Friday, October 2, 2026
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Cherryville, NC (WNN) - The eight best American Legion junior (17U) baseball teams in the state are in a five-day battle to determine which team can claim to be the best in NC. Sadly, two teams will see their dreams end today as their season concludes in an elimination game. All these teams are winners already; they have proven themselves throughout the Spring and Summer and have earned the right to be among the eight best remaining teams. Each of the approximately 144 players, their coaches, and families can hold their heads high, no matter how they finish this week. Wednesday evening, one will walk away with a trophy, the others with memories of a great season that fell just a little short of their goal. These fine young men have learned many things this season, not only about baseball but also about life. The American Legion teaches game skills as well as life lessons. Through community involvement, backed by a rich traditional veteran organization, what they learn will be carried on and off the field. The City of Cherryville and Post 100 are honored to have been chosen as the site of this year's tournament. Many volunteers have worked tirelessly to make this a successful event for fans, teams, coaches, and all visitors. Please thank the volunteers, Legion officials, and members for their efforts. Without further delay, let's play ball!
The day's first game is an elimination game between Port City Post 545 and Roanoke Knights Post 164. The game went scoreless through the first two innings due to strong pitching and solid defense. The top of the 3rd saw the complexion of the game change. Ryan Lusch worked a base on balls, stole 2nd, then advanced to 3rd on Dylan Cooper's single. Cooper advanced to 2nd on defensive indifference. The next pitch is a passed ball that allows both Lusch and Cooper to score with smart base running. Port City loads the bases when Davis Hendren walks, then Will Coward and Braylon Quitman are hit by a pitch. All three are left stranded as Dillon Eastmond pops up a foul ball caught by the first baseman. Port City's early 2-0 lead would soon be erased. Eason Taylor started things rolling for the Knights of Roanoke with a single to left field, followed by a stolen base.
Brody Whitaker walks, and two runners are in scoring position after Bryson Banks' sacrifice and Whitaker's stolen base. Logan Rogers tied the game on a hard-hit, two-run double. Braydon Perry reaches on a fielder's choice. Starting pitcher Evan Bright is relieved by Dylan Wasserberg. Macon Harrell drills his first pitch to score Rogers and give Roanoke a 3-2 lead. Jackson Noon comes in to pitch for Port City in the bottom of the 4th after Colin Lewis walks, then advances to 2nd on a wild pitch, and finally scores on a sizzling grounder by Eason Taylor. Noon will be unable to do much to slow the offensive onslaught of the Knights.
By the end of the inning, Roanoke will have a commanding 9-2 lead by Taylor stealing, E. Warren walking, Whitaker singles, Banks sacrifice fly, Logan Rogers reaching on a fielding error, Perry and Harrell singles, and Landon Lane also adding a base hit. Port City would prove there are never enough runs to feel comfortable in American Legion baseball as they began chipping away at the lead. Dylan Cooper singles, Jackson Noon also singles, Davis Hendren drives in Cooper and Jackson Noon, then scores on a passed ball. Price Hardin completes the scoring when Hendren is driven in on his base hit. Suddenly, Port City is back in the game, trailing 9-5. In the bottom half of the inning, Roanoke missed a chance to put the game away when they left the bases loaded. The top of the 6th would see Post 545 add another run. There might have been more, however, they got a little too aggressive on the bases with both Lusch and Hendren getting thrown out trying to steal home. Things got very interesting at the top of the 7th, with Port City trailing 9-6. Fighting for their playoff lives and season, Port City quickly loads the bases as Will Coward singles, Hardin and Wasserberg walk. One out and bases loaded sees Lusch strike out. Now down to their last out, bases still loaded, Dillion Eastmond steps to the plate. This is a situation most players dream of being in: two outs, bases loaded, and the game on the line. Eastmond falls behind 0-2 but works it back to 1-2. He likes the looks of the next pitch, unfortunately, his swing doesn't connect as he had hoped, and he lines out to end the game and the season. The Roanoke Knights held off a fierce comeback attempt by Port City to advance to tomorrow's round by a score of 9-6.
Both teams had double-digit hits. Dylan Cooper led the way for Port City with 3 hits and two runs scored. Davis Hendren recorded 2 RBIs on 2 hits with 1 run scored. Dillon Eastmond added 2 hits and scored a run. Post 545 scored 6 runs on 11 hits as a team and committed 2 errors. Roanoke made no errors and turned a double play. They produced 9 runs on 10 hits. The top hitters for the Knights were Macon Harrell with 2 hits and 3 RBIs, Eason Taylor scored 2 runs on 2 hits and 1 RBI, and Braydon Perry collected 2 hits, scored a run, and added 1 RBI. The Roanoke Knights will play another elimination game on Monday at 4 pm. Unfortunately, Port City is eliminated.
