Barnstable Post 206 American Legion Clinches Playoff Berth for First Time in Decade

Coach Jack Toffey shouted for his batter to "pick the team up," and the batter delivered.

On a 1-1 count with two outs in the bottom of the third inning, Everett Walsh delivered a 375-foot two-run homer, the likes of which opposing head coach Rich Cogliano of the Hawkeye Athletic Club said he had only seen three or four times in his career.

Down 2-1 in the second game of a twinbill, and having lost the first match by the score of 7-5, Barnstable Post 206 needed to snap out of its funk. Hawkeye A.C. also needed a win for in order for their playoff hopes to remain alive.

Leadoff hitter Luke Besse, who had been red-hot all day, singled to lead off the inning, but was forced out at second base on a Mark Brodd fielder's choice grounder up the middle. Brodd reached second on a pass ball and Will Toffey (1-2, 3 RBI) delivered a single to drive him home.  Toffey then promptly stole second and third base. 

Coach Toffey made it known to Walsh that the team needed something and Walsh then delivered with a two-run bomb. That was all Post 206 would need to win, but the blast served to do much more as it opened a veritable offensive can of worms that the hosts could not seem to stifle.

Dan Walsh then reached on an error by the shortstop. Alec Morrison then singled and Tim Biliouris launched a towering fly ball to left center for a double, knocking in two runs. Denny Beynor (2-3), who caught both ends of the doubleheader, then drove in Biliouris.

Besse got up a second time in the inning, reached on an error, and would eventually score on a Mark Brodd single. Will Toffey walked in his second at-bat of the inning.  Both baserunners ultimately came home on a viciously deep, three-run homer by Alex Pernick.

With a 12-2 lead, Barnstable Post 206 simply needed to hold off the hosts in order to win by the mercy rule. However Hawkeye would come back with one run in the top of the fourth inning.

After a solid fourth frame, Dan Holzman offered up a solo homer in the fifth to make it 12-3, yet Barnstable quickly loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth, going up 13-3 when Toffey walked in the game-ending run.

Holzman, who has been Post 206's closer all season long, got the starting nod on the mound and picked up his first American Legion victory. He struck out five, including two in the fifth, walked none and scattered seven hits. Beynor, Toffey and Pernick each made some nifty defensive plays that really helped put the proverbial fork in Hawkeye's opportunities to build a rally.

Earlier in the day, in Post 206's 7-5 loss to the hosts, Barnstable got a 3-4 performance at the plate from Besse, as well as a monumental home run blast from Alec Morrison.

Barnstable faces Dennis Post 488 at Lowell Park in Cotuit tonight, at 5:45 pm, in their last regular season game. They will likely face Kingston Post 387 in round 1 of the District 10 playoffs which start on Tuesday.