SOUTH YARMOUTH — Behind 5-4 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning in last night’s District 10 American Legion baseball playoff battle at Merrill “Red” Wilson Field, Barnstable Post 206’s Jake Gleason provided a giant boost of hope with a solo home run to tie it at 5-5 against the tough Wareham Post 220 squad.
He then duplicated that magic in the bottom of the seventh inning with a one out, walk-off grand slam for the game-winner.
The Barnstable Post 206 American Legion baseball team came from behind to capture its second straight playoff win last night, thanks to two homers from Jake Gleason and brilliant relief from Jackson Badot.
Photo courtesy of Post 206
Gleason went 3-5 on the evening with six RBI and with his slugging exploits almost single-handedly propelled Barnstable Post 206 into tonight’s contest against the Hawkeye Athletic Club of East Bridgewater, the 2015 West Division regular season champions. Tonight’s game is set for 5:00 pm at Strong Field in East Bridgewater.
Gleason’s thunder overshadowed a brilliant relief pitching performance from southpaw Jackson Badot who went 4 2/3 innings and was the fourth pitcher Barnstable Post 206 used in the game. He struck out two, walked none and allowed one run on three hits. It was Badot’s first career American Legion victory on the mound.
Barnstable staked Wareham three runs in a rocky first inning but the hosts steadily chipped away at Wareham Post 220’s lead, scoring one in the first when Drew Tardiff walked and stole second and third base and then scored on a Gleason single.
Wareham notched another run in the top of the second to make it 4-1, but Post 206 added another in the bottom of the inning with singles from Eric Holzman and Danny Crossen (2-2). Post 206 made it 4-3 in the third frame with a Drew Cochran single that bounced past the Wareham right-fielder to put Cochran on third. He then came home on a Gleason ground-out.
Post 206 tied it at 4-4 in the bottom of the the fifth inning when Mike Knell (2-4, double) led off with a single and then Badot was hit by a pitch to put men on first and second. Gary DiSarcina Jr. then sacrifice bunted both into scoring position. Wareham intentionally walked Holzman and then Crossen was plunked with a pitch to tie at it 4-4.
Wareham went ahead by one in the top of the sixth inning, 5-4, but Barnstable retaliated with Gleason’s first of two successive bombs. With the score tied at 5-5 and one man on in the top of the seventh inning, DiSarcina made a spectacular, over-the-head diving catch in centerfield to end the threat.
In the bottom of the seventh, Crossen led off with a single, was moved to second with a Micah Gregory sacrifice bunt and then Bobby Higgins was intentionally walked. Cochran singled between the shortstop and third baseman to load the bases with Crossen on third.
Gleason then crushed the second pitch he saw from Brett Salkind into the left-field trees.
In other Legion playoff action, Sandwich Post 188 advanced to face Kingston Post 387 tonight after defeating Plymouth Post 40, 8-0.
— Sean Walsh is the sports editor for www.capecod.com. His email is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachwalshccbm
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