” Sheehan said of what changed after the loss. “We started swinging the bat a little more, and pitchers started throwing more strikes.”
“Once you get that first win, you start believing,” said Madrid. “Okay, we can do this. And it’s all about how you go about it. A lot of guys have been doing their part. We’ve been dealing with injuries all year. Guys started saying that if they just do what we have to do we’re gonna be okay. And it took almost the whole team yesterday, it took almost the whole team again today, and they know that if they stick together, we’re gonna be okay.”
Ryan DeJoy finished 3-for-4 with an RBI single and a scored run. Jake Weber singled twice, had an RBI, and struck out seven batters over six innings as the starting pitcher. Sturrup doubled, singled, had an RBI, and scored. Cam Barbulean doubled, singled, and crossed home plate once. Parker Goodness had a single and a sacrifice fly. Aidan Kress singled and walked. Hanrahan singled and walked.
For Hamburg Post, Ashton Putney doubled, singled, had an RBI, and walked. Cole Notaro singled twice, had an RBI, and scored. Clayton Kline and Jacob Hudson each singled twice and crossed home plate once. Brody Monaco tossed three and a third innings as the starter, while Chase Porter pitched four and two third innings in relief and struck out two batters. Matthew King had an RBI, a double, and walked. Ethan Osetkowski had an RBI single. Jackson Bugg singled and scored.
Greece Post advances in the loser’s bracket and will play again tomorrow. The time and opponent is yet to be determined.
“Quality at bats and pitchers throwing strikes,” Madrid said are the most important things Greece Post needs to keep doing. “If our pitchers execute from inning-to-inning and giving our defense chances, letting them put the ball in play, We’ll be all right defensively. And if our hitters continue to work the count, and put quality at bats, and not give them anything, then we’ll be all right in that end as well.”
Leave a Reply