​Wayne Newton Post 346 went 1-1 in the American Legion baseball tournament held in Crawfordsville on Thursday. In the opening game of the day, Post 346 fell 8-2 to Lafayette Post 11. Lafayette Post 11 broke open the scoring early, putting up two runs in each of the first two innings to take a 4-0 lead. They added four more runs in the bottom of the fifth, making it 8-0. Post 346 battled back with a tally in each of the top halves of the sixth and seventh innings, but could not overcome the deficit, ending the game 8-2.
Derrick Morrison took the mound for five innings, allowing six hits and three runs while recording one strikeout. Parker Higham pitched one inning and fanned two hitters. Offensively, Parker Weir collected two hits, Linden Jenkins contributed a hit and the team’s lone RBI, and Colten Moore delivered a triple and scored a run. Dom Barnhart and Tyler Lawson added doubles as part of the offense.
In the second game of the day, Post 346 earned a 1-0 victory over Rantoul Post 387. The only run of the game came in the bottom of the fifth inning, when Lawson drove in the run with an RBI, and Morrison scored on the play. It was a combined one-hit shutout for Post 346, as Jacob Norton worked 3.2 innings, allowing a single hit and recording four strikeouts. Trey Eldridge pitched 3.1 innings, contributing six more strikeouts to preserve the shutout. The defense backed the pitchers by holding Rantoul to just one hit, securing the 1-0 win.
Heading into the second day of the Crawfordsville tournament on Friday, Post 346 stood at 24-3 on the season. They were set to face Washington (Mo.) in what would be their next challenge in the event. This string of performances reflected a strong showing from Wayne Newton Post 346, underscoring their resilience and ability to win tight games and bounce back after a setback. The team’s pitching, highlighted by Norton and Eldridge, combined with timely hitting, kept them in contention throughout the tournament. As the schedule progressed, fans and supporters looked forward to more competitive at-bats and strong pitching performances from Post 346, with hopes of continuing their winning ways and improving their regional standing.