Despite already clinching their division, Tupelo Post 49 didn’t let up in the final game of the weekend.
Tupelo (Miss.) Post 49 completed an unbeaten run through the Stripes Division with a 6-2 victory over the Fairfield (Calif.) Expos in Game 12 to complete pool play in the 2026 American Legion World Series at Keeter Stadium in Shelby, N.C.
Tupelo had already wrapped up the top seed in the division before Sunday night's finale and Fairfield also knew it had no choice of advancing to Monday's semifinals.
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PHOTO 1: Dallas West and Gibby Gibson of the Fairfield, Calif. Expos look for a fly ball. PHOTO 2: Jacob Matthews of Tupelo, Miss. Post 49 at bat. PHOTO 3: Jack Armstrong of the Fairfield, Calif. Expos throws to first. PHOTO 4: Eli McDaniels of Tupelo, Miss. Post 49 makes a catch. PHOTO 5: Aiden Simons of the Fairfield, Calif. Expos at bat. PHOTO 6: Pitcher Aidan Strong of Tupelo, Miss. Post 49. Photos by Chet Strange
Post 49 scored early and often in taking the victory in which it used seven different pitchers one inning apiece.
Tupelo advances to play Stars Division runner-up Portland (Ore.) Post 158 at 4 p.m. on Monday with Stars Division champion Midland (Mich.) Post 165 meeting Stripes Division runner-up Lincoln (Neb.) Carpet Land Post 500 in the other semifinal at 7 p.m.
Monday's winners play Tuesday night at 6 p.m. for the 2026 ALWS title.
In Sunday's pool play finale, Colin Flurry's RBI single and a wild pitch gave Tupelo a 2-0 lead after the top of the first inning.
Post 49 (27-5-1) added a run in the third inning on Eli McDaniels' home run and three more in the fifth on Ethan Cates' RBI double and Wyatt McDaniels' two-run home run.
On the mound, Tupelo started Aidan Strong and used relievers Jax Coker, Will Moody, J.P. Enis, Eli McDaniels, Cooper Goff and Kadin Bennett to combine on a five-hit shutout.
Fairfield (40-25-1), which used a dramatic rally to win the Western Regional and advance to the ALWS, scored its runs on Dylan Eddings' two-run home run in the seventh inning.
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