Post 225 Gets 10th W
By Mike Hume
Jason Cornwell pitched a complete game three-hitter and drove home what turned out to be the winning runs with a single in the bottom of the fourth inning, leading American Legion Post 225 to an 8-2 victory over Post 129 of Alexandria Tuesday.
A three-run seventh inning, keyed by an infield single that deflected off the Post 129 pitcher’s glove opened up an insurmountable lead for Post 225 who improved to 10-2 on the season to remain in third place in the standings.
“We don’t have the best pitching, but we’re steady and they keep us in the game,” Post 225 Head Coach Frank Solomon said. “The top six teams in the standings reach the playoffs and that’s been our goal, to be one of those six teams.”
Post 225 has made the playoffs for the past two seasons. Currently they only trail Post 24 and Post 1995 in the standings. Both teams have one loss.
Post 225 pulled ahead 2-1 in the top of the third when a double steal resulted in an errant throw by the Post 129 catcher. Post 129 rallied to tie the game in the top of the fourth to score on a fielder’s choice, but in the bottom half of the inning Cornwell singled up the middle with one out to drive in Edward Solomon and Brian Williamson, who lead off the inning with singles.
Still leading 4-2 in the bottom half of the seventh, Ryan Charles opened the frame with a double and later scored on a wild pitch. With runners on second and third, Nick Bonard reached on an infield single that deflected off the pitcher’s glove towards the second baseman, scoring Josh Bell. When the Post 129 second basemen casually pursued the deflected ball, Matt Walls sprinted home ahead of the throw for the third Post 225 run of the inning.
“We’ve got pretty solid hitting throughout the lineup,” Frank Solomon said of his team that finished with 13 hits in the game.
Tough pitching by Cornwell, and a spectacular diving stop by third baseman Francis Solomon with a runner on first and no one out in the bottom of the eighth squelched any hope for a Post 129 rally. Cornwell finished the game with five strikeouts while allowing three walks.
The team’s next game comes tonight at Oakton at 7 p.m.
Sunday, Cornwell, Francis Solomon, Charles and Kevin Zdancewicz will represent the team in the league All-Star game at Watersfield.
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