'They left the program better than they found it:' Hudson Post 100's Bowen after World Series loss

The end came quicker than expected, but only eight teams across the country can say their season ended just two weeks before Labor Day.

Hudson Post 100's first-ever appearance at the American Legion World Series ended Saturday afternoon with a 12-3 loss to Fargo (North Dakota) Post 2. Hudson trailed 4-0 early and once again had a key moment slip away when they loaded the bases in the third inning. But a strikeout ended the frame before Fargo added three more runs in the bottom of the inning.

"We didn't get too many timely hits today, either," Post 100 manager Ryan Bowen said from Shelby, N.C., after the game. "We got a little bit of traffic (on the bases), but we didn't get enough home."

Chase Donahue had a pair of hits for Hudson and drove in a run with a double. Chase Barrett went 1-for-4, including a two-run single in the fifth. Garrett Mahoney, Anthony Skillings and Brendan O'Brien also had hits.

Post 2 was coming off a wild win Friday night/Saturday morning. Fargo defeated Troy, Alabama, 5-4, in 14 innings. The game, which was halted by an hour and 52 minutes due to heavy rain that started to fall before the bottom of the seventh, ended after 1 a.m. Saturday.

"We were up watching it," Bowen said. "We got smoked (with heavy rain)."

Hudson Post 100 is scheduled to leave Charlotte at 7:10 a.m. Sunday to return home for a summer that is just about to end. Bowen choked up when asked if he had time to process the team's unprecedented run through the playoffs, which included the program's first Regional title last weekend and first trip to States without serving as the host team.

"We had 10 guys that just played their last game in our uniform," he said. "They left the program better than they found it. That's for sure. The team means a lot to the town, the team means a lot to their families - as showcased by the support that we got when we came down here.

"I think (the players) appreciated (the experience). I think they'll appreciate it more the older they get."

Bowen, Post 100's coach since 2017 who played for the team more than a decade ago, summed up the season by saying, "going into the year, you never expect to play as long as we did. Usually you're done in the middle of July and you get the rest of the summer to do what you want. But I'd choose this a 100 times out of 100, especially with the group that we had."

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: 'They left the program better than they found it:' Hudson Post 100's Bowen after World Series loss