PENDER – With two state tournament spots locked heading into Tuesday’s Senior American Legion baseball final, the right to be crowned Class C Area 2 champion was on the line.
Back at the David Nitzschke Memorial Field in Pender for a fifth straight night, the host #1 Pender Post 55 took on #4 Wakefield Post 81.
Pender used a plus six-run advantage in the third and fourth innings to secure a 9-4 victory over Wakefield. The Wakefield Seniors fell to 14-15.
Wakefield Post 81 took the early 1-0 lead after the first inning and both teams scored a run in the second. Pender then used a 4-1 advantage in the third and added three runs in the fourth to build an 8-3 lead. Both teams also scored a run in the fifth. Final favored Pender Post 55 winning 9-4 and winning the hit department, 6-3.
Tanner Thompson and Jesse Lundahl both singled and drove in a run while Jacob Birkley singled and scored for Wakefield.
Mason Lamprecht accounted for a RBI as single runs came from Cade Johnson, Johnny Birkley and Timothy Kaufman.
Johnny Birkley (91 pitches) suffered the loss in four innings allowing eight runs (five earned) off four hits while striking out three batters, walking five and hitting one. Cael Johnson (33) worked the final two innings allowing one run off two hits while striking out one batter and walking two.
Pender will represent Area 2 as the champion as Wakefield has earned the automatic qualifying spot being the host site for the Class C Senior American Legion baseball state tournament set for Saturday, August 3 – Wednesday, August 7 from Eaton Field.
Unofficial state bracket:
Area 1 – Crofton Post 128 vs. Area 6 – Albion Cornerstone Bank Post 162
Area 2 – Pender Post 55 vs. Area 5 – Palmer-Wolbach-Greeley Post 120/236/186
Area 4 – Malcolm Post 354 vs. Area 7 – Imperial Horns Post 304
Host – Wakefield Post 81 (Area 2 runner-up) vs. Area 3 – Tecumseh Post 2.
