Lennox Post 174 Junior Legion claims Back-to-Back State Championships with dominant performance in Groton
Lennox Post 174 Junior Legion secured their second consecutive State B Junior Legion Championship title in Groton this past weekend with a series of commanding victories.
Lennox defeated Hitmen, Martin and Winner/Colome to take the title.
In the opening game of the tournament on Friday, Aug. 9 Lennox set the tone with a resounding 12-2 win over Hitmen Jr. Legion. Talen Eich led the charge, going a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, including two triples. His offensive onslaught began in the first inning with a single, followed by another single in the second, and culminated in triples in both the third and fifth innings.
Lennox wasted no time establishing their dominance, scoring five runs in the first inning thanks to Eich’s leadoff single, followed by key hits from Cole Spieler and Jack Aasheim. The momentum continued into the second inning with two more runs driven in by a sacrifice fly from Sam Bambas and a single by Gabe Veurink.
The third inning saw Lennox extend their lead further, as Eich’s triple brought in two more runs, and Mason Reischl followed with an RBI single. Pitching was equally strong, with Jackson Anacker starting the game and allowing just one hit over two innings while striking out four. Relievers Nate Haar, Reischl, and Eich each delivered shutout innings, securing the win. Haar recorded four strike-outs, Eich two and Reischl one.
Eich led with four hits in the game, Spieler, Reischl, and Aasheim each managed two and Jaxson Bittner, Griffen Boomgarden, and Veurink each had one.
Lennox continued their winning ways in the second game of the tournament, defeating Martin Post 240 Jr. with an 8-1 score on Saturday, Aug. 10.
Once again, Lennox struck early, with Spieler and Veurink each crossing the plate in the first inning. Eich’s double and Spieler’s single in the second inning extended the lead to 4-0 for Post 174. Lennox scored two more runs in the top of the sixth and an additional two in the top of the seventh to secure the win.
Spieler and Veurink led the bat attack with three hits each in the game. Spieler recorded two RBIs and Veurink one. Recording two hits were Bittner and Eich. Eich led the team in RBIs with three in the game. Jackson Anacker and Aasheim each had one hit.
Spieler dominated on the mound for Lennox, striking out eight over seven innings and allowing just one run.
The win put Lennox in the Championship game, facing off against Winner/Colome on Sunday, Aug. 11. Following a slight rain delay, the Lennox Jr. Legion capped off their perfect tournament run with a 5-2 victory over Winner/Colome, clinching their back-to-back state titles.
Lennox got off to a quick start, taking the lead in the first inning when Mason Reischl singled to drive in the game’s first run. Their momentum continued in the third inning as Reischl struck again with another single, followed by a run scored due to an error by Winner/Colome, extending Lennox’s lead to 3-0.
Winner/Colome answered back with two runs in the bottom of the third and the score would remain 3-2 until Lennox put two more on the board in the top of the seventh with a key hit by Eich, giving them a 5-2 lead and eventual victory.
On the mound, Anacker delivered a strong performance for Lennox, allowing just two runs on seven hits over seven innings. He struck out seven and walked two, keeping Winner/Colome at bay.
Reischl and Eich were instrumental once again for Lennox at bat, each getting three hits for Lennox driving in one run. Also earning a hit in the game were Anacker, Haar and Aasheim. The team’s patience at the plate paid off, with Lennox drawing seven walks throughout the game. Bittner, Haar, and Spieler each earned two walks, further putting pressure on Winner/Colome’s defense.
For his outstanding performance, Eich earned State B Junior Player of the Year MVP award and the State B Junior Tournament Big Stick Award.
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