Leesburg stops Souderton’s Mid-Atlantic run
Virginia side rallies in 7th to end Post 234’s season
A fantastic season for Souderton came to an end two wins shy of the American Legion World Series as host Leesburg, Virginia scored four runs with two outs in the top of the seventh inning to rally past Post 234 for a 12-10 win in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Sunday afternoon at Fireman’s Field in Purcellville, Virginia.
Souderton, which trailed 5-0 after Leesburg plated four runs in the top of the third, took its first lead of the game by plating three runs in the bottom of the sixth — Dan Knechel putting Post 234 up 10-8 with a two-out, twoRBI double.
But Souderton could not shut the door in the seventh and Leesburg’s comeback in the seventh — capped by Justin Hanvey’s two-RBI single to break a 10-10 tie — sent it into the Mid-Atlantic championship game against Wilmington Post 1 Sunday night. That game’s winner advances to the American Legion World Series
in Shelby, North Carolina.
Souderton, the first BuxMont League team to reach the Mid-Atlantic regional since Doylestown in 2012, ends the season with a record of 31-7. Post 234 won the Bux-Mont tournament title, the Region 2 championship and finished second to Spring City at the Pennsylvania State Tournament.
With two outs and the bases loaded the top of the seventh, John Marquart scored on a wild pitch to pull Leesburg within 10-9. Connor Miller followed with an RBI single to knot the contest at 10. After a David Gingrass walk loaded the bases again, Hanvey provided the go-ahead hit with his tworun single.
Luke Taylor began the bottom of the seventh with a double but Souderton’s next three batter were retired in order.
Taylor finished 3-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Knechel went 2-for-3 with double, two RBIs and a run scored while Blaise Sclafani scored a pair of runs.
For Leesburg, Marquart was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and four runs scored while Hanvey went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Brandon Kelman had three RBIs and two runs scored while Cody Lockhart collected two RBIs.
Leesburg took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on Kelman’s bases-loaded walk then extend its advantage with a four-spot in the third. Marquart made it 3-0 with a two-RBI base hit. After another Kelman basesloaded walk, an RBI fielder’s choice by Cody Lockhart put the Virginia side up 5-0.
In the bottom of the fourth, a weather delay came with Souderton having loaded the bases with two outs. When play resumed, Post 234 plated two runs when Luke Shank reached on an error. Kyle Lennon then scored on a wild pitch to tie the game 5-5.
Leesburg regained the lead with three runs in the top of the fifth. Kelman and Lockhart brought home the first two runs on RBI singles while Kelman scored on a wild pitch for an 8-5 edge.
Souderton, however, cut the margin to 8-7 in the bottom of the inning after Sclafani scored on a wild pitch and a Taylor RBI single scored Knechel.
In the bottom of the sixth, after Post 234 loaded the bases with one out, Moses Clemens made it 8-8 with his RBI sac fly to score Shank. On the next atbat, Knechel connected on a two-out double to plate both Nolan Bolton and Sclafani and give Souderton a 10-8 edge.