American Legion Byron Cox Post 72 baseball should be proud of what transpired this past weekend. Last Thursday a total of 15 American Legion baseball teams converged to Montgomery County to play in 37 total games over a four-day span as Post 72 hosted the third annual Post 72 Tournament. It was the largest tournament Byron Cox Post 72 has ever put on as games took place at both Southmont and North Montgomery. All 15 teams played four pool games and then the top four teams moved on to Sunday’s semi-finals and championship.
For Post 72 they ended pool play with a 3-1 record and ended as the number two overall seed. After dropping their first game 3-1, they won three straight games 7-0, 3-2, and 14-0.
In the semi-finals they took on Kokomo Post 6 and heading into the sixth inning, Kokomo led 2-0. Post 72’s bats finally came alive in the biggest way by scoring six runs in to take a 6-2 lead. They got their three outs in the seventh to secure their spot in the championship game. Jarrod Kirsch threw a complete game and struck out nine in the win.
In the championship game for Post 72, they’d run into a familiar rival in Terre Haute Wayne Newton Post 346.
Things got started off very nicely for Post 72 as they scored four runs in the first inning. They added one more run in the third to lead 5-0, but Terre Haute flexed their own muscle in the bottom of the third by scoring four runs to get back in the game. Headed to the seventh, Post 72 still lead 6-5. They got two big insurance runs to lead 8-5 and needed just three outs to secure the championship. However, starting pitcher Luke Pluimer reached the 105 pitch limit and with not many options left, Christian Holland got the call. After a walk, single, walk, fielders choice , and another walk, Oscar Lopez came in to try and secure the win needing just two outs, but the bases were loaded.
Lopez walked the first batter to make the score 8-7. Then a ball hit right back to Lopez set up what most people thought would’ve been the game ending double play. However the short throw home to catcher Matt Miller was just off-line, but Miller still made the tag for the second out. Isaak Osborne stepped up and on the second pitch drilled a walk-off single that scored two runs as Terre Haute came back to win the championship 9-8.
“We just had to get three outs and they had to score four times,” Post 72 coach Kyle Proctor said. “Unfortunately with walks and errors we allowed those four runs to score. There’s just too many plays that we didn’t make that we should have and the game’s over and we’re holding a trophy. It’s certainly a tough one to lose but the best things is we have the Regional to look forward to.”
From the opening game on Thursday to the final game on Sunday, the city of Crawfordsville showed out to help Post 72 put on this great tournament. Visit Montgomery County and other local organizations provided Post 72 with workers for many different tasks including ticket takers, grounds crew, concession stand workers etc. Proctor made sure to note that the tournament was an overwhelming success.
“I was hearing nothing but positives all weekend from everyone. Our volunteers were phenomenal and we couldn’t have put this on without them. Of course we had some challenges with the rain and changing locations, a team having to forfeit and all of that then you add on top of that a couple of our kids were involved in an accident but thankfully they’re both ok. On the field our kids played hard all six games and finishing 4-2 is still something to be proud of. Terre Haute is a very good team and now they’ve beat us twice, of course this one being a walk off and we’ve beat them once. Hopefully we might see each other in the state tournament coming up.”
Post 72 will now take an 18-9 overall record into the start of post-season play. They will now have until Friday off where they play in the Frankfort Regional against Muncie Post 19 at 5 p.m. The four-team Regional will also include Lafayette Post 11 and Kokomo Post 6. The top two teams from the double-elimination Regional will advance to the State Tournament which is in Terre Haute.
“If we get game one that puts us in a very good spot to advance,” Proctor said. “This week will allow our guys to get healed up, get some rehab in and then make sure we’re all good to go for Friday.”
