Florence Post 1 advanced finished their season with a 3-2 performance in the Southeast Regional tournament in American Legion baseball action in Asheboro, North Carolina.

The Post 1 team includes local players Weston Bailey and Patrick Herring of Dillon and Jackson Williams and John Kever Love of Latta.

Post 1 opened the tournament with a 5-4 win over Shelbyville, Kentucky, on Thursday, August 7.

Neither team could get on the board until the bottom of the fifth when Post 1 broke loose for four runs. Clay Martin was hit by pitch to lead off the inning and Bailey followed with a double. McLean Hartz singled to score Martin, and CJ Hopkins hit a sacrifice fly to score Bailey. Logan McRae singled and advanced on an error, and Garrett Bevill ground out to second base to score Hartz. Williams doubled to score McRae, but Zach Herndon struck out to end the inning.

Shelbyville scored in the seventh when Dugle reached on a walk and scored on a throwing error, and Miller singled to reach base and scored an unearned run on a fielder’s choice. Kentucky scored again in the eighth, with Pfaadt getting a walk and Jeffries doubling to advance to him. Dugle singled to score Pfaadt, and Burk, pinch runner for Jeffries, scored on a sacrifice bunt from Miller.

But Florence earned the win in the bottom of the inning. Williams led off with a single, and Herndon bunted and reached on a fielder’s choice that put out Williams at second. Ke’Shaun Samuel and Bailey both singled to advance Herndon, and Hartz drew a walk to score Herndon. Hopkins flew out to end the inning with three runners on base.

John Kever Love started on the mound for Florence, pitching six innings for four hits, two runs, three walks, and four outs. Kameron Dixon pitched 1.1 innings for two hits, two earned runs, and one walk, and Zack McKay was credited with the win, pitching 1.2 innings for one walk and four outs.

At bat, Weston Bailey went 2-for-5 with one run and a double, and Jackson Williams went 2-for-3 with one RBI and one double and also reached on a walk.

On Friday, Post 1 earned 6-5 win over Charlottesville, Virginia, with Bailey leading off the bottom of the first with a single and advancing to third on grounders before the end of the inning.

Virginia got on the board in the top of the second when Batten tripled and then scored on a wild pitch. But Florence responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning with Williams reaching on a walk and Herndon singling. Stephen Calcutt ground out, and Martin and Bailey were both hit by a pitch to score Williams. Hartz singled to score Herndon, but Hopkins ground out to end the inning.

In the third, Virginia’s Jarrell singled and scored on a throwing error that allowed Willy to reach second. Willy scored on a wild pitch for a 3-2 lead. Jackson and Bevill singled in the bottom of the inning, but Post 1 couldn’t get any momentum at bat.

In the bottom of the fourth, Bailey doubled and Hartz singled to advanced him. Hopkins reached on a fielder’s choice that scored Bailey and put out Hartz to tie the game 3-3. But Virginia pulled ahead in the next inning, leading off the fifth with a double and walk, advancing the runners with a sacrifice bunt and scoring on a sacrifice fly. Decker singled to score the other runner and Virginia left one man on base.

Neither team could score again until the bottom of the seventh when McRae and Williams singled with two outs. Calcutt tripled for two RBI, but Martin flew out to end the inning with one on base.

Florence decided the game in the ninth with Beville hitting a single and advancing on a throwing error from the short stop. Williams singled and stole second, and Herndon got an intentional walk. Calcutt fouled out and Martin struck out, but Bailey was hit by a pitch to score Bevill for the win.

Dixon got the win on the mound, pitching two innings for one hit and two outs. Samuel started on the mound and pitched seven innings for four hits, five runs, four earned runs, three walks, six outs, three wild pitches, and one hit by pitch. Patrick Lovelace also faced one batter for one walk and one wild pitch.

Bailey was 2-for-4 at bat with two RBI and one run scored, and Williams was 3-for-4 with two runs and one walk.

On Saturday, Florence ran afoul of Jacksonville, Florida, falling 9-3.

Neither team could score until the third, when Jacksonville’s Rourke singled and advanced on a throwing error. Rourke advanced to third on a ground out and scored on a single from Brown. Florida widened the lead in the fourth with Pausche walking, advancing on a ground out and two fielder’s choice plays, and scored on a throwing error. With one out and two on base, Rourke singled for one RBI and Brown reached on an error and advanced to second as another runner scored. A wild pitch scored Rourke, and ground out ended the inning with Brown on third and Jacksonville ahead 5-0.

Florida put the game further out of reach with three runs in the fifth. Pausche doubled and Rider reached on a throwing error, and advanced on a wild pitch. Ellis tripled to score both, and Rourke singled to score Ellis.