Game two of the day saw the hometown Cherryville Post 100 taking on the Tigers of Hope Mills Post 32. Both teams came in seeking to avenge opening-round losses. Post 100 got on the board first in the bottom of the 1st. Blake Mincey worked a base on balls, Kenan Fowler singled, followed by Chandler Wooten reaching on a walk to load the bases with no outs. It appeared Cherryville was poised to break this game wide open early; however, a lineout by Davan Digh that looked as if it would be in for a hit instead caught Mincey off the bag, and he was tagged out for two quick outs. The bases are once again loaded when Blake Mitchell walks. Cannon Whitesides draws a walk, bringing in Fowler for an early 1-0 lead. Bryson Withers goes down swinging to end the threat. Whitesides would take over pitching duties to begin the 2nd. Brayden Barbour is hit by a pitch and is advanced by JQ Campbell's sacrifice. Cam Sutton grounds out, and Barbour is on 3rd base, ninety feet away from tying the game.
Whitesides keeps his command and strikes out Payton Locklear, looking to shut down the Tigers. In the bottom half of the inning, things again looked promising for Post 100, a pitch hits Bryson Lamacchia, Mincey hits a sacrifice, and Fowler is given the free pass of a base on balls. A wild pitch puts both runners in scoring position. The bases are loaded when Wooten walks. Bases loaded with two outs bring a reliable hitter, Davan Digh, to the plate. There is a feeling that Cherryville is about to show the dominance they have had all season. Digh just barely misses his timing on the pitch and pops up to 2nd base, ending the inning. Even with 6 runners left on base through the first two innings, there was the anticipation that momentum would stay with Post 100. Runners were making it to base, and it would only take a few timely hits to get the hitting machine cranked up. The 1-0 would be surrendered in the top half of the 4th. Somehow, only 2 runs were allowed after an error, a stolen base, 3 batters hit by a pitch, and a sacrifice. A sign of a well-coached team is not coming unraveled with a few things not going your way, and this is a very well-coached team. Cherryville began to look like themselves in the bottom of the 4th. Karter Willis led off with a base hit, and Lamacchia would also single. Mincey does his job with a deep sacrifice fly to advance both, and the boys are back in business. Fowler's one-out walk would load the bases yet again. Another sign of a good team is having a short memory.
Thoughts of leaving the bases loaded twice were nowhere in their minds. A balk by the pitcher would score Willis, and a pitch would hit Chandler Wooten to reload the bases. Lamacchia scores when a pitch hits Digh. Blake Mitchell slams a double to left field that scores both Fowler and Wooten—Digh scores on a sacrifice by Whitesides. A walk and a passed ball would be followed by a strikeout that would end the scoring; however, Cherryville was now ahead 6-2. Logan Read hit a two-out double that scored Trey Ray; however, that would be the last run scored in the game. Cherryville eliminates the Tigers of Hope Mills Post 32 by a score of 6-3.
Hope Mills scored 3 runs on 3 hits and had 1 error. Logan Read took the loss at pitcher. Three batters had one hit each for the Tigers. Trey Ray had 1 hit and scored 1 run. Logan Read collected 1 hit, scored 1 run, and had 1 RBI. Zi Campbell added 1 hit. Post 100 had 6 runs, 6 hits, and made 2 errors. Cannon Whitesides was the winning pitcher, and Blake Mincey picked up a save. The top three batters for Cherryville were Kenan Fowler with 2 hits and scoring 2 runs, Blake Mitchell had 2 hits and 2 RBIs, and Cannon Whitesides drove in 2 RBIs. Cherryville Post 100 will play another elimination game on Monday at 1 pm.
Game three featured South Caldwell Post 29 playing West Stokes County Post 290. South Caldwell took control of the game early with a scoring onslaught in the top of the 2nd. Three straight walks were issued to Jacob Perkis, Michael Craig, and Cooper Dotson. Brayden Auton rips a line drive double to left field, putting South Caldwell ahead 2-0. Abram Lefler walks, Chase Cardwell hits a hard grounder to right field for a double that scores both Dotson and Auton. Post 29 extends their lead to 4-0. Koda Beard is up next and reaches due to an error that sends Lefler and Cardwell home. Up 6-0 Cooper Dotson grounds out with the bases loaded.
