It was quite a weekend for Greenfield Post 81.
The American Legion Senior baseball club got off to a fast start at the Massachusetts Chairman’s Cup State Tournament, winning their first two games to sit at a perfect 2-0 in the double-elimination event.
The tournament, which is acting as a second state tournament this summer due to an abbreviated regular season, is being held at Mahan Field in Natick.
Greenfield advanced to Monday’s winner’s bracket game against either Franklin or Peabody, set for 7 p.m. back in Natick.
Sunday’s second round game against Leominster Post 151 saw Greenfield march on in dramatic fashion. Jason Quinn delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning, plating David Carey for a 6-5 victory to keep the club in the winner’s bracket and undefeated.
“It’s a great feeling,” Post 81 skipper Kevin Luippold said. “The guys are having so much fun playing baseball and rooting each other on right now. We’re playing the best of the best and the kids just want to keep playing baseball.”
Locked in a 5-5 game in the seventh, Carey doubled to lead off the frame on a ball that nearly got out of the ballpark for a home run. After Leominster intentionally walked Jacob Quinn, Jason Quinn came through with the winning hit.
Carey finished 3-for-4 with two doubles, while Jacob Quinn doubled and drove in three runs. Jason Quinn finished with two hits, while Kevin Baumann delivered a key RBI in the bottom of the fifth that tied it 5-5.
Shawn Davenport earned the win in relief, tossing 1 2/3 innings out of the pen. He also finished under 30 pitches and is still available to throw in Monday night’s tilt. Brody Baird started and went three innings before Cam Lococo came on for 2 1/3 innings.
Trailing 5-2 in the fifth, Post 81 rallied for three runs. Kyle Barnes singled and scored on a Carey RBI single, and Jacob Quinn made it 5-4 with an RBI double before Baumann leveled the tilt.
A 13-hit offensive barrage, combined with another solid outing from ace Carey propelled Post 81 to an impressive 5-4 win over Bridgewater Post 203 in the opening round of the st ate tourney on Saturday.
Carey went the distance, striking out six in seven innings while scattering eight hits to pick up the win against a Bridgewater club that is one of five teams in the eight-team field that also competed in the initial state American Legion tournament held last month.
Trailing 1-0 in the third inning, Greenfield tied the game when Mike Bassett singled home Dylan Martin.
The Brothers Quinn got the offense rolling in the top of the fourth. Jacob Quinn doubled and Jason Quinn made it a 2-1 game with an RBI double of his own. Lococo followed with an RBI single to give Greenfield a 3-1 advantage.
Bridgewater tied it with two runs in the bottom of the fourth, but Post 81 snatched the lead for good in the top of the fifth. Barnes, who was 3-for-4 on the day at the plate, singled and scored on an RBI double by Carey. He would later score when Jacob Quinn stroked an RBI single to give the club a 5-3 advantage.
Bridgewater pushed a run across in the bottom of the sixth, and had two runners on in the bottom of the seventh looking to tie the game. But a liner to Barnes at shortstop was turned into a double play, and Lococo snagged a pop out in right field to seal the deal and t he 5-4 win.
Jason Quinn was 3-for-3 at the plate for Greenfield, while Jacob Quinn and Martin each registered a pair of hits.