Mount Airy reaches Legion World Series

Originally published August 11, 2009 By Staff Reports News-Post Staff

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Mount Airy 's Gold Star Post 191 American Legion Baseball team wasn't thinking about the postseason a few weeks ago, much less winning a regional championship and going to the American Legion World Series. The team figured it would end its season in second place in the Western Maryland District behindFrederick 's Francis Scott Key Post 11. But a decision to send the district's second-place team to the state tournament gave Mount Airy a postseason life. On Monday, two weeks after winning the state crown, Mount Airy completed an improbable run through the Middle Atlantic Regional Tournament with a 9-1 win over Mount Laurel in the championship game at West Virginia University's Hawley Field. "I had no idea this would happen," Mount Airymanager George Richardson said. "I knew we had a decent team in the beginning, but you just never know what's going to happen." There's little time to rest. The American Legion World Series begins Friday at Fargo, N.D., facing Festus, Mo. in an opening-round game. "We get on a plane in Pittsburgh and fly out Wednesday," Richardson said. The national American Legion Baseball committee takes charge of the transportation and housing of the players for the World Series, Richardson said. No county legion team had won a regional championship until Monday. FSK Post 11 was runner-up in the 1965 regionals. "One thing's for sure, this is a great experience for the players," Richardson said. Mount Airy (38-15) pounded out 15 hits against Mount Laurel on its way to avenging an 11-9 loss in Saturday's winner's bracket championship. Larson Kimble was named most valuable player of the tournament, going 12-for-25 through six games. He had three hits with three RBIs against Mount Laurel. "I just can't describe (the feeling) right now," Kimble said. "It hasn't sunk in just yet." Kimble made a key defensive play, snagging an over-the-shoulder deep drive to center field in the fifth inning, taking away a potential game-breaking extra-base hit. Kimble said his teammates directed him as he chased down the deep drive. "I knew where I was in relation to the center-field wall," he said. "I knew I had room to make the catch." Brian Paulhus and Alex Anwar had three hits. Jason Driver had two hits with three RBIs and Taylor Henry had two hits. Jason Naugler was the winning pitcher. The Gold Star post rebounded with an 18-2 rout of South Richmond, N.J. Sunday to reach Monday's championship games. Mount Airy ousted perennial legion regional power Boyertown, Pa., 13-9, in a final elimination-round game Monday. Doug Anuszewski and Brian Paulhus were the power hitters in the win over Boyertown. Both had three hits with a home run and three RBIs. Anuszewski's homer was in the fifth. He also had a double. Paulhus homered in the first. Driver had three hits with a double. Jon Mahaffey had three hits. Mike Virbickis had three hits with a double.

Mt Airy Post 191 ~ 2009 American Legion Maryland State Champions

Congratulations to Mt Airy Post 191 for a successful tournament. Mt Airy will now play in the Mid Atlantic Regional Tournament in Morgantown West Virginia. For details, look for the link in the right side.

This is my last posting for the tournament. Thank you for stopping by.


The 2009 State Baseball Tournament is sponsored by Vietnam Veterans Memorial Post #295 and is currently being played at The University of Maryland's, Shipley Field, College Park, Maryland.

GAME NO.***TIME**************************PARTICIPANTS***********
Day # 1 Friday, July 24, 2008

Game # 1 9 AM La Plata Post 82 0 vs Wicomico Post 64 8

Game # 2 12:30 PM Frederick Post 11 34 vs Cumberland Post 13 3
Game # 3 4 PM Mt Airy Post 191 26 vs Pasadena Post 277 3
Game # 4 7:30 PM Gaithersburg Post 295 11 vs Gaithersburg Post 104 7

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Day # 2 Saturday, July 25, 2008

Game # 5 9 AM La Plata Post 82 10 vs Pasadena Post 2770
Game # 6 12:30 PM Cumberland Post 13 15 vs Gaithersburg Post 104 30


