Back to Back Playoff Walk-offs for Post 14
July 20, 2024
• Needham’s Legion Baseball Team opened the District Playoffs with two wins at home.
In the District 6 Legion Baseball 2024 regular season, Needham’s Post 14 went a perfect 16-0, giving them the top seed and a bye in the District Playoffs. That also guaranteed two home games at Memorial Park during the Carnival weekend, both which Needham won in walk-off fashion on two beautiful summer nights.
But neither win was easy, as Post 14 blew leads in both games. On Friday night, July 19th, Needham went to extra innings, beating Foxboro 4-3 thanks to Nolan Bibbo’s RBI single scoring Will Saratella. This came after Foxboro had come back from a 3-1 deficit in the 7th inning to tie it at three.
The District tournament is a double elimination format, with the first two rounds hosted at the higher seed and the next three days all in Quincy. With their victory over Foxboro, Needham would then host Franklin on Saturday, July 20th. Post 14 would take a 9-2 lead by the second inning, but that lead vanished after giving up five runs in the 6th and two more in the 7th.
Luckily, they rebounded in the bottom of the 7th, thanks to an infield single hit by Alex Giancola. Saratella would beat out the throw home to win the game for Needham, after he had singled to leadoff the inning, a huge turn around for the outfielder, who had struck out each of the previous three times up against Franklin.
After Franklin scored in the top of the first, Needham plated two in the bottom of the inning, to take a 2-1 lead to the second. There, Post 14 got singles from Liam Field, Bibbo, Adam Hess and Jack Mulka, as well as doubles from Connor Falahee and Charlie Ledbury. But the bats went silent for five innings after that.
Bibbo started the game, but was followed by Thomas Buckley, then Jude Andrews, who struggled in the 6th, giving up five runs. Even James Ko couldn’t stop Franklin from tying the game in the 7th, giving up a single and a two run home run that tied it at seven apiece.
Despite those struggles, Post 14 dusted themselves off and still reached the finish line with a win, advancing them to the Sunday Winners Bracket Final, where they knocked off Hyde Park, 7-4. Needham advances to the overall final on Tuesday at 5:30pm. The Consolation winner would have to beat the Winners Bracket team twice in order to take the District title, with a second game starting at 8pm. Win or lose, Needham will also advance to the State Tournament in Worcester, beginning July 27th, as both the Winners Bracket and Consolation Bracket champions advance.
Be sure to check out our Needham Channel broadcasts from both games at: needhamchannel.org.
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