Rockport Post 254 builds 5-run lead, holds on for 6-5 win over Lincoln Post 500.
After Rockport (Ind.) Post 254 had to come out of the loser’s bracket to win last week’s Great Lakes Regional in order to advance to the 2025 American Legion World Series, veteran head coach Jim Haaff wanted a strong start for his team in Shelby, N.C..
He got one as Post 254 took a comfortable early lead before holding on for a 6-5 win over Lincoln (Neb.) Post 500 in Game 1 of the 2025 ALWS on Friday.
The opening round of games were postponed from Thursday due to field conditions from a week of heavy rain, shuffling the ALWS schedule.
“We had some good stuff going on early in the game,” said Haaff, whose team built leads of 4-0 and 6-1.
But Lincoln (52-10), which endured flight delays just to get to Shelby on Tuesday, battled back with two runs apiece in the fifth and sixth innings.
Post 500 even got its leadoff runner aboard in the top of the seventh.
But reliever Bronson Pund coaxed a double play grounder and a fly ball to close out the win for starter Andersen Smith.
“He hasn't pitched a lot,” Haaff said of Pund. “He doesn’t throw as hard as the first guy and his stuff seemed to bother them a little. They were a little ahead of him.”
Smith went six innings, yielding five hits, five runs and three walks while striking out one for the victory. Pund picked up the save.
Rockport's offense was led by Braden Pruitt (2 hits, 1 RBI), Smith (double, 2 RBIs), Peyton Gray (RBI triple) and Jared Burger (1 hit, 1 RBI).
Post 254 (23-6) took a 1-0 lead in the second on Pruitt’s two-out RBI single, then tacked on three in the third on Smith’s RBI double, Gray’s RBI triple and Declan Lewko’s RBI groundout and two more in the fourth on Smith’s sacrifice fly and Burger’s bases-loaded walk.
Lincoln began chipping away in the fourth on Carter Harmes’ solo home run, then got closer on Dele Odulate’s RBI single and a throwing error in the fifth and on Lewis Cockle’s RBI single and Trevor Roach’s sacrifice fly in the sixth.
Rockport returns to action on Saturday at 1 p.m. against Portland (Ore.) Post 158 while Lincoln faces League City (Tex.) Post 554 at 7 p.m. in their respective second games of pool play.
“We did what we needed to do,” said Haaff. “Of course, in the previous tournament, we lost the opener 2-0 and won the rest of them so this is a little bit better start.”
- Baseball