Florence got on the board in the sixth when Hopkins doubled and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Bevill singled to score him, and Williams walked to advance Bevill. Herndon reached on a fielding error, and Patrick Herring reached on a fielder’s choice. Herndon went out at second, but Williams advanced to third before Samuel struck out, leaving two men on base.

Florida picked up another run in the sixth as Brown walked, stole second, and scored on a single from Pausche. In the top of the seventh, Florence picked up the last run of the game, with Bailey getting a single and advancing on a wild pitch. Hopkins singled to score Bailey, but a fielder’s choice and a fly ended the inning with one runner on base.

Newton took the loss for Florence, pitching 4.2 innings for seven hits, eight runs, two earned runs, one walk, five outs, and two wild pitches. Alex Dorriety pitched 2.2 innings for three hits, one run, one error, one walk, and one out; and Lovelace faced two batters for one out.
Bailey went 1-for-4 with one run and one walk; Williams was 0-for-2 with two walks; and Patrick Herring went 1-for-4.

Post 1 faced elimination on Sunday, but battled Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for a 4-1 win.

Bailey led off the top of the first with a single but got caught stealing. Williams singled in the second but two flies and a groundout ending the inning with the game still scoreless.

In the top of the third, Samuel doubled to left field and Bailey ground out to advance Samuel. Hartz singled to score Samuel, and Hopkins walked. McRae singled to score Hartz, and Bevill singled to score Hopkins to give Post 1 a 3-0 lead.

Alabama got their only run in the bottom of the fourth with Luker singling and advancing on a wild pitch. Hans singled to score him.

In the eighth, Jackson singled up the middle for Post 1 and Calcutt reached on a fielding error with Herndon pinch running. Samuel singled to score Williams for the last run of the game.
Dixon got the win, pitching 7.1 innings for six hits, one run, one earned run, three walks, 10 outs, and one wild pitch. McKay pitched 1.2 innings for three outs, one hit, and one walk.
Bailey went 2-for-4 at bat and Williams went 2-for-3 with one run and one walk.

Monday saw Florence’s hopes dashed as they fell 9-7 to host team Asheboro, who scored three runs on three hits in the bottom of the first. Jackson singled and advanced on a wild pitch, and Smith and Lambert both walked to load the bases. Morrison singled to pick up two RBI, and Reynolds bunted to advance the runners. Davis flew out on a sacrifice, and Lambert scored with the inning ending on a double play.

Florence got on the board when McRae homered to lead off the second, but two batters struck out and a fielder’s choice sent Asheboro to the plate.

North Carolina scored again in third, with Lambert singling and advancing on a throwing error. A walk put Lambert at third, and a hit by pitch scored him. Asheboro added two more runs in the fourth. With two outs, Jackson singled and Smith walked. Lambert tripled to score both.

Florence picked up two runs in the sixth with Hopkins and McRae pulling walks. Bevill singled to score Hopkins, and Williams ground out into a double play to allow McRae to score.

Asheboro picked up another run in the sixth on a hit by pitch and a double from Smith, and two more in the eighth. Daniel singled and Rorie reached on a bunt into a fielder’s choice that put out Daniel. Wallace walked, and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Jackson singled and Smith reached on a fielder’s choice, with a throwing error putting him on second and scoring both Wallace and Rorie.

Florence rallied for four runs in the ninth, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap. Herndon was hit by pitch and Samuel walked. Martin was hit by pitch to load the bases, and Bailey singled to score Herndon. Hartz flew out and Bailey advanced to second on a throwing error while Samuel scored. Hopkins singled to score Martin, and McRae flew out to score Bailey. Bevill singled to score third, and Williams struck out looking to leave two runners on base.

Love took the loss on the mound, pitching 2.1 innings for four hits, four runs, three earned runs, three walks, two outs, and one wild pitch. McKay pitched 4.2 innings for four hits, four earned runs, one walk, and three outs; and Dorriety pitched one inning for one hit, one run, one walk, and one walk.

Bailey went 1-for-4 with one run, one RBI, and one walk, and Williams was 0-for-4 with one walk.

Jacksonville went on to claim the title with an 8-7 win over Asheboro on Monday.

Bailey lead Post 1 with a team high eight hits in the tournament. He had two doubles, four runs, and three RBIs and was hit by pitch three times with two walks for an average of .381. He made three put outs and five assists in the field.

Williams had seven hits, three runs, one double, and one RBI with six walks in 16 at bats for an average of .438. He made 35 put outs in the field.

Herring was 1-for-4 with a .250 average at bat, and made seven put outs and one assist.

On the mound, Love had a 3.24 ERA, pitching 8.1 innings and striking out six. He allowed eight hits, six runs, three earned runs, and six walks with one wild pitch. In the field, he had two assists.

Florence Post 1 finished the season with a 40-5 record.