Stokes added some insurance runs in the 5th. Graham Heavner walked and was replaced by courtesy runner Dawson Hamby. An error on the pitcher advances both Dotson and Hamby. A line drive base hit to left field by Chase Cardwell scores Dotson. Cardwell steals 2nd, Hamby scores on an error made by the catcher, and a balk scores Cardwell to push the score to 9-0. The top of the 6th produces one more run for South Caldwell when Dotson steals 2nd, then scores when Auton reaches on an error. West Stokes attempted to rally at the bottom of the inning but fell short when a ground out left the bases loaded and gave South Caldwell a 10-0 win via the mercy rule. Stokes Post 290 scored zero runs on 2 hits and made 4 costly errors. Trenton Fraley and Jeb Presnell each had one hit. The loss drops them into the elimination bracket, and they will face Cherryville Post 100 on Monday at 1 pm. South Caldwell moves on to the winner's bracket after scoring 10 runs on 5 hits and playing error-free ball. They also drew 10 walks during the game. The leading hitters for Post 29 were Chase Cardwell with 2 hits, scoring 2 runs, and 3 RBIs, Cooper Dotson scored 3 runs on 1 hit, Koda Beard drove in 2 RBIs and Brayden Auton added 2 RBIs. They will play next on Monday at 7 pm.
The night's final game showcased a meeting between Matthews Post 235 and Wilson Post 13. The lingering question would be whether yesterday's huge win over Cherryville Post 100 left Wilson with an emotional hangover. Davis Turner led off the game with a walk, Andrew Rine singled, and Colin Gay's sacrifice scored Turner. Matthews Post 235 had an answer in the bottom half of the inning. After Wilson pitcher Mattox McKeel got two quick outs, Aaron Dekeukelaere walked, and then the next batter, Ben Baldauf, also walked. A pitch hits Jack Martin. C Gegg sends a hard-hit ball to center field that scores Dekeukelaere and Baldauf. Matthews pulls ahead 2-1. The lead would be extended to 3-1 in the bottom of the 3rd after back-to-back doubles by Drew Knowles and Aaron Dekeukelaere. Wilson reclaims the lead in the 4th after back-to-back walks, a base hit, and another walk. By the middle of the 5th, Wilson appeared to be pulling away from Matthews.
Mattox McKeel doubled, Colsen Gay walked, reached on a misplayed bunt, scoring McKeel, Bryson Hayes beat out a bunt single, scoring Gay, Wilson was now up 6-3. No one could have imagined what would happen in the bottom half of the inning. Matthews went nuclear on the bases. Carter Freeman began the scoring barrage with a walk, Jack Martin was hit by a pitch, Tim Henderson lined a base hit, Matthew Singleton scored on a wild pitch, and Patrick O'Shaughnessy drilled a line drive to centerfield that scored Martin and Henderson. A pitch hit Gio Camerota, Sam Yin walked, O'Shaughnessy and Camerota scored on a base by Knowles, Aaron Dekeuklaere sent a rocket to the outfield that scored Yin and Knowles. A pitch hits Carter Freeman, then five out of the next six batters are walked. The 13th run of the inning comes on Matthew Singleton stealing home. No, that is not a typo. Matthews plated 13 runs in the bottom of the 5th to defeat Wilson by the mercy rule. Carter Freeman picked up the win for Matthews. The line on Matthews is 16 runs, 8 hits, and 3 errors. Wilson scored 6 runs on 5 hits and committed 2 errors. They also allowed 12 walks. Bryson Hates and Conner McIntosh had 1 hit and 2 RBIs for Wilson. The leading hitters for Matthews were Drew Knowles with 2 hits, 2 runs scored, and 2 RBIs. Aaron Dekeukelaere with 2 hits, 2 runs scored, and 3 RBIs. Christian Gegg had 1 hit, scored 1 run, and had 3 RBIs. Patrick O'Shaughnessy had 2 hits, scored 2 runs, and had 2 RBIs. On Monday, Matthews will face South Caldwell in a battle of unbeatens at 7 pm, and Wilson will fall into an elimination game at 4 pm against Roanoke. Two more teams will be eliminated on Monday as we move closer to crowning a champion on Wednesday. Don't forget Cherryville Post 100 will play in the first game on Monday at 1 pm as they take on Stokes Post 290.
Tournament Location
John L. "Buck" Fraley Field - North Pink Street - Cherryville, NC 28021
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