Thursday, October 1, 2026
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Shelby, NC (WNN) - The 2025 American Legion World Series semifinals have arrived. Today's schedule has four games pairing the remaining four teams. Although there has been some solid pitching and outstanding defense this week, the chatter buzzing through the stands is about all the home runs launched out of Keeter Stadium. The homerun record was 7, this year, so far, there have been 28 long balls! The fans and players are loving it. Let's find out if the homerun palooza continued or if pitching could throw a wet towel on those hot bats.
From this point forward, all games are single-elimination games. The winner of this game will earn a spot in Tuesday's championship game. Both teams have been very aggressive on the base pads throughout the tournament; it will be interesting to see how or if it comes into play. Each team also has strong pitching, so anything is possible in this one.
The game began with Aiden Parker, starting pitcher for Virginia, setting down the first three Oregon batters. This set the tone for most of the rest of the game. Chesapeake turned out two base hits in the bottom of the first but couldn't bring them around. The top of the second had an unusual hit from Carter Stewart that went through the legs of Aiden Parker on the mound. Ryan Nakamura also hit a single, but that was the only offense for Portland. Chesapeake right fielder, Try Campos drew a walk and was batted in off a screaming double by Reid Vandergrift; however, he was tagged out attempting to stretch it into a triple.
Chesapeake led 1-0 after two complete innings. Portland had an answer; Jayden Nakamura knocked a double and scored off Joe Fagan's base hit. A wild pitch to Dakota Chun allowed Fagan to show off that aggressive base running as he sprinted to third from first. Two strikeouts ended the threat. The score was tied 1-1. It would remain knotted at 1 a piece, due to great defensive efforts and pitching, through four and a half innings. The bottom of the fifth produced a perfectly executed hit and run that scored the lightning-fast Reid Downs off a Wes Stubbe base hit. Just when it looked like there would be no one going yard, Gabe Coltman said hold my glove as he sent one over the wall to give us a 2-2 tie. In the bottom of the sixth, a game that had been mostly a pitcher's duel turned into a mini hit parade. Ben Kabalch led off with a single, and Colin Lebel launched a dinger over the right-center field wall. Xavier Doon walked, Trey Campos singled, and a fielder's choice that was bobbled loaded the bases. Doon came home on Reid Downs' sacrifice fly. Keegan Haesler ripped a two-run single. He would be caught stealing to end the inning; however, the damage had been done as Chesapeake streaked to a 7-2 lead. Portland had one last chance, and Ryden Nakamura started things off with a blast over the wall for a solo homerun. Aiden Parker retired the next two batters with a strikeout and a groundout, which put him over the pitch count limit, and Ty Woods came in from the bullpen. The question now was, with a pitching change, which way would momentum swing? Woods wasted no time answering. He used three pitches to get Kaino Santiago to ground into a 6-3 (shortstop to first base), which put out to end the game and give Chesapeake a 7-3 victory that punched their ticket to the championship game and eliminated Portland.
Portland, Oregon scored 3 runs, had 7 hits, made 1 error, and left 4 runners on base. Chesapeake, Virginia scored 7 runs, had 11 hits, committed 1 error, and left 6 runners on base. In this game, Portland was the tournament's highest scoring team with 35 runs. They had also hit the most home runs. Aiden Parker had the right stuff tonight as he shut down the offensive juggernaut of Oregon. He performed well on the mound as he faced 27 batters and threw 107 pitches in 6 2/3 innings pitched. He gave up 3 runs, off 6 hits, gave up no walks, struck out 8, and threw only one wild pitch. They will play at 7 pm Tuesday in the national championship game of the 2025 ALWS.
The game opened with both teams leaving two runners stranded. The second inning began like the first, with Bossier City stranding two runners again. League City got on the board first in the bottom of the inning when Noah Paulson hit a solo homerun to give them a 1-0 lead. It looked like they would add to that, leaving two stranded. Hudson Brignac drilled a 376-foot solo homer off the first pitch of the third inning. Brock Laird would not be outdone; he knocked out a 379-foot four-bagger to put Bossier City up 2-1. League City tied the game at the bottom of the inning. Asa Sampson reached home before the ball, Ronald Rouse bounced one over the head of the shortstop. Parker Collier gave them a 3-2 lead as he scored off a single hit by Conner Keys. The bottom of the fourth was just what League City hoped for, as they added four runs to go ahead 7-2. They accomplished this by Ronald Rouse batting in Jackson Higgins, and then the real damage was done by Parker Collier's bat—a three–run homer that cleared the bases. Bossier City began to fight back. Hudson Brignac hit a single and scored when Abel Thetford singled. Case Jorden tripled to drive in Thetford and Griffin Sibley. Kade Bryant came in to pinch hit and drove in Jorden with a single. Bossier City had chipped away at the League City lead, now 7-6.
In the bottom of the fifth, they extended their lead again to 9-6 as Tyler Sauers and Jarret Williams were able to score, which was a crazy start to the top of the sixth. Cole Snell struck out, but the catcher could not handle the pitch, and Snell reached safely. A throwing error and he continues to second base. Hudson Brignac doubled to left-center field, scoring Snell. Brignac is tagged out trying to reach third, but Bossier City cut the lead to 9-7. League City knew they needed to add some insurance runs. Conner Keys reached on a throwing error, scoring Noah Paulson from second. Tyler Sauers hit a double to right-center field that scored Keys. Jarret Williams reached on a throwing error, sending Sauers home. League City had extended the lead to 12-7, which would be the final score as Bossier City could not mount a comeback.
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