+++++++
Day # 3 Sunday July 26, 2008

Rain shortened Day 2. Game 7 will resume play at 9 AM


Game # 7 9 AM Wicomico Post 64 11 vs Mt Airy Post 191 14
NOTE: Rain Delay Bottom of the 8th Inning


Game # 8 Frederick Post 11 14 vs Gaithersburg Post 295 7


Game # 9 La Plata Post 82 15 vs Gaithersburg Post 104 13


Game # 10 Gaithersburg Post 295 15 vs Wicomico Post 642


Game # 11 Mt Airy Post 191 11 vs Frederick Post 11 3
(Game #11 Concluded at 11:40pm)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Day # 4 Monday, July 27, 2008

Game # 12 Gaithersburg Post 104 9 vs Frederick Post 11 8(The State Baseball Committee changed the game time to 11 am to accomodate the lateness of the game)


Start time 2:45pm
Game # 13 Gaithersburg Post 295 6 vs Mt Airy Post 191 8

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Day # 5 Tuesday, July 28, 2008


Championship Game
Game # 14 10 AM Gaithersburg Post 104 0 vs Mt Airy Post 191 16


2009 State Champions: MT Airy Post 191


Follow the link on the right for Mid Atlantic Information.

Hosts with the most: Post 295

Tuesday, July 28, 2009 by James Peters | Staff Writer Gazette.net

Legion team focuses on more than just defending title

As host of the 2009 Maryland State American Legion baseball tournament, Gaithersburg Post 295 manager Rick Price found himself with many more duties than just defending his program's state championship.

The event began Friday and was to conclude with Tuesday's championship game, which ended too late to be included in this edition. But before the first pitch was thrown at the University of Maryland's Shipley Field, Price knew all the extra work was worth it.

"It's exciting for me," said Price. "The first morning, the first two teams walked in — Wicomico [Post 64] and LaPlata [Post 82] — and the kids' eyes light up. They were excited to play on the field. I knew then this was the right place. It made the tournament for me. I think they're having a blast. How often do you get to play on an ACC field?"

Post 295, the only American Legion Post to host a Maryland state tournament without its own home field, secured Shipley with the cooperation of the former Terrapins baseball staff. That commitment was upheld despite a coaching change from Terry Rupp to Erik Bakich, who has since offered Shipley Field on a permanent basis.

"The ex-coach, Terry Rupp, was the first one to get it started and Jeremy Menna [Maryland's Director of Grounds] has done the leg work for the whole tournament," Price said.

The whole Post 295 community has also chipped in to help run the five-day, eight-team tournament. Players' parents help manage the concession stand and ticket sales each day, going late into the night because of rain and lengthy games.

Sharing the day-to-day operations duties with Price is Montgomery County Commander Bob Ouellette of Post 295. Ouellette produced the tournament program, announced lineups for most games and used his grill to cook up hot dogs for the concession stand.

"To be able to host two state tournaments in a relatively short time [the other in 2003 at Shirley Povich field] is a pretty big honor," Ouellette said. "They felt well enough of us to allow us to have it again. … The hardest thing is getting people out to volunteer their time, but we're very appreciative of those volunteers that have come out for the tournament."

Besides concession and ticket duties, Gaithersburg Post 295 is also responsible for housing and feeding teams from 50 miles or more away, in this case, Wicomico Post 64 and Cumberland Post 13.

As part of the festivities, former Washington Senators Jim Coates and Chuck Hinton threw out the first pitch before Post 295's game against Gaithersburg Post 104 on Friday night.

Coates pitched for the New York Yankees from 1956-1962. The '56 team, which defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers for the World Series title, included Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Phil Rizzuto and Don Larsen. Hinton played 11 years for the Senators, Cleveland Indians and California Angels.

Gaithersburg Post 295 received a temporary charter on April 15, 1983, and that same year, Price began the baseball program. Post 295 earned permanent status on December 7, 1984, and captured its first county championship in 1990. Gaithersburg has since won nine county crowns and three state championships, in 2003, '04 and '08.

Defending champions dethroned

Tuesday, July 28, 2009 by James Peters | Staff Writer Gaithersburg Gazette

Defending champions dethroned

Gaithersburg Post 295's reign as the Maryland State American Legion champions came to an end Monday afternoon.

Trailing 6-4 going into the bottom of the eighth inning, Mount Airy Post 191 rallied for four runs en route to an 8-6 victory at the University of Maryland's Shipley Field, ending defending champion Gaithersburg's 2009 campaign.

Mount Airy will now face Gaithersburg Post 104 in Tuesday's final. Post 191 is undefeated in the tournament, and Post 104 (21-11) will have to beat it twice to win the state crown. The first game is set for 10 a.m. Tuesday, to be followed by a second if needed.

Post 295, the Montgomery Division champions, finished the season with a 28-7 record.

"It was just a matter of time before they got some timely hits and put some runs up there," Gaithersburg manager Rick Price said. "They're a good hitting team; that's what good hitting teams do. They eventually get you."

After seven solid innings of pitching from Tyler Klitsch, just back from vacation, Price handed the ball to reliever Brian Black in the bottom of the eighth with Post 295 up a pair of runs. Leadoff batter Larson Kimble worked a walk to start the inning and then Brian Peuthus tried to bunt him over to second base. Black quickly grabbed the bunt and threw to second in time to get Kimble, but the field umpire called Kimble safe, ruling that shortstop Tyler Ewing was off the bag.

"I just picked up the ball and threw to Tyler," Black said. "It looked like he was definitely there on the base and then he pulled off to look at first. I guess with the cloud of dust and the slide, the umpire just couldn't see his foot on the base. …

"It's just disappointing something like that would hurt our chances. We had chances all game to score runs and get more insurance, but to have their rally started on that kind of play hurts."

Jake Ringold followed with a sacrifice bunt to move Kimble to third and Peuthus to second. Doug Anuszewski then singled to left field to cut the lead to 6-5. Jason Driver, who was hitless on the day, then drove a pitch to left center field after what appeared to be strike three to drive in the tying run. Two batters later, Taylor Henry put Post 191 ahead for good with a two-run single to center field.

The loss diminished a strong outing by Klitsch, who allowed just two earned runs in his seven innings of work. He struck out four and walked two.

"His command was the best it's been all year," Price said. "That's the best hitting team in the tournament, including Frederick [Post 11]. And he held them. He just ran out of gas."

The contest started out in a back-and-forth fashion with Post 295 scoring first in the top of the first inning on a bases-loaded walk by Gary Schneider. Post 11 answered back with two runs in the bottom of the second inning, scoring on a combination of an error, a well-placed bunt single and a fielder's choice.

Gaithersburg rallied for the lead again in the top of the third with four runs, on a Nick Loftus single, a Schneider double and a two-run single by Josh Mendelson. Frederick trimmed the lead to 5-4 with two runs in the third on a two-base error and a single by Alex Anwar.

Post 11 looked poised to add some runs in the fourth with runners on second and third with one out but Anuszewski lined out and Klitsch struck out Driver. Gaithersburg then extended the lead to 6-4 on a single to left field by Ewing that scored Zach Skellchock in the top of the fifth.

Post 295 stranded eight runners in the final five innings and were caught stealing twice.

Mount Airy Legion battles into state title game

From the FREDERICK NEWS POST: Originally published July 28, 2009 From Staff Report

COLLEGE PARK -- Mount Airy is one win away from capturing the American Legion Baseball Maryland State Tournament title. Mount Airy stayed unbeaten in the tournament and advanced to the championship with an 8-6 win over Gaithersburg Post 295 on Monday. Mount Airy faces Gaithersburg Post 104 -- which eliminated Frederick with a 9-8 win Monday -- in the championship game at 10 a.m today. Mount Airyneeds just one win to earn the state title. If Gold Star Post 191 loses its first game, there will be another game after that Monday to determine the champion. So far, losing hasn't been an issue for Mount Airy . In the completion of a suspended game against Wicomico on Sunday, Mount Airy erased a five-run deficit to send the game into extra innings. And trailing 11-10 with two outs in the bottom of the 10th, Gold Star Post 191 used Jake Ringold's grand slam to pull out a 14-11 win. Later that day, Mount Airy got a 10-3 victory over Frederick , its Western Maryland District rival that had gone 24-0 in league play during the regular season. Mount Airy 8, Gaithersburg Post 295 6 Trailing 6-4 heading into the bottom of the eighth, Mount Airy rallied for four runs to take command. Taylor Henry and Alex Anwar each had two hits and two RBIs, and Mike Virbickis had two hits. Reliever Alec Rogness earned the win. Gaithersburg Post 104 9, Frederick 8 Post 104 scored six runs in the first inning and went on to eliminate Frederick . Brady Wilson, Jimmy Lanning and Brent DeHaven each had two hits and one RBI for Frederick . Frederick 14, Gaithersburg Post 295 7 Frank Zier had a homer, double and four RBIs to help Frederick win. Nick Meekins had four hits, including a triple. Wilson had three hits, including a triple and double, and three RBIs. Ian Hahn had two hits and three RBIs, and Lanning had two hits with a double and two RBIs. Mount Airy 10, Frederick 3 Brian Paulhus had three hits, including a double, for Mount Airy . Jason Driver had a triple and three RBIs. Hank Adams had three hits, including a homer, and two RBIs for FSK Post 11. Jimmy King and DeHaven doubled.

Gaithersburg Produces 2 in the Final Four

by James Peters Staff Writer

Gaithersburg Post 104 has kept the Shipley Field scoreboard operator busy the past couple of days.

One day after punishing Cumberland Post 13 for 30 runs, Post 104 roughed up LaPlata Post 82 for 13 more, on 14 hits, for a 13-8 victory Sunday and spot in the final four of the Maryland State American Legion baseball tournament at the University of Maryland.

Post 104 (20-11) plays Frederick Post 11 at 11 a.m. Monday. The other contest, slated for half an hour after that, pits Gaithersburg Post 295 (28-6) against Mount Airy Post 191.

"We hit the ball today," Post 104 coach Alfie Riley said. "The guys came out hitting. Up and down the lineup, we hit the ball. We're into Monday and we still have a little bit of pitching left. I think we can at least get through another game and figure it out if we get to Tuesday."

Catcher Ben Silverman paced Gaithersburg's attack with two home runs, two doubles and four runs batted in on the day. Tim Riley added a couple of RBI as well for Post 104, which opened up a 6-2 lead through three innings and continued to pull away by scoring at least one run in eight of the nine innings, including four in the fifth.

"I felt good at the plate," said Silverman, who was jokingly given a bunt sign each at-bat by Alfie Riley. "Lucky day. I don't know. A career day. We all are crushing the ball. It was a good day for us."

The same could be said for Gaithersburg Post 295, which took out some pent-up frustration from a loss early Sunday in a 15-2, seven-inning shellacking of Wicomico Post 64. That victory came after Post 295 fell, 14-7, to Frederick in a rain make-up from the night before.
The first game was a rematch of last year's final. Post 295 trailed by just a run, 6-5, through five innings but Post 11 produced eight runs in the seventh and eighth innings to pull away. Gaithersburg showed no ill-effects from that loss, however, scoring three runs in the first inning against Wicomico, including a two-run home run by Matt Civetti.

Post 295 added two runs in the second, one in the third, three in the fourth and six in the fifth. Gaithersburg banged out 17 hits and every starter had at least one, including Nick Karis (3 for 5, two runs, RBI), Mike Ryan (2 for 4, double, two RBI), Gary Schneider (3 for 3, three runs, three RBI) and Chris Rados (3 for 4, two doubles, two RBI).

"We saw a lot of Salisbury yesterday and we knew they were out of pitching pretty much," said Rados of Wicomico, which lost a suspended game from Saturday night, 14-10, in 10 innings on a walk-off grand slam with two outs early Sunday morning. "I think everything came together today and I think losing to Frederick kind of [ticked] us off a little bit. There's always been a big rivalry between us and Frederick."

While Post 295 was pounding Wicomico starter Daniel Trivits, Gaithersburg starter Nick Karis limited Post 64 to a pair of runs in the fourth inning and just two hits overall in a complete-game effort. Karis was making his third appearance on the mound this summer. Post 295 manager Rick Price decided to give Karis the ball on a recommendation by long-time assistant coach Clint Davenport.

"I worked on my change-up a lot," said Karis, who learned of his start 20 minutes before the late afternoon game was to start. "That was getting them swinging and missing and when it wasn't that, the curveball had them. I would get a groundball."

Pasadena eliminated in legion tournament

By JAMES PETERS For The Capital Published 07/26/09

Post 277 battered by LaPlata, 10-0

COLLEGE PARK - Pasadena Post 277's stay at this weekend's Maryland State American Legion baseball tournament was both short and painful.

Playing with a shortened and weary pitching staff because of injuries and a late rush of regular season games, Post 277 (17-11) fell 26-5 in seven innings to Mount Airy Post 191 Friday and followed with a 10-0 loss in seven innings to LaPlata Post 82 (25-6) yesterday morning at the University of Maryland's Shipley Field, bouncing it from the eight-team, double-elimination tournament.

Unlike Friday's contest, Post 277 trailed just 4-0 through five innings but a three-run explosion, sparked by a two-run home run by Mark Anderson gave LaPlata a commanding 7-0 lead. That proved to be far more than Pasadena could overcome as its bats were quieted by Post 82 starter Mike Bowden.

"The bats just didn't start up today," Pasadena manager Joe Wright said. "No idea why. As John Madden says, 'Don't score, don't win.' It's hard. We were a little flat today offensively."
Bowden (4-1), who went the distance, was one the main reason why the Saints were held to just three hits as he struck out seven and faced the minimum three batters in four innings of his seven innings, including the seventh.

"He threw the ball hard," said Robey, who finished the tournament with three hits, two runs and two walks in six official at-bats in his final legion season. "We just couldn't catch up with it. We haven't seen pitching that fast all year. It was upper 80s."

Post 82 struck first in the top of the inning, scoring a run on an infield hit by Austin Barefoot with the bases loaded. Steve Smoot fielded the ball cleanly at shortstop but he had to range deep in the hole to make the stop.

LaPlata added three more in the third inning on a three-run home run over the right field fence by the lefty swinging J.B. Sapienza on a one-ball, two-strike pitch from Robey. Kyle Beckett singled and Mark Anderson walked to set up Sapienza's three-run shot.

Robey, who pitched four innings during the regular season, settled down and worked three straight outs in the third and kept LaPlata scoreless until the sixth inning when Beckett laced a single to left field to bring home Brandon Thomas for a 5-0 lead. Anderson followed with his two-run home run over the center field fence for a 7-0 advantage to chase Robey in favor of Kyle Bush.

Post 277 had a chance to get back into the game in the bottom of the sixth inning, loading the bases with none down but LaPlata shortstop Jordan McGraner caught a line drive by Steve Smoot and stepped on second for a double play. After Angelo Archie walked, Scott Arndt struck out to leave the bases full.

"That was huge," Bowden said. "He's been a shortstop for us for four years and he always makes plays like that. That was huge."

Post 82 tagged on three more runs in the seventh inning for the final 10-0 advantage. McGraner knocked in a run with a single, Beckett doubled in a run and McGraner scored on a double steal.