St. Cloud Post 76 softball wins Legion state tourney in first season, sweeps awards

BEMIDJI – In their first year competing on the Legion circuit, the St. Cloud Post 76 Hype softball team won the state championship.

The team, consisting mostly of players from St. Cloud Cathedral’s varsity program, beat La Crescent Post 595 by a score of 3-2 in the finals July 28 at Bemidji’s city park. La Crescent managed just three hits against Hype pitcher Ella Voit, who is committed to play for the College of St. Benedict in the spring. The Cathedral Crusaders finished third place in the MSHSL Class 2A championship this spring led by Voit.

In the American Legion tournament St. Cloud Post 76 had the top rank and beat No. 2 Wadena in the opening round July 27. The team then beat Upsala Post 350 in the semifinal on the same day.

In the championship the next day, Voit also hit what became the game-winning RBI groundout that kept St. Cloud ahead in the top of the sixth. She scored Kiera Alexander running for Ellie Meyers who had tripled to start the inning.

Winning 3-1 in the bottom of the seventh, Voit got a quick strikeout but the next two players doubled and singled. After an error in the outfield, La Crescent suddenly was within a run and had a runner on second. But Voit didn’t let the rally snowball and got two four-pitch outs on a foul-ball popup to catcher Mekenna Buckentine and with a strikeout.

Voit ended the day with 10 strikeouts and zero walks in seven innings. She was named outstanding pitcher of the tournament, throwing three complete games and giving up only the two earned runs to La Crescent. She had 40 strikeouts compared to seven opposing hits.

First baseman Sam Dingmann had the Hype’s second RBI in the championship. She drove in Jordan Bovy with a one-out single in the fourth, and Post 76 scored later in the inning on a passed ball. Dingmann went 1-3 in the championship, same as third baseman Tayla Vought, who scored from third on a good read.

Vought was named outstanding player of the tournament, going 6-11 in three games with four doubles and a dinger. She scored three runs total.

After losing to St. Cloud, Upsala beat Melrose 4-0 in the third-place game.

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The third Minnesota American Legion softball season ended with the games but the Minnesota American Legion Fastpitch Softball Committee is considering making the tournament double elimination moving forward, according to The Minnesota Legionnaire.

Started in 2017 in North Carolina, the AL softball league has expanded to at least nine other states, including Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Legionaire reported there is interest for a future American Legion national softball tournament at some point in the future. The American Legion baseball league was founded in 1925 and 383 Minnesotan teams are listed on the organization's website, including more than a handful in central Minnesota. The league has a two-division system of sub-state and state tournaments leading up to the American Legion World Series held annually in August. Division 1 Sartell Post 277 was the only local team to advance to the state tournament, its third-straight trip to state ending August 2 in state pool play.

St. Cloud Post 76 Hype is currently the only local softball team, though many athletes from other area varsity teams play on travel clubs or with other sports during the summer.

Contct reporter Reid Glenn at rglenn@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: St. Cloud Post 76 softball wins Legion state tourney in first season, sweeps awards