Thursday’s rainout at the Virginia American Legion Baseball tournament didn’t slow the momentum that Albemarle Post 74 had built up, it merely delayed the inevitable.
When it was all said and done, four games over four days, Albemarle put up 51 runs, its opponents scored just five. After Post 74 picked up a 12-1 win over Danville Post 325 all it had to do was win one of the next two possible games. The District 13 champions didn’t squander the opportunity as they squared up with Danville once again, and once again the results spoke for themselves, a 9-0 win and the lone bid to advance to the Southeast Region Tournament next week in Asheboro, North Carolina.
“We finally did it, we finally won this thing,” said Mike Maynard. “We were starting to feel like the Buffalo Bills for a while there but we finally got it done. It’s been like a dream.”
The tournament victory is the first ever in Post 74’s history and the run will be remembered for a long time in Legion lore given the way Albemarle mowed through its four opponents, 14-2 against Vienna Post 180 on Tuesday, 16-2 against Roanoke Post 3 on Wednesday and then 12-1 and 9-0 to Danville on Friday.
“I don’t know if this the most talented team we’ve put together but this is the team with best chemistry we’ve ever had,” Maynard said. “I know I’m beating a dead horse on this, but it starts with the leadership. Connor Lilley and Jordan Gentry set the tone and guys like Lonnie Dillard and Ryan Morris followed in their steps.”
In game one on Friday against Danville, Ty Pittman took to the mound and threw a complete 7-inning game, striking out seven batters and giving up the lone earned run. Paving the way offensively was Austin Batten who went 3 for 4 with a double and three RBI. Morris was 2 for 3 with 3 RBI fueled by a home run. Keegan Woolford added a 2 for 3 day with two RBI and two runs scored.
The second game saw Batten, Jeff Early and Dustin Knight combine to pitch a nine inning shutout. Batten threw seven innings with the latter two picking up in the eighth and ninth respectively. Batten threw just 78 pitches but struck out six batters. At the plate Gentry went 3 for 3 with a pair of stolen bases and two runs scored. Dillard was 2 for 3 with a double and two RBI. Josh Gibson finished 2 for 4 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored.
In the end, it was a picturesque performance in all phases of the game as there were very few errors, very few runs scored against and a whole lot of hitting.
“We got four great starts from Jack Maynard, Austin Turner, Ty Pittman and Austin Batten,” Maynard said. “We played outstanding defense and at the plate we won with a lot of small ball, laying down bunts, guys executing when they needed two.”
Batten showcased himself well by recording just three outs in the four games to finish 11 for 14 with seven RBI and six runs scored. After earning the win on the mound, he was named tournament MVP during the trophy presentation. Of the 17 players on the Albemarle roster, 10 came in with state tournament experience at the VHSL or VISAA level. Eight of those are the William Monroe players that won the Group A Division 2 championship in 2012 and made the quarterfinals again this past year. Gibson was a member of the St. Anne’s-Belfield team that won the VISAA Division 1 title in 2011. Lilley helped Monticello make it to the Group AA quarterfinals in 2012. Those ten paired with the other athletes from Orange, Albemarle, Western Albemarle and United Christian Academy made for an interesting mix.
“All of our kids, they came along become a unique group, they put all the high school rivalries beside,” Maynard said. “It was just really good to see them come together. They all stayed in the same hotel, they got along. Yesterday during the rain out they went and saw a movie and just goofed around. The chemistry has been just amazing.”
Albemarle will resume practicing on Monday before they head down to Asheboro on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. in the SE Region tournament. There they will face the state champion out of Florida.
