After beating Pickerington Post 283 four consecutive times, including the first game during the best-out-of-three series in the district tournament, Post 11 was stunned and upset in the next two games as its season ended abruptly.
On Tuesday, at Beavers Field with Post 11 playing Athens Post 21 in the District 8, Region 6 District Tournament, Post 11 was able to gain some redemption, winning the first game, 1-0 in eight innings, and then secured their spot in the American Legion State Tournament with a 4-1 victory.
Post 11 entered Tuesday’s games on a high note after winning the 726 Western PA Invitational.
“We definitely had a chip on our shoulder after what happened last season, and it was great to see our guys come back and get it done,” Post 11 coach Dana Rowland said. “It wasn’t a lack of talent thing. We struggled a little, but this year’s group was coming off a great tournament. We put up 41 runs in six games and had a 1.47 ERA and then we held (Athens) to just one earned run. I am so happy for the kids that they get to experience the state tournament because it is such an electric environment.”
Coming together at the right time
Post 11’s pitching has been outstanding all season, and it was again against Athens. Matt Farmer, a Teays Valley graduate, pitched all eight innings in the 1-0 win, and Lancaster grad Dylan Bird went the distance in the second game.
“The pitchers and catchers have been phenomenal all year, and when the fielders have confidence in the pitchers, they play better,” Rowland said.
Rowland stressed to his players that all the games were a build-up to the district tournament with a focus on making the state tournament. Playing a tough schedule and in some big-time, out-of-town tournaments, prepared them for Tuesday’s district games against Athens.
“All summer long, it was just an intense practice to win the district and we got to play some intense games, especially this past weekend where we were in win-or-go-home games, and the kids performed great,” Rowland said. “It was set up to be in those high-pressure situations and we played in some tight games. We just kept the train rolling from this past weekend.”
Rowland is big on having good team chemistry and feels that is the key to having a championship team or a team that doesn’t reach its potential. This team gets along well together, and there is just a good vibe in the dugout.
“These kids have come together, and they have just got tighter and tighter as the season has gone a long, and it is neat to see the chemistry develop like it has,” Rowland said. “Because of that, they are having fun, and the more fun you have, the better you play, and the better you play, the more you win. These guys are buying into each other, they are confident in one another, and they are each other’s biggest fans. As coaches, we can’t ask for more. That’s what makes championship teams. It’s not always talent, it's chemistry, and that’s a huge factor.”
Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at twilson@gannett.com for comments or story tips. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @twil2323.
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