Top-seeded Riverside Post 10 advanced to the double-elimination championship round of the 2024 Rhode Island American Legion Baseball League Junior Division playoffs after decisively beating visiting Scituate Post 19 twice Tuesday night, July 30, at Pierce Field.

The reigning state champs, Riverside won the opener of the teams' best-of-three preliminary round series by an 8-4 count, then completed the sweep by an 8-1 score on a combined no-hitter in the second game.

Post 10, which improved to 14-3 overall on the summer with the wins, retains the No. 1 seed when the three remaining sides from the preliminary round gather this weekend in West Warwick to determine the state champ.

"It was a great way to end our season at Pierce, sporting a 14-3 record going into the double-elimination state final," Riverside manager Ben Emond said of the Scituate whitewash. "We expected to sweep tonight, and planned our pitching so everyone is available for the remainder of the playoff run. It should be a fun run the rest of the way.

Game 1 notes
To begin Tuesday's action, the locals spotted their sixth-seeded guests the first two runs of the opening game, which Scituate scored in the top of the third inning off Post 10 starter Ben Hallene.

Riverside, however, answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame to take the lead. Braylen DeCosta led off with a single and stole second. Aidan Martins next drew a walk. DeCosta stole third then Martins did the same to reach second. JJ Renaud followed with a single to plate DeCosta with the first Post 10 run. He then stole second. Both came around on Nolan Lorenz's base hit to make it 3-2 locals.

Riverside added single tallies in the bottom of fourth and fifth. In the former, Chris Charbonneau reached on an error, but was erased when Mcquire Camelo reached on a fielder's choice. He then stole second and scored on Graham Franke's single. In the latter, Martins single and stole second. Lorenz put runners at the corners with a base hit. Will Francis walked to load the bases. Martins scored when Post 19 booted a Jamison Sydney grounder. But Scituate then avoided further damage by turning an inning-ending, 1-2-3 double play.

Down 5-2, Scituate scored a run in the top of the sixth off of the second Post 10 arm, Francis. But the visitors soon ran themselves out of potential rally. With two down and two on, a base hit to right brought the one tally around. Nolan Lorenz, though, fielded the ball cleanly and crisply threw to Franke at first base, whose ensuing relay throw to Sydney at the plate was spot on the mark. Sydney put the tag on the Post 19 runner, who coincidentally ran through the stop side of the base coach, for the third out.

The locals then broke the game open in the home half of the sixth, scoring three more runs. With one out, Franke doubled to right. DeCosta drove him in with single and moved to second on the throw. Martins followed with an RBI-double. Lorenz brought his around with a single to right.

Hallene threw 2-2/3 innings to start the game for the locals, allowing the first two Scituate runs. Francis went 3-1/3 in relief to earn the win, giving up the one tally in the sixth. Brandon Dicceco pitched the final frame, allowing a run in the seventh. Renaud ended the game with a nifty, short-hop scoop at short then a throw over to Francis, by then at first base defensively. Martins led the offense with three hits and three runs scored. Lorenz drove in three on a couple of hits.

Game 2 notes
In the nightcap, Riverside was the easy victor once more as Renaud, Lorenz and Martins combined on a no-hitter. Post 10 was first on the board with a run in bottom of the first. Martins led off with a double, then stole third and scored on an errant Post 19 throw.

The locals tacked on two more in the third. Dicecco walked. Lexington Garelli entered as a pinch runner then scored on a Martins triple. He later scored a tally on a Renaud groundout to make it 3-0 Riverside. In the fourth, Francis doubled and later came around on a wild pitch to up Post 10's lead to 4-0.

Riverside doubled their edge to 8-0 through five frames. DeCosta drew a walk to start the rally. He stole second and scored on Max Pawlik's single. Pawlik moved up on the throw home and went to third on a passed ball then came around on a Martins' base hit. Martins also stole second before Renaud was hit by a pitch. Both next came around on a Lorenz single to center.

Renaud was the winning pitcher, going the four-inning minimum as the starter to earn the decision. Lorenz threw two innings, allowing the one Post 19 run in the top of the sixth. Martins faced four batters in the seventh to finish the game, ending it a strikeout. The latter was also again among the offensive standouts with three hits, scoring twice and driving it two.

Playoff notes
The Riverside-Scituate series was one of three opening round meetings. The other two had second-seeded South Kingstown Post 39 hosting fifth-seeded Gershkoff Auburn Post 20 of Cranston and fourth-seeded R&R Construction Post 18 at third-seeded Warwick Tree Post 2.

The winners of those two series join overall No. 1 seed Post 10 for the state championship round-robin this weekend at McCarthy Field in West Warwick.

The Nos. 2 and 3 seeds open the finals Friday night, Aug. 2, at 5:30 p.m. The next night, Aug. 3, at the same time the winner meets Riverside. The losers of the first two games then play Sunday, Aug. 4, at 1 p.m.

The survivor advances to face the unbeaten team Monday afternoon, Aug. 5, at 1 o'clock. An "if necessary" game would follow a half-hour after the conclusion of Monday's initial contest.

The Rhode Island champion qualifies for the 2024 Northeast Region 1 Tournament, which takes place at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor, Maine, Friday, Aug. 9-Sunday, Aug. 11. Host Maine and Connecticut will both send two teams to the event. Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York and New Hampshire round out the eight-